Inspirational Stories

The Day to Day Help of Hospice

Tom Read

Bravely battling cancer at age 76, Tom Read is a warm, caring man who is still enjoying living in his own home with his wife Pam. A retired warehouse manager with a great love of sport, he has three children, three grandchildren and knows the joy of being a great-grandfather as well. He was diagnosed with cancer in March 2004.

‘It started off as bowel cancer,’ says Tom. ‘The doctors operated on me and they did a wonderful job. But as time went by they sent me for another scan and found the cancer had gone to my prostate and liver. If it goes to your liver in one part they can cut it out and the liver regenerates. It is the only organ in the body that does. Unfortunately for me the cancer is scattered through my liver so they aren’t able to operate.’

In the space of a little more than a year, Tom’s world has been turned upside down and he admits he was shocked when his GP first suggested he contact Hospice.

‘He asked me if I would like to go along to a support group at Hospice. Without a word of a lie, if anyone says hospice to you when you are at that stage you immediately think you are on the way out. You can’t help it.’

He now goes along to a weekly Hospice group and says other people there had the same initial reaction as he did. ‘Everyone has said the same thing – as soon as someone mentions hospice, you think the worst. I said no the first time, but I changed my mind and I went the next time. And I really enjoy it. Yes, you have to be terminally ill before you can belong to this group, but you are all in the same boat when you go along. We don’t just sit around expecting to die. We talk, tell a few jokes, play a bit of music and have lovely lunch.’

‘I’ve been going along to Day Group for about five months now. Sometimes we talk about being terminally ill, other times it is never mentioned.

‘From the time you walk in you are looked after. You get pampered by the staff and volunteers. The lunch they put on is wonderful – there is always plenty of it and they also serve wine.’

Tom is impressed with the support that Hospice gives to his family and he is especially appreciative of the efforts of the nursing staff.

‘The Hospice is marvellous. Every Monday they ring to see if I’m going to the Day Group on Wednesday. On Tuesday the nurse rings to see if I want her to come around and see me. Is there anything she can do? Is the medication suiting me? She checks up on things like that. A couple of times I’ve had some bad spells and my wife has rung to see what she should do. The nurse will give us instructions over the phone or even come out and see us.

The Hospice has a direct line to our GP, so the nurse will phone there if needed. When you are in a bad way it is a wonderful thing. They provide us with support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.’ Although Tom admits that he has had some bad days overall he is doing well thanks to the support that Hospice provides.

‘They tell me I’m very lucky to have got as far as I have,’ Tom says reflectively before flashing a winning smile. ‘And everyone says I look well, so that’s not a bad thing. I am very grateful for the wonderful support the Hospice has given my wife and I. The Hospice is terrific.’

Karen McMillan