Celebrate every little win you can get!
The bells in some places can be heard echoing the halls of many floors and many rooms. When that bell rings, applause and kind words may follow from many employees, patients or visitors. Where this becomes troublesome is for those receiving long-term treatment; they must hear that bell ring for everyone else. A heavy heart and loss of hope will overcome them as they begin to feel like they will never get that opportunity to ring that bell.
Hope and faith are powerful instruments to healing and recovery. When you lose hope… When you lose faith… When you struggle to see the end of the battle… Ringing that bell can become a powerful feeling that strengthens and uplifts hope and faith, but for those who are struggling to survive, hearing that bell does the exact opposite.
Some clinics have removed, never installed a bell, or have it so the infusion area is bell-free for this reason. Although radiation or chemo treatments have been completed, the side effects and other treatments quickly follow. The journey may not end there for those whom ring the bell, but that one victory may bring them hope to continue their battles.
If you have a story or opinion on this matter, we highly encourage your response. Did you or a loved one get the chance to ring the bell? How did it make you feel? While receiving treatment, did you hear the bell – did it give you hope or discontent?