My Macmillan Angel

I wanted to write a post about my Macmillan nurse Tracy Connor she is such an inspiration I just had to share her story!  She's truly become a friend I hope I will have for the rest of my life.  For me she sums up everything a Macmillan nurse should be!  Also because I want you to know that when you donate your hard earned money to the charity and aren't sure where it goes...well I am just one example!  Macmillan fund the first two years salary for all new nurse posts, after this the NHS trust takes on this cost.

Tracy...I forgot to mention her fab hair -
I have an obsession with hair see my post about Rapunzel!

The story of how Macmillan was founded is so touching, how happy would
Douglas Macmillan be if he were alive to see its work today!

I wasn't in the best frame of mind when Tracy first walked into my hospital room and luckily she hasn't held it against me!  She was a huge support to my husband and family before I really noticed her as I was so poorly!  What I do remember was her manner, always smiling, calm and reassuring. At such a dark time it gave me and my family the confidence that the care and treatment I was having was going to save my life!  She knew the answers to every single question no matter how random and now I know her story I am so grateful to her and Macmillan.

When I recently met with her we discussed her career and she told me that she's always wanted to be a Macmillan nurse!  This to me was so heart warming as I know she was such a comfort to me and hundreds of other patients past and future!

Tracy started her nurse training at the age of 27 having had a variety of jobs including clerical, dental receptionist, mothers help and voluntary worker with heroin addicts in Hong Kong!

"I loved my training and every single area I worked on I thought 'this is what I want to specialise in'.  In the third year I worked on a ward with patients diagnosed with haematology cancers and found it really interesting and rewarding.  Thus began my passion for haematology!  Around the same time I met the retired army major who worked in the Macmillan fundraising office which I walked past most days on my from the nurses home down to the wards.  This is when I decided that I wanted to be a Macmillan Nurse!  Everything I did from thereon in was with this aim in sight!"

"Nowadays, on order to apply for a Macmillan post one has to meet the essential criteria of; 2 - 5 years experience working at a junior sisters level or above in a relevant cancer setting; have a post registration qualification in cancer; a first degree and either working towards an MSc degree or have a MSc."

"When I went for the job (16 years ago) I had worked as the ward sister of the haematology ward for 5 years; had a qualification in haematology and bone marrow transplantation.  At the time I applied you had to be working towards a first degree which I was.  Prior to being the ward sister I had been a junior staff nurse and senior staff nurse on a haematology ward, set up The Medical Day Unit and been a junior sister on the haematology ward.  I had to apply for and be interviewed for all of these posts...a lot of work!  But worth it as in my opinion I have the best job in nursing!  I feel so privileged to be able to work with people at a time when they are at their most vulnerable.  I have met so many lovely people over the years (including Anna and her family!)."

"I am now in my third year of my MSc in Mindfulness Studies and have qualified as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher.  I am going to teach my first 8 week course to patients starting in April this year."

I have so much respect and admiration for Tracy and am so lucky to have her at my side on this cancer journey!  It also very good to hear the Macmillan put so much into recruiting the right people to become their nurses.  The charity does so much more than this but when you think of them their nurses are the first thing that springs to mind, they really are most people's first experience of Macmillan.

I will be posting more about the very diverse and wonderful work Macmillan do so please follow my blog and keep coming back!!  Also if you would like to get in touch I would love to hear from you, there is a form on my blog page!