Cheryl, 55, was diagnosed with brain cancer, secondary from breast cancer, on 8th November 2017. The tumour is inoperable because it is so close to the area that controls her senses; so it is too risky to operate.

She has had several rounds of radiotherapy and in April 2018 started attending Fair Havens Day Hospice as the tumour had affected her mobility and she was house-bound.
Before she was referred to the Day Hospice one of Havens Hospices’ complementary therapists visited her to help stimulate her muscle-memory in her legs and feet so that she could gain some of her independence back.

The brain tumour has caused Cheryl’s vision to deteriorate, her language skills, speech and memory have been affected and so has her mobility and sensation in her limbs, hands and feet. She still struggles with feeling her feet, but her language, memory and speech has improved and the sensation to her arms and hands has gradually come back – Cheryl credits some of her recovery to the support she gets from the Day Hospice team at Fair Havens, in particular the physiotherapy and complementary therapy teams.

“Before Lucie visited me, I was totally dependent on my husband and anyone else who visited me –I became isolated from everything because I was just stuck in an armchair. It was so nice when Lucie visited me and started helping me get some of my mobility back – it meant that after months of feeling trapped I finally had a little bit of freedom. I still see Lucie for complementary therapy at Fair Havens because it really has helped me.

“John goes once a month to see Sharon for complementary therapy, which I think is so important for him, because he is working really hard and also caring for me; it is fantastic that he can access this support for free, it gives him a break, a bit of time to himself and a chance to recharge. For me Fair Havens has really helped us both as individuals and as a couple to cope with what we are facing together.”

Cheryl

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Published in 2018