“My mum was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013. She spent eight years fighting to live as long as she could.
Facing terminal illness does give you a different perspective on what is really important. You focus on the every day, being loving and happy. We were already a very close family, but it means you don’t argue about the small things any more.
Mum adored her family, and spending time in her garden, and with the help of the Hospice, we took each day at a time, making the most of those everyday things.
One of the biggest things the Hospice helped with was managing mum’s pain. In the last couple of years Mum used a wheelchair because of her pain levels as the cancer had spread. It made things like walking and going up and down the stairs very hard. It affected most things we did, but the Hospice showed us there is always a way to improve things and to make it easier for your loved one.
They deal with everything so quickly, when mum was experiencing symptoms or problems everything was put in place to help us so fast, whether it be a phone call, a visit or providing us with additional equipment to help with mum’s everyday life.
Mum stayed at the Hospice on three occasions; two for pain control and the final stay was for end of life care. The nurses work so hard, they are so friendly and helpful, they are exactly who you need when you are facing one of the most difficult things.
