Inspirational Stories

Living With Terminal Cancer

Cherie Anderson was a courageous young woman who fought a daily personal battle with terminal cancer. Strength of character, a down-to-earth attitude and a glowing spirit are all attributes that readily come to mind after meeting her prior to her death. Married to Brian and with a young son, she first discovered she had breast cancer when she was only 34 years old.

She had all the appropriate treatments and was well for a time, but then came the devastating news that the cancer was back. She only had eighteen months to live. That was two and half years ago. ' My doctor wasn't too concerned when I found a lump in my breast because I didn't have any family history of cancer and because I was so young. Three months later I had pain under my arm so I went back. I was referred to a specialist and they did a fine needle biopsy that came back clear. The specialist thought it best to take the lump out anyway. I went through the public system and luckily I got in within a month. They did a fine needle biopsy as well and it came back clear, so I didn't think I had anything to worry about. But when they were doing the operation they found it was cancerous and I had it under my arm as well.

It was a total shock when they told us after the operation. I had radiation treatment, chemotherapy - all sorts of stuff. I got really sick with the chemo. Then I was right for about a year and a half. Then I started to get tired again and I didn't feel very well. They did every test possible and they all came back fine. Then they said they were just stabbing in the dark, but they'd send me for a bone marrow test. It was the last test they could possibly think of - but that was the one.

They told us it was in my bone marrow and that I only had up to eighteen months to live. I had a lady from the Cancer Society coming to see me for a while. Then she left and I didn't want anybody new. The Cancer Society told me about the hospice and that they had district nurses. I wasn't keen.

I thought the hospice was a place you went to die. My husband and I went to visit and I said to Brian that I didn't know about this. But he convinced me it was fine and I tell you, I have never looked back. Fantastic. Unbelievable. I've been in there twice and it's like a home away from home. My son even stayed there one night with me. I cannot speak highly enough of the work they do. Maybe people think of hospice as being a place for you to go and die but it's not. It's a place to go and have a rest. The care is amazing and the people who work there are a different sort of people again. They are so special. This morning Brian phoned them up at 3am because my line came out, so one of the nurses came out at 3 in the morning. I asked her how she could be so chirpy at 3am. She said she was just fine and that I wasn't to worry about it.

The hospice staff make you so welcome when you go to the hospice too. They always want to know if you want something to eat or to drink and they take time to make sure everything is all right. They come into my home and they make me feel comfortable too. At the moment the nurses visit every day because they change the syringe driver that gives me my medication. They've been doing that on and off for about a year. They share my life - and Brian and my son Luke's too. They also tell me about their families. Sometimes they are here for only five minutes and sometimes they can be here an hour. It all depends. They are extremely professional but I think of them as my friends as well. And that's not just one of them - it's all of them.

There are nurses and then there are nurses. I can't speak highly enough of the hospice nurses. They are always looking outside the square and they go that extra mile - they are always thinking that might work for Cherie, that might work for that person.

I'm sure when the time comes they will continue to look out for Brian and Luke and make sure that they are all right. That makes me feel better - because I do worry about leaving them. I was determined from the very word go to see my 40th birthday. That's next year. After that I'm going to try to go for longer too. I'm trying to just get on with things because it doesn't do any good sitting around and moping. We go away on trips - Christchurch, the snow down at Mt Hutt, visiting family. All that while I've been terminal.

I've made all the arrangements for after I'm gone though. I don't want Brian to have all those problems on top of him at the time because it is going to be stressful enough looking after himself and Luke. I've chosen my plot. I know when they come and visit me that's where they're going to see me and that gives me peace of mind.

If there was no hospice I don't think we could have coped. I would have hated it to have ended up being at Auckland Public Hospital. I was up there a month ago and I couldn't wait to get out of the place. I don't think I would have lasted this long. The hospice has managed my pain and then there's their encouragement and their care of my family. I can't speak highly enough of the way the hospice has helped me.'

Cherie lost her battle with cancer just before Christmas last year.