“Marie Curie care makes such a difference to my life”

My nurse Angela and everyone else I’ve met at the Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff and the Vale feel like family. Angela looks after me brilliantly and she really cares – she’s just fantastic. Since getting Marie Curie support, I feel much more able to cope and my confidence has really grown knowing that they’ll always be here for me.

I was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2024 and referred to Marie Curie for palliative care by the hospital. Angela came to see me at home for an initial chat and also arranged for an occupational therapist to visit.

They had half steps and handrails fitted for me as my front and back door steps are so steep. And, most amazingly for me, they saw I was struggling to get in and out of my chair because of breathlessness, so they got it raised by four inches. It made such a difference. My life feels so much easier now.

Angela looks after me physically – from managing my symptoms and medication, and monitoring test results, to liaising with my GP – but she also supports me emotionally. This has been a very difficult time for me. My wife, Eleanor, has severe Alzheimer’s. I’d been her carer for a long time, but when I became ill myself she had to go into a home. I visit every day, but it was a difficult decision and it's very sad for me not to be able to care for her myself. Angela understands and supports me through that.

Angela encouraged me to visit the Wellbeing Hub at the hospice to try out the gardening club. Now I’m up there a few times a week, and I always catch up with Angela there. I take part in gardening club, men’s club and a mosaic club. I really look forward to being with others who understand.

At the men’s club we don’t talk about our illnesses all the time – we have a cup of tea and a laugh, but we really support each other. I do find I need that. We have a very special bond.

The mosaic club is my opportunity to be creative, which has always been important to me. And having the Wellbeing Hub team there for a chat about how I’m feeling is so helpful. I’m working on a painting of the sea – it’s about finding peace – which I will then make into a mosaic. It’s a really satisfying way to think about finding contentment in difficult times. It’s also encouraged me to start to do a bit of photography again, which was always my passion.

I love coming into the hospice and seeing Angela and the team. It’s a wonderful place because they really do care. I know that while things are and will be difficult, there’s always someone here for me.

When I walk through the door the first time I visit a patient, I’m in the privileged position to be able to hold their hand – to let them know they’re not alone, whatever the illness. I can reassure them we have the knowledge to manage their symptoms, and that we can also support them more holistically. I work in the Community Clinical Specialist Palliative Care team, and we also have doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other professionals.

When I first met Kevin, our initial priority was managing his symptoms and making adaptations at home so he could live safely and more comfortably. We were able to address those needs quickly and make things better for him. At the moment, I visit him at home every month and I phone him regularly. We also catch up in person each week when he visits the hospice for wellbeing support groups. People are often surprised to find there’s a lot of laughter in the hospice as well as sadness, and I know Kevin really enjoys his sessions. He also knows he can call anytime if there’s ever an issue in between.

Every patient is different. Sometimes it’s immediately clear that they’re in physical pain, or that other symptoms, like nausea or vomiting, are causing them distress. We can respond to that very quickly with medication. For others it’s a very frightening time, and we need to go more gently. We can take the time to really build the relationship and trust with the patient and family, and we’ll look at how they’re coping emotionally and practically. If we feel they need more support we can refer them to the Wellbeing Hub or to our social workers or Family Support team.

I moved into palliative nursing after working as a hospital trauma nurse. I realised there are other ways to care for people at the end of life at home, or in the hospice. I’m very proud to be a Marie Curie Nurse. I really appreciate having the time to get to know my patients and families – it helps me understand what matters most to them. We can make them physically more comfortable, support them emotionally, and hopefully give them some extra time to do the things that are important for them.

We’re there for the good days and the bad, and we can support them through decisions they need to make. The most satisfying thing for me is hearing that we’ve made a positive difference for someone at the end of life. That’s really all we want.