Ann Stanford is one courageous, resilient woman. In July 2014, Ann received the devastating news that her life would soon end. Yet, rather than spending her time dying, Ann was determined to live it instead - making the most of every day, right until the end.
Ann’s journey began when she found she couldn’t eat much – barely more than an egg-cup full of food a day. At first, Ann was chuffed as she was losing weight. Unfortunately, the reason why Ann had lost her appetite was because her abdomen was filling with fluid. Ann was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that had spread to her bowel.
An infection at the time meant chemotherapy wasn’t an option, and, just five weeks after being diagnosed, Ann was taken off all treatment. She was transferred into the care of Hospice North Shore, and arrived in our Inpatient Unit thinking that this is where she would spend her last days. Ann couldn’t eat, she was in pain and she was constantly vomiting. Her husband, Campbell, and her family and friends were devastated. They couldn’t believe how their lives had changed so quickly in such a short amount of time. They thought a Hospice Inpatient Unit was a place of no return – so they were in for a surprise.
Ann’s time in Hospice was actually short. Hospice medical specialists gave Ann treatment for her nausea, a pump to manage her pain, and steroids. The steroids gave Ann her appetite back, quite literally overnight. “I was so grateful to be able to eat and drink again” she tells me. “Now I eat like a horse!”
Hospice Nurse Jane says, “Ann is such a character. She is so well loved and liked. One day, 22 people came to visit her in the IPU! When cream donuts went missing, the icing sugar on Ann and her friends’ faces said it all… you couldn’t help but laugh. She always brings a smile to our faces”.
Ann is now back home, and says the team at Hospice gave her much more than just her appetite. “In myself, I’m feeling OK,” she says, “I know the cancer is there, doing its thing, but Hospice has given me a new lease of life. They’ve given back my freedom and independence. I can make the most of the time I have left, enjoying the things I love doing with family and friends. They have been so wonderful and I couldn’t ask for more.”
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