Revised: 4 September 2024
Louise was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018. After a period of remission in 2021, she received the devastating news that her cancer had returned as stage four breast cancer, which had metastasised to her brain. This new diagnosis required surgery and chemotherapy.
Whilst in the period of remission, Louise believed she was recovering well, despite experiencing severe headaches, nausea, and blurred vision. Her doctor had suggested these symptoms might be related to tension headaches or even the lingering effects of the coronavirus. However, on her doctor's suggestion she visited the optician for an eye exam. It was here they suspected the presence of a tumor using an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scan.
A further scan in hospital confirmed she had a large tumor behind her left eye. “And that was the start of my journey into being terminally ill. It was a shock, a big, big shock, to myself and my family.”.
When introduced to St Margaret’s, initially she wasn’t sure “I just thought, oh my god, that’s where people go to die when they’re really poorly”.
Louise was admitted to the In-Patient Unit for the first time for two weeks and that was when the staff helped her to realise a hospice was so much more than medical attention for those close to death, but about pain management and getting people home to help them to live as normal a life as possible. She was surprised and pleased to receive so much attention and support from the doctors who were interested in her personally, in her family and hobbies. And it was here Louise learnt about the Sunflower Centre.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when visiting the Sunflower Day Centre, but everyone was so lovely; the other patients made you feel like you were part of their family. Now, every time I go there, I try to stay as long as possible”. I’ve taken advantage of the complementary therapies, created different memory boxes for family members and done practical things like plan my will. The staff and volunteers help you to adjust to the different stages of having a terminal diagnosis. I was in the grief stage at first, now I’ve begun to move into the acceptance stage.”
The Sunflower Centre also allows Louise to be herself as she feels her family can find it difficult to talk about topics like the future. Sometimes it’s just important to get things off your chest. “The patients are all in the same predicament as me and I can offload to them”. Plus, I don’t want to burden my family”.
Louise knew she wanted to give something back to the hospice, to be able to say thank you for everything they had helped her with. She knew that as part of that thank you, she wanted to raise some money. Louise signed up for one of the hospice’s Sunflower Strolls and persuaded her family, friends and acquaintances to join her. In September 2023, supported by friends, family and over 100 other supporters of the hospice Louise took part in the 4km remembrance stroll around Taunton, accumulating with a cream tea in the beautiful hospice gardens. Reflecting on the stroll, Louise said, “The weather was nice, and the atmosphere was really great, and we made a lot of money too. It was wonderful to be able to support the hospice and all those who work there. They’re a really special group of people, who love their jobs, which really comes across in everything they say and do, and I’d like to thank them from the bottom of my heart”.
