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Diane’s Story
Having been first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, Diane (55) is, in her words, now enjoying, “growing old disgracefully”.
Whilst working as a Finance Manager, working on a busy project to open the finance
department in a new call centre, Diane noticed a lump in her right breast. After visiting her doctor, she was referred to the Jarvis Clinic in Guildford where she was diagnosed with breast cancer on 13 March 1998.
Diane had a lumpectomy. After her surgery she had radiotherapy for six weeks and was prescribed Tamoxifen to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. Following her treatment, and five years of taking the drug, she had several scans which showed that the cancer was in remission.
Life then continued as normal for Diane. However, in 2001, Diane’s husband, Laurence, sadly died, and about two years later Diane was diagnosed with secondary cancer in her right breast.
Diane explains, “I was clear of cancer for about seven years, but it was felt that the stress of my husband’s death may have caused the cancer to come back. I had a mastectomy and a reconstruction, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and then just got on with my life.”
Following a car accident in 2004 the cancer returned – this time in Diane’s left breast. She had a second mastectomy, reconstruction and chemotherapy. In the years that followed, Diane developed cancer in
her spine, some metastases on her brain, and lymphodema in her left arm, and a brain tumor that was removed at St George’s Hospital in London.
“My last encounter with cancer was a couple of years ago when I was diagnosed with a tumour on my voice box. I lost my voice during the radiotherapy treatment but it came back – albeit I was somewhat husky for a few months!”
In 2011, because of her illness and all that she had been through, as well as losing several friends to cancer, Diane began to feel very low. She didn’t know who to turn to for help so she visited the hospital Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) for breast cancer who referred her to Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care. Catherine, a CNS at Phyllis Tuckwell, met with Diane to establish how Phyllis Tuckwell could help her.
“When I was first referred to Phyllis Tuckwell, I thought ‘I’m going to die’ but since coming here for the first time, I haven’t looked back since.”
Diane has attended a number of ‘Wellbeing Workshops’ covering topics including sleeping well, coping with fatigue, and stress management. Aromatherapy has provided Diane with an alternative method of coping with her illness and stabilising her mood.
“The workshops have been so helpful and I have learnt a lot. They just make me feel better and I would recommend them to everyone.”
‘Brush With Art’, which is a group where participants can rediscover their creativity through painting, drawing or collage, has given Diane a place where she can forget her health problems for a time.
“The group is a brilliant way to have fun and relax. I found I could just lose myself in what I was doing.”
Diane is currently stable with her cancer and has been discharged from the Community Team at Phyllis Tuckwell.
“The people at Phyllis Tuckwell are all so lovely and the support I’ve received has been fantastic. They’ve helped me to realise that you can overcome your feelings for this and you can move on.”
Wellbeing WorkshopsFor patients and carers - at Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice.These are group sessions that aim to help patients and their carers cope with day to day life and managing key symptoms.For more information please contact Liz Faulkner Manning on 01252 729417
Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8BL
Phyllis Tuckwell Memorial Hospice Ltd. Registered Number 1063033. Registered Charity Number 264501.
Tel: 01252 729400Email: [email protected] www.pth.org.uk
Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care
Waverley Lane, FarnhamSurrey GU9 8BL
The Beacon Centre,Gill Avenue, Guildford,Surrey GU2 7WW
Phyllis Tuckwell Memorial Hospice Ltd. Registered Number 1063033. Registered Charity Number 264501
May
201
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Diane’s Story
Our patients are inspiring...
“The workshops have been so helpful.”
We are privileged to care for people like Diane and her family, at probably the most difficult time in their lives, but we can only do this with the generosity of our local community.
We have to raise over £20,000 every day in order to provide care, free of charge, to our patients and their relatives.
For further information about how to support Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care, contact our Fundraising team on: 01252 [email protected]
