When I first met Carol, she was sitting in her room in the Hospice In Patient Unit discussing her pain with the Hospice Doctor. Over the past few weeks the pain in her left leg had continued to intensify and her current medication “just wasn’t doing the job”. So she had come into Hospice for a few days so the “pain team” could try her on new medication to find the best relief for her. Carol was looking forward to it kicking in!
Carol has been with Hospice since September 2011, although this isn’t her first experience with us. 15 years ago she lost her first husband Brian to cancer – he was just48 years old. “North Shore Hospice, as it was back then, were amazing with Brian, they helped me ensure that he could be cared for at home. Little did I know that one day, I too would need their support.”
Carol was diagnosed with an uncommon form of cancer in June 2010, but was told that the odds of beating it were good if she went through an aggressive round of radiation treatment. “I went to Auckland hospital everyday for 4 weeks , then had 2 weeks off to try and let my body recover before another 2 ½ weeks of treatment. It was awful, but when in January 2011 I was given the all clear, I knew it was worth it”.
To celebrate having beaten cancer, Carol’s husband Paul shouted the two of them a trip to Canada in June of the same year. The highlight of the trip for Carol was Niagra Falls. “It was incredible – the immense power and the sheer scale of the Falls was amazing. Flying over the Falls in a helicopter was something very special.” The low point of the trip was towards the end Carol noticed that her left leg was swollen – family on Vancouver Island suggested that it might be Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). “On our return home I made an appointment with the Oncology Department, who initially put me on blood thinning medication, but a CT scan cleared me for DVT.
As luck would have it, I was due a full body scan a few days later. Looking back now, it is weird, Paul had come with me to every appointment over the past 12 months, but this time I shrugged off his offer to come for the results and went alone. I was on my own when I got the news that the cancer had come back, this time in my lymph glands, so there was no cure.”
When Carol told her family, it turned their world upside down – Brian and Carol’s kids had already watched their Dad die, now they were about to lose their Mum.
Carol started a round of intensive chemotherapy in October 2011 – but she was under no illusions “this was not going to cure me, but give me a better quality of life for what time I had left”.
“Not long after, my Oncologist suggested I get in touch with Hospice. My leg had continued to swell, my mobility was now compromised and I was in a lot of pain. But I was still reluctant as I didn’t think I was ‘that far down the road’. When we contacted Hospice with Brian, he was a lot sicker that I was – it put a bit of doubt in my mind. But the Oncologist persisted, so I finally arranged to go to the Hospice to see the “pain team”. WOW, within a couple of hours I was like a new woman – the pain in my leg had been brought under control”
Now every week Carol receives a phone call from the Hospice Community Nurses to see how she is doing and to arrange a convenient time for them to pop in and see her. “I receive regular visits from Wendy and Donna. They are both amazing nurses. They come to see how both Paul and I are coping, discuss how my pain is and any concerns that we might have. Paul often talks to them about his concerns and wanting to know how to help me when I’m having bad days. They treat us as individual people, rather than ‘patients’.
When asked what makes the Hospice Community nurses so special, Carol responds “ They always make me feel comfortable and they are always honest. I am confident in what they are telling me and if I don’t understand something I feel comfortable saying so. They treat me with respect and understanding. And when it comes to my managing pain, they are remarkable. They have also made the time to get to know me, so they have been able pick up issues that I hadn’t even noticed. I couldn’t have got through the past few months without ‘the girls’ – I would be in constant pain with absolutely no quality of life, they have allowed me to keep my independence – at least for now.”
But Carol and Paul refuse to dwell on the months ahead “we’re making the most of now. Between us we have 6 children and 12 grandchildren (number 13 is on the way), of which we are lucky that most are in the Auckland area. We are enjoying all their sports activities and taking the younger ones on trips on the ferries and trains when we can”.
“ We know it will get harder, but we know we can face it, because we will never be alone, we know that Hospice will be there all the way”
I was born on the North Shore and lived here all my life – why would you want to live anywhere else? The North Shore just has so much to offer, including an invaluable Hospice for those who are facing a journey such as mine. |
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