HASAG attended Guys coffee morning to catch up with Mesothelioma patients in the London area. This group is run by Rachel Thomas Mesothelioma UK specialist nurse at Guys Hospital.
We are so pleased to be able to support this group as many of the patients who attend have been referred to HASAG for benefits advice and guidance after diagnosis.
The morning started with teas/coffees and croissants whilst patients and their families chatted with Rachel in a relaxed environment. You can see how valuable these kind of meetings are for the patients who have lots of questions relating to their treatments and ongoing care.
Part way through the morning we had a special guest, Bobby the therapy dog. He had been to visit this support group previously and was clearly a hit with everyone. He is a beautiful, good natured dog that is happy to wander around the group and loves to be made a fuss of! Such a nice distraction for the patients.
Rachel Thomas had also organised for a nutritionist, Rachel Bracegirdle, from the hospital to come and speak about the importance of having a balanced and healthy diet after a cancer diagnosis.
This was a big topic in which Rachel spoke about the main food groups, how to manage a poor appetite, changes in taste, taking supplements and what foods to avoid when having chemotherapy treatment amongst other things.
It was a great opportunity for patients and their families to ask questions and get advice from a specialist in nutrition.
Rachel bought some samples of supplement drinks that patients were able to try and handy MacMillan booklets on menu ideas and eating problems.
This was a really relaxed morning where patients felt able to ask both professionals questions and share experiences with each other and Bobby the dog!
Looking forward to the next meeting.
