Treatment with radiation and chemotherapy often comes with side effects of nausea, exhaustion, sometimes hair loss, and more. So when a patient completes their treatment and is given the opportunity to “ring the bell” to mark this milestone and close a difficult chapter, it can be an exciting time to celebrate.
For those in a battle with cancer, the ringing of a bell signifies a great accomplishment. It means the end of a tough chapter of chemotherapy and/or radiation and the beginning of a new one. The tradition started in 1996 at MD Anderson.
Cancer patients often ring a ceremonial bell to celebrate the end of their radiation treatment or chemotherapy. The gesture is meant to signal joy, but it may be producing the opposite effect at healthcare institutions across the country.
The now-widespread tradition was introduced in 1996 at MD Anderson when U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Irve Le Moyne, a patient with head and neck cancer, installed a brass bell at the main campus Radiation Treatment Center.
The patient-led practice is thought to have begun in 1996 at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Many places expanded bell-ringing to include patients who completed chemotherapy treatments and were deemed cancer-free. The ceremony has always been a joyous occasion. Patients ring a brass bell hung from the wall and recite an inspirational poem about completing treatment.
Don't be afraid to give a hug, foot massage or a manicure, if that's natural and part of your friendship. Many people often say "congratulations" after the person finished chemotherapy, but it may not always be a good thing. Instead of saying "let's celebrate," ask, "how do you feel now that chemo is over?"
phrase. If you say that something rings a bell, you mean that it reminds you of something, but you cannot remember exactly what it is. [informal]
Remission can be partial or complete. In a complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. If you remain in complete remission for 5 years or more, some doctors may say that you are cured. Still, some cancer cells can remain in your body for many years after treatment.
However, you may have to limit contact with other people for up to one week after treatment. It is especially important to avoid close contact with children and women who are pregnant. Be sure to ask your treatment team what precautions you need to take.
People getting internal and systemic radiation can give off radiation for a short time. With internal radiation, you may need to avoid touching the patient until the implant is removed or limit the time you spend very close to them.
Caring For Someone Who Has Undergone Radiation Therapy
Patients receiving external beam radiation therapy have no radiation in their bodies and therefore are safe to be around immediately following treatment.
Bells are commonly representative of joy and freedom, as with the American Liberty Bell. The shape of the bell is closely related to the vault of HEAVEN. A bell's pendulous motion can represent the extremes of good and evil; death and immortality.
If something doesn't ring a bell, it doesn't cause you to remember anything. You don't think you have heard about it. In this expression, the bell is your memory. If you think about it, a bell gets people's attention.
used to describe a situation when people see signs that something bad has started or is going to happen: For me, the warning bells started to ring when she lost all that weight.
"Difficult roads can lead to beautiful destinations." "There's always hope beyond what you see." "It's possible not just to survive, but to thrive and to live a healthy, wonderful life again." "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it."
After radiation therapy has finished, your treatment team will tell you how to look after the treatment area and recommend ways to manage side effects. They will also advise who to call if you have any concerns. Life after cancer treatment can present its own challenges.
The traditional code for a death knell called for the bell to be rung twice three times for a woman, or three times three for a man. Then, the bell would toll one stroke for each year of the deceased's life. Those listening and counting had a good idea of who was gone.
Possible changes in senses and perception
Hearing may decrease, but most patients can hear you even after they can no longer speak.
Cancer is a complex and diverse group of diseases. It can develop silently within the body, sometimes without noticeable symptoms, until it reaches an advanced stage. This can make early detection and diagnosis challenging. However, doctors can diagnose many cancers early, even before symptoms develop.