Just a few years ago, Mel struggled to walk at all because of his life-limiting conditions. Mel became increasingly depressed as his health deteriorated until he was referred to The Hospice of St Francis.
Mel shared how the Hospice helped him:
“In June 2022, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. I was also told that nothing could be done about an aneurysm in my aorta, and that it would rupture at some stage. My vascular surgeon gave me 4 months to a year to live.
My general health and wellbeing deteriorated. With severe mobility issues, I didn’t walk outside for over a year and became increasingly depressed. At this stage, my GP advised that I would be referred to The Hospice of St Francis for treatment and advice.
When I met Dr Chadwick for the first time, I believe she thought I was in a bit of a state. She identified the need to adjust my medications and did so several times at subsequent appointments. She also arranged two iron infusions, which I received on the Inpatient Unit with nurses keeping me company.
I went from being so tired, breathless and weak, where I couldn’t dream of going anywhere outside, to feeling vastly improved. The iron infusions gave me my energy back and I was able to walk. I stopped feeling so useless, tired and fed up.
I also started having counselling sessions with Gary. I found the sessions constructive, calming and they allowed me to communicate more easily. With Gary, we always had a bit of a laugh about something.
Due to all the advice and treatment, my overall wellbeing improved significantly. My blood results improved, as did my mobility and energy levels. I continue to increase my daily exercise and now I walk two miles every day.
Walking outside is something I’ve always enjoyed. Now, I bump into people around the village who I haven’t seen in a year. They say, ‘It’s great to see you still about.’ We stop and have a chat about how things have been.
I hope that my situation will show others how important the hospice is. The staff have shown that their work is not only to care for the terminally ill at the end of life, but also to provide help and solutions to others in need of their expertise. Without the Hospice, I feel that I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
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