Deep Oscillation Feedback from Adam’s Bucketful of Hope

‘Adam’s Bucketful of Hope’ is a wonderful charitable organisation in Pembrokeshire that was started by Chris Evans-Thomas, who sadly lost her son, Adam, to Leukemia in his early 30’s. The charity was established to support cancer patients and their families in Pembrokeshire.

"I am delighted to be one of the therapists working for the charity. The therapy team provide a range of services to our patients and clients, including counselling, beauty treatments, massage, and holistic therapies.

During the summer of 2022, Chris, together with the trustees, invested in the PhysioPod Oscillator and the training of therapists to enable us to complement the treatments we offer.

The gentle non-invasive frequencies delivered by the oscillator are ideal for our very vulnerable clients. We find the oscillator very easy to use and follow the menus by using the dial to select the appropriate programmes for different conditions.

Over the months we have used the machine with lots of different clients and have been amazed at how quickly clients feel relief in tight muscles and from aches and pains. The oscillator takes all the hard work as we only need to glide over the skin to be deeply effective, rather than ‘working’ tissue with our hands and fingers.
We have been so pleased with the results that the charity has bought a second machine, so we have one in each therapy room.

Katie, our beautician has been giving Lilly weekly facial treatments with the oscillator following her surgery and subsequent radiotherapy for mouth cancer. Lilly was in a lot of pain, struggling to eat and drink. She had swelling around the left side of her jaw. After receiving weekly treatments for a few months, Lilly has improved, now only needing occasional pain killers. Her swelling has disappeared, which is helping her confidence and she is eating and drinking. She also has some feeling returning to her face and mouth, her saliva production has also increased.

My work involves reflexology, reiki, and massage. I’ve used the oscillator on tight muscles, swollen ankles, neck, shoulder, and back pain with good results. Patients with neuropathy have also found that they have more feeling.
One of the best results so far is with a client called Meg. She had a brain tumour removed by medical infusion in 2016 and suffered a stroke soon after. Meg has trouble walking and drags her left side. She has had weekly massage and reflexology sessions before we had the oscillator. As soon as we added the oscillator to her therapy, we noted that Meg was experiencing new sensations, from a slight feeling in her toes and upwards into her face.

Having continued with weekly sessions for Meg who is now walking more easily, and her balance has improved. She says ‘My left foot no longer feels like a block of wood when I put it down. I can almost feel the bones in my feet’. We are very optimistic that these fantastic results will continue."

Jane Ratcliffe

Deep Oscillation, Reflexology and Reiki Practitioner

Adam's Bucketful of Hope
11 Dew Street
Haverfordwest
Wales
SA61 1ST
Mobile 07786 655 383

About Adam's Bucketful of Hope

"Adam's Bucketful of Hope are a Centre that offers principally emotional support for patients and their carers, distracting patients from the daily anxiety of their illness by engaging them in exciting activities, trips, parties, delivering complementary therapies, beauty treatments, podiatry, and counselling to name but a few.. We set them challenges that take them out of their stressful situation and hopefully, by this distraction, ease their pain and fear.

The charity was started by a young man called Adam Evans-Thomas on being diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia 25 years ago. He started his fundraising for the NHS by recruiting blood and bone marrow donors for the Welsh Blood Service in Llantrisant. The Heath Hospital, in Cardiff has a high dependency room donated by Adam's Bucketful of Hope Appeal.

Just before he died at the age of 35, he wanted to "give back" to the wonderful Withybush hospital and staff who looked after him for the 10 short years of his illness by fundraising for a new Cancer Care Day Unit. This Unit, called the Pembrokeshire Haematology and Oncology Day Unit was completed in December 2017 and so Adam's Legacy was fulfilled.

However, his family and friends have continued to fundraise in his name; The Cancer Support Venue was opened in 2009 offering all the services and distractions mentioned above. The patients attending this unit over the last 10 years have repeatedly remarked that they do not wish to be referred to as victims, patients or survivors etc.. and because they donned their t-shirts to fight for their local hospital Unit in these dire times and won!! – the term Buckateers was coined as they saw themselves as Buccaneers! – fighting in the war against Cancer!

Our Venue is a wonderful, homely, Community Centre where our Buckateers can arm themselves with the ammunition and weapons they need to fight Cancer ................ comradeship, warmth, laughter, support, tea, cakes, gossip, care and love!"