I have been involved with MACS Cancer Support Group since it was founded here in the Mojacar area 5 years ago.
I accompany Patients to their Dr’s or Hospital appointments acting as their Interpreter; Administrator of paperwork, sometimes Trouble-shooter and always as a friend.
Seeing how some cancer sufferers, cope with their condition with such positivity and determination especially when faced with extreme adversity, provokes a revision in the perspective of how we live our own life and with careful thought can also restore one’s faith.
I have seen for myself that this positive attitude, so obviously apparent in some people, is made possible due to the unconditional love, care and support of Partners, Husbands and Wives. I am happy to say that with Persons such as these and other family members I am privileged to share my working days.
Sometimes there is laughter and sometimes there are tears, but always there is a helping hand or a caring heart close by to smooth the way forward.
Occasionally my tasks can be challenging. Coordinating appointments; battling with the correct protocol and procedures; administrative delays and the proverbial ‘paper trail’ are obstacles which sometimes need to be tackled.
My weekly work can involve meetings and consultations with the Family Doctor or Specialists based at various Hospitals in the region, plus the Social Services department who have offices in most villages. The professional services these bodies provide are well coordinated and for the most part efficient in my experience. Having knowledge of the system and how it works always pays dividends.
During my time with MACS I have met some of the most amazing and to my mind, ‘brave’ individuals. My admiration goes also to the ‘Carers’, those special people who put their own lives on hold for as long as is necessary to assist others and the Spanish Palliative Care Team, who along with their professionalism bring an air of jollity and sometimes fun as they laugh at their own basic English language skills.
The teamwork involved in this support group makes MACS work. Each individual, like myself, is a cog in the wheel, each with our own tasks to perform, a goal to achieve and hopefully a success to celebrate at the end of it.
With some new and exciting projects on the horizon I look forward to collaborating with MACS for many years to come.