Sarcoma Awareness Week: Milli Lipshaw

I have worked with children and teenagers that have been diagnosed with Sarcomas in a variety of settings; from the surgery ward, to the oncology ward and now in my role as a Paediatric and Adolescent Sarcoma Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.

I find the main frustration for parents and patients is “what happens now?” 
Part of my job is to break this information down so it is understood by families. What? Why? When? and How? This helps to reduce some of the fears that they have. I find it very rewarding helping to make their cancer journey a little bit smoother.

"I find it very rewarding helping to make their cancer journey a little bit smoother."
- Milli

As well as being there at the very start of the patients’ cancer journey and supporting families by answering any queries or concerns they have. I also do a lot of work in the background liaising with the patients’ oncology centres, community teams and organising scans and appointments.

It’s nice for patients to know a friendly face throughout their journey and I feel like I am in a very privileged position.