Inspiring Story

[ali]

Hi to everyone

some of you remember me from last summer.

My mum died in June from PC.

She went from being a very healthy,active 79 year old around this time last year to feeling ill end march/april and fell asleep June 12th.

As you know it is truely awful.

only way i can look at it is that it was so rapid that she did not suffer for months and months with some of the awful symptoms.But is still so raw.

On a brighter note--i am a Practice Nurse and yesterday i was talking to a lady who was bringing her mother-in-law to me for an appt.

We got chatting and i said i had lost my mum last summer to PC.She said that her own mother had suffered from PC aged 63.Her mother is NOW 80 years and has just moved into Sheltered Housing with her husband.The lady had been referred by her GP in Ayr to a consultant either in Glasgow or Edinburgh (not sure which city )and had a Whipples Procedure---and then obviously a long road to recovery,then given "the all clear ".

I was amazed at this story ,especially as it all happened nearly twenty years ago!!

I just felt i had to share this story on here.

Hope it gives many of you hope and strengh to fight and beat this awful illness.

take care

Helen xxxx

[louiepc]

Hi Helen

Wow that is amazing. I have never heard of anyone living that long after pc. It must certainly give hope to the poor people who are diagnosed.

Lovely to hear from you. It is so hard, I like you thank god mum didn't suffer for an overly long time.

Louie xxx

[PCUK Nurse Jeni]

Fantastic, inspirational story!

Jeni.

[ali]

Hi louie and jeni

really appreciate your reply's.

I actually questioned her to be sure it had been PC and it was,she is an intelligent lady,so i have no question to doubt her.

Louie

yes it is so hard even as the months pass.Experiencing periods of feeling bit better then feel guilty about this---but know this is natural process and i know mum would not want me to do this.But BIG but--cannot help it--tears come from nowhere some days.

Very occasionally remember good times but cannot help going back over last march to june and what happened.

I am grateful she didn't have a severe Stroke and survive--as she would have hated that--enough of my ranting.

I have not posted much recently but find i am drawn to look at these boards.I cannot believe how the numbers of people joining has increased so much since end of June--so sad!!

Lastly Louie or anyone else i was told by a friend about a book to read---In The Midst Of Life by Jennifer Worth (same as of Call The Midwife ) worth a read-not depressing at all but makes you think.(i ordered it from amazon and read it in January )

Helen xxx

[louiepc]

Hi Helen

I may just get that book then - I remember Lynbo I think recommending a book, a fair few months ago, but cannot remember if that was the same one or not.

It's 2 months since mum has gone. I cannot believe that that amount of time has gone by. It seems to have flown, yet still feels like yesterday. It's been a completely manic 2 months too - what with Dads bypass op, and waiting 6 weeks before mum's funeral.

I too have days, like today actually, where I feel "normal", and I feel so guilty like I should be sad and not laughing with my friends. Other days, last week for one, I happened to listen to the radio and Diana Ross Chain reaction came on, I just burst into tears, as it took me back to when I was 11 dancing around the room with my mum. I hadn't even remembered that memory for such a long time, and it shocked me at how I reacted.

I suppose as your coming up to the "first anniversarys" of your mum's illness, it's going to be hard and you are going to have times where you are reliving last year. I think that is probably natural, and you are going to have times where it feels so raw again, and tears and anger come to the forefront again.

Keep posting Helen.

Much love

louie xxx

[ali]

hi

saw your mum's funeral was not for six weeks and could not understand why it was not sooner--but did not like to post and ask why the time delay---until now

glad your dad is bearing up---you have had a double awful time Helen

xx

[louiepc]

Hi Helen

Dad had to have a quadruple bypass 5 days after mum died. He was very poorly after the operation, since found out that his heart actually stopped, and they had to resus and put a temporary pace maker in during the op. He was then away all of January convalesing and my niece was born on 25 Jan too.

Unfortunately because of this we had to postpone mum's funeral. Such a hard time, and completely not ideal at all.

Louie xxx

[ali]

louie

so hard for you all,at least she is noow at peace,that is all that matters

i am sure i posted to you when you first came on boards--jeni said you had done so well supporting people--what a great compliment

Helen

xx will try and post again

[lynbo]

Ali and Louie

Ali - nice to see a post from yourself, and an amazing one too, I know a lady who's coming up to 6 years all clear after having the whipples, she was really poorly - took ill on holiday and was misdiagnosed, but last year climbed mount kilamanjaro for PCUK!

Louie - the book is - the Secret by Rhonda Byrne - she has just released another book too, if you search on Internet!

Take care ladies

Much love

Lynbo xxxx