Ceremony of "ringing the bell" at the end of treatment (Video)

Some cancer treatment facilities have come to practice an inspiring, even uplifting, ritual which patients are encouraged to perform at the completion of their cancer treatments.

Somewhere within the facility, often at a special corner, or within a special room or such, there is located a bell with a ringer attached to it. It may be a large, loud bell, or a smaller, softer one, either one perhaps with a plaque describing its purpose, on a special pedestal, etc.

But its usage is always the same. Whenever a cancer patient has completed treatment, the person is invited to come to the bell, and, often with family and medical staff who treated the person nearby watching, he or she rings the bell, often vigorously, as a sign of successful completion of treatment, and of optimism for the future.

Below is a Youtube video of such a ceremony at MD Anderson, worth a look at least for the good spirit that such a ceremony always seems to generate.

(Incidentally, the gentleman doing the ringing in the video mentions happily at one point that he will "no longer have to drink 40 ounces of water daily," making it indeed sound like he was likely treated with RT for PCa)

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EXeMr8EewI

The clinic I went to had a bell just outside the treatment room. On the last day they gathered all the staff they could find, including the ROs, rang the bell and gave a certificate of completion.

Andrew

I go to a smaller hospital, that specializes in individualized care. Everyone there knows my name and knows my story. I like that feeling, because I grew up in a small town. At the end of my chemotherapy sessions, all the nurses and doctors formed a line and hugged me, one by one, after I rang the bell. It was very meaningful, because you do form a bond with your medical team over time. Each one of them continues to play a part in my treatments, past and present. The "ringing of the bell" ceremony also helps to inspire others, who are just getting started on their treatments. Everyone needs encouragement along the way. Continue to reach out to others who are fighting this battle, everyone !

My best,
Cyclone

My mom's hospital in Charleston, SC did that. I sent her some flowers and a card saying "Ring that bell!" on the day she completed her radiation treatment for rectal cancer. Unfortunately, she died a week later.

Bill from Florida

It was a bittersweet few minutes for me on my last day at UFPTI. I was very excited and happy to ring that bell and to celebrate with my new friends and medical staff, but I was a little sad at the same time to be leaving. I had gotten attached to the routine of sitting in the waiting room, hydrating and talking with the other patients. A friend who started a proton blog calls it Proton Separation Anxiety or PSA.

I look forward to seeing many of the friends I made and my technicians next week at my first 6 month checkup.