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My name is Wendy Wilkinson, I’m a Macmillan Occupational Therapist

working in cancer rehabilitation

I'm based in Singleton Hospital in Swansea.

I meet people undergoing

various different types of treatments.

and all of these have impacts on those individuals

in physical, psychological, and social ways.

My role in this is to establish ways that they can improve

their daily activities.

I can provide counselling and cognitive therapies

for people who need support with their emotional challenges.

I can provide physical interventions,

especially here in the hydrotherapy pool,

where some people come in to have pain relief

to get stronger

and other people come in for breathlessness management,

Because I ask people to set their own goals,

the type of rehabilitation that we might do

is very different for each individual.

For some people we might be practising kitchen activities

because they want to become independent with cooking.

For other people is more meaningful to get back out into the garden,

and tend their veggie patch.

I help people to become independent,

with whatever it is that makes their life meaningful.

If somebody who was affected by cancer was nervous

about engaging in cancer rehabilitation,

I would encourage them to try one of the sessions

at least once.

It's rare that after having met other people

who are going through the process

that people don't want to join in.

Sometimes I indentify needs that I can't address.

Now I work as part of a wider Macmillan Team

and it's great because I can actually refer directly

to my colleagues to make sure that that person

has their needs met.

I would encourage everybody who needs help

to call Macmillan.

They will be there to support you,

whichever part of the journey you're on.

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