On the occasion of Blood Cancer Month, a prevention day takes place this Tuesday, September 10, 2024 in Montpellier, as in 18 other cities in France. The Ellye association (Ensemble Leucémie Lymphomes Espoir) invites patients and their loved ones from noon to 8 p.m. at the Saint-Éloi and Lapeyronie hospitals of the Montpellier University Hospital. A time for discussion for the families concerned, Yves Robert, coordinator of the Ellye association in Montpellieranswered questions from France Bleu Hérault.
To be near the patients with lymphoma and leukemiathis is the ambition of the head of the association, Yves Robert: “This year we are organizing a permanent meeting in Montpellier near the hematology department of Saint-Éloi, we invite patients to come and see us at the stand to present the association to them, listen to them and find out their needs. Then, in the second part of the afternoon, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., we are organizing a second larger meeting in the presence of part of the hematology team from Montpellier and Nîmes.”
“A hematologist cannot spend more than 20 minutes on each patient”
A way for patients to be more surrounded. “It’s a very popular moment for patients, because throughout their care pathway, they see the hematologist as part of a visit, but the doctor can’t spend more than 15 or 20 minutes with each patient. Patients leave there a little frustrated at not having been able to ask all their questions. This type of meeting that we organize at least once a year is an opportunity to meet them, and above all for them to be able to see the medical team for longer.”
Yves Robert has already crossed paths several times with young, even very young patients. “They are courageous, they often give us life lessons. We, the older patients, want to put things into perspective and give them as much hope as possible. To tell them that we have managed to recover. We are also there to support the families, it is generally the relatives and caregivers that we forget. We focus on the patient, but we forget that there is often a caregiver next door, and it is very important that we support them too.”
Yves Robert himself suffers from leukemia, but is in remission. He will share his experience with patients to give them hope. Until 5 p.m., the Ellye association will have a stand to inform patients and their loved ones. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., a nutritionist and a nurse will provide advice in the amphitheater of the Lapeyronie hospital. Registrations are open via this link.
