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voice Cancer Information and Support Centre The Patients’ Newsletter Edition 8 Refresh gets underway ! I am very pleased to announce that the first phase of Refresh (the Isotopes department on lower ground one, funded by the Friends of BHOC) has now been completed. Work is now well underway on the next phases which includes more work on lower ground one; and work on the stairwells and lift lobbies which will both improve the environment and improve signage. The work on the stairwells and lift lobbies will continue for approximately 12 weeks, which means that access to levels via the usual lifts and stairs will be restricted. We apologise for the inconvenience and are grateful for every- one’s understanding during the building work. Above and Beyond are running the CaRE (Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Environment) Appeal to help raise money to fund Refresh. They are organising a num- ber of events including the BHOC Challenge event, where BHOC will be turned into an urban assault course; and Pie & Cash – a ‘Come Dine with me’ style event where Pie Minister will provide pies at a reduced price, and you raise money by having friends to dinner. If you would like further information FIONA JONES about the fundraising events, details can be found on The new Deputy Divisional www.aboveandbeyond.org.uk or by contacting Lucy Smith on Manager, Specialised 0117 3700 486. Services, Haematology, If you have any questions or comments about Refresh, Oncology and please feel free to contact me (0117 342 4148) or Sarah Wright Homoeopathy (0117 342 2411). Fiona Jones PACKED FULL OF ACTION INSIDE Run Dance Wing- with with walk Freddie Meena with Mercury Tony VOICE is generously funded by The Friends of Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre 1 NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS OF BRISTOL FREDDIE RUNS THE HALF MARATHON Katharine Preece and Ryan Shipman have been raising funds for the Friends of Bris- tol Oncology and Haematology Centre since April 2009. Ryan ran the London Marathon this year and they both successfully completed the Bristol Half Marathon together in Sep- tember with Ryan dressed as Freddie Mercury! So far they have raised £966 in memory of Katharine's Nan (Pam) and their friend Carley's Mum (Ann) who were both cared for at the Bristol Oncology Centre. MARRIAGE OF FIGARO he Friends held another fund-raising opera in 2009, the 5 th they have organised. As before, this T was an open-air performance in early August, and was hosted by Mrs Cherry Bretton in her beauti- ful garden near Wrington. The opera was the very popular Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, a delightful and light-hearted production full of humour and memorable tunes. We were lucky, in this year of austerity, to attract an attendance of 280, only a little down on our earlier years. All our guests brought their own picnics, eaten during the interval in convivial groups scat- tered around the extensive gardens. For the first time we had taken the precaution of providing a marquee shelter for the audience, which was fortunate. The blustery weather turned to drizzle during the 2 nd act, from which the audience, the cast and the 12 piece orchestra were fully protected. Without such shelter the orchestra could not have continued. The opera was once again produced and performed, in English, by the very talented Opera Pro- ject, formed 16 years ago and run by 2 Bristol University graduates, Richard Studer and Jonathan Lyness. They are an increasingly well-known and acclaimed company who now regularly perform for 2 weeks each autumn at the Tobacco Factory and during the summer in a variety of venues throughout Britain. We are indebted to our sponsors of this event including local family trusts and businesses. With their help we raised a profit of over £17,000 this year for the charity, which in turn will go to the Centre to be spent on equipment as well as patient care and well-being. We hope to put on another opera in 2011: for further information or inclusion on the mailing list please ring David Farris on 01761 462428. 2 HAEMATOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY CENTRE CLIMB AGAINST CANCER ‘09 (more photos on page 15) HOC first entered into my life, days of cycling in unfamiliar places, on the top of the world. B and the lives of my loved ones, on unknown roads, and up massive THE FINAL DAY when in 2007, at the age of 29, I was mountains. So to the final day, and Alpe diagnosed with stage four bowel can- Slightly daunted, but mas- D’Huez. Nine kilometres to the top, cer. I quickly learned that not only sively excited, we started out for 21 hairpin bends, an average gradient would this have a massive impact Poole to hop on a ferry to Cherbourg, of 10% and a vertical kilometre of upon me, but also those closest to me, and the start of the real adventure. climbing. It is jaw-dropping to stand and most particularly my partner, and Day one in France started out at the bottom and look up! But I am soon to be husband, Oliver. so well – the lads making good pro- proud to say that my boys all made it It became obvious very gress, getting to grips with the to the top without once getting off quickly that he would need to learn ‘carefree’ attitude of the French mo- their bikes, hitting the summit in a how to deal with the stress of our toring public until we got to the small hugely impressive 1 hour and 8 min- situation and find ways of blowing town of Lessay, which we discovered utes – all that after cycling across off steam. And so he rediscovered his was holding its annual town fayre, France for the previous 7 days to love of cycling, and would spend which meant all of the roads were even get there. Consider that your hours out on the road, just him, his closed, and the streets littered with average professional can reach the bike and his thoughts. It was a great people and animals, all of whom had summit in around 45 minutes, and the release for him and as time went by, to be navigated around, unfazed by achievement is amazing. he became fitter and stronger than he the sight of a 25 foot long van com- So an amazing challenge had had ever been before. ing towards them! a successful and emotional finish. So when the notion of cy- Day four and the lads cycled There were tears and smiles, followed cling to the French Alps came to him, for 100 miles in torrential rain and by a hairy 40 mile and hour descent it didn’t sound like a crazy idea. into a substantial headwind; day six back down the mountain! Not only What a great adventure it would be! and we suffered a bad puncture and a was the trip an adventure that we will He would get the opportunity to fulfil busted tail-light in the busy town of never forget, but it has so far raised a boyhood ambition, and I would Givors; day seven and we had to nearly £7,500 for the Friends. have a goal to focus on, something to navigate our way through the bustling I am so grateful to everyone get fit and well for, so that I could city of Grenoble. Not a single day who has supported us – and for those join him on the trip. And then it went without a hitch, but that made of you who still want to, it’s not too dawned on us – such a massive chal- each day’s achievement that much late! You can donate online at at lenge would surely attract interest, so more impressive, and fuelled our de- www.justgiving.com/ why not use the opportunity to raise termination to succeed. climbagainstcancer09 , or drop in on some money for the hospital? “Climb UP THE ALPS Liz in the Friends office. Against Cancer ‘09” was born! We hit the Alpine regions on Just as I, and many others, The aim was simple – Bristol day six, and just driving up some of climb a mountain every day in our to the French Alps and up Alpe the mountains was tiring enough! fight against cancer, so these three d’Huez, one of the most famous Where we had encountered the odd boys climbed a mountain, their way mountain stages of the Tour de 5% climb in the days before, we were of saying thank you to this hospital France. Eight hundred miles in 8 now starting out at the foot of seri- for all that it does. days, and as much sponsorship as we ously imposing ascents, long and re- could secure. Joined by his brother lentless mountain passes. It wasn’t Toby and good friend Steve, 18 unusual to hit an 8% gradient that months of training got underway, went on for two or three miles. ready for 12 th September, the day we But once we got to the top, left for France. The boys would cycle the views and landscapes were spec- and I, along with my best friend Kate, tacular. So many of the little French would drive in support. villages that we passed through were THE ADVENTURE BEGINS like ghost towns, and at times it felt Leaving Bristol on a dark as if we were the only people for Saturday morning, it suddenly miles around. But the air was so crisp dawned on all of us just how much of and clear, and the silence was awe- a challenge this trip would be.

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