“I was diagnosed in August 2022. They said, ‘You’ve got an aggressive hard T-cell lymphoma,’ which is a really rare type of blood cancer. We were just so shocked – it had come out of nowhere.
My whole life was literally turned upside down. After seven months of intensive chemo, I had an auto stem cell transplant and had to remain isolated in hospital for five weeks. I was so ill and my children couldn’t come to visit at all.
After I finished my treatment, I came to the Hospice to start the Hope Course [a course designed to help patients following a cancer diagnosis and treatment]. I think it was one of the best things I ever did. It made me feel not so alone. I have some really good friends, but you don’t want to burden them. With family, you want to put on a brave face. The Hospice gave me an outlet. It also gave me tools and exercises that taught me how to handle things and to not be too hard on myself. I met two ladies on the course who I still meet up with.
In June 2024, I was having some quite low thoughts. I had a lot of guilt about being ill when my family had needed support. I’d been told that only fifteen percent of people [in my situation] live three years. I didn’t want to go through the trauma of chemo again, knowing what it did to my family. I messaged Jerri [Occupational Therapist at the Hospice] and she rang me back that day. It was the best phone call I think I could’ve had. Jerri really cared and said, “Come up to the Hospice and see me.”
I started meeting with Amber [Psychological Support Lead at the Hospice] and after one session I was able to look at things a little bit differently. I saw Amber for six or seven months and I learned different techniques for changing how I thought about things. Amber taught me how to enjoy each day of my life. She also showed me that I hadn’t let my family down. When I finished with Amber, she said, ‘Any help you need, you’re always welcome here.’
I wanted to go back to work, but I was finding that I was still getting really tired. Jerri taught me how to balance a life that was right for me and to prioritise what’s important. She also helped me to have the confidence to put myself back out there. She helped me prepare for my interview and taught me how not to get too tired when I started my new job. I saw that people could see me as a real person again, not as a cancer victim.
I’m so grateful to the Hospice because I don’t know if I would’ve been able to process what happened to me without them. I can’t deny that the cancer can come back at any time, but I don’t think I’m scared about it anymore.”
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