Linda, a 74-year-old retired nurse from Bexhill on Sea, shares how a stay on the Hospice’s In-Patient Unit helped her gain her independence back.
“When I arrived at the Hospice, I didn’t know what day it was, where I was, or who I was. Before that, I’d crashed my car – thankfully no one was hurt – and I fell flat on my face the next day. I thought I might have dementia, so I went to my GP. After an emergency CT scan, they found secondary cancer on my brain and fluid that was causing me to tumble and fall a lot. In just two weeks at the Hospice, I’ve changed so much.
“I was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013, and I was in remission for ten years. Then, in 2023, secondary cancer appeared, but I went into remission again. Now this has happened, but since I’ve been at the Hospice, my symptoms have improved so much. I’m on medication to reduce the swelling in my brain, and I’ll be starting radiotherapy soon, which will help even more.
“I’d love to stay at the Hospice, but I’m too well to be here now. I’m going to visit a nursing home, and I hope to move there soon. My goal has always been to get my independence back, and the Hospice has helped me achieve that. When I first came here, I couldn’t even get out of bed without falling. They had mats around my bed to stop me from hurting myself if I fell out. At first, I needed the Nursing Team to supervise me just to get up, but eventually, the mats were removed, and now I use a walking aid.
“This whole experience has been new for me. I’ve never had care before – I’ve always been the one providing care as I used to be a nurse in the military. It was hard at first to let others look after me, but everyone here is calm, kind, and make everything feel manageable. Sharon, one of the Healthcare Assistants, has been especially helpful, even at night when I felt like I couldn’t breathe due to my COPD.
“I’ve really enjoyed spending time in the garden here. One morning, I decided to walk to the garden furniture and sit in the sunshine. While I was sitting there, the team came outside, and someone brought me my breakfast. It felt like I was on holiday in Greece!
“The Hospice has been an incredible place for me. I’d tell anyone who might need hospice care to trust the team and go with the flow — they’ll help you feel so much better. It’s not all about misery and death; it’s about making the most of the time you have.”
