Gail Walters
Gail Walter's Mum Sheila was diagnosed with neck and head cancer in 2008, when she was 69 years old. Gail and her sister Tina did all the personal and nursing care for Shelia at home until her death in 2008. Gail is now a Senior Health Care Assistant.
Mum had some mouth ulcers that hadn’t healed, so we took her to the doctors who referred her to the hospital. I knew something wasn’t right but when we were given the diagnosis it was a shock.
I have always been a carer and at the time I was caring for an MS patient who was approaching the end of life, as well as dealing with Mum when I came home, so it was really hard.
We did have a district nurse who came in but the actual care of mum’s face was down to me. I had to do things like packing her face with different types of dressings and gauzes and tried all sorts to make it as comfortable for mum as I could.
It was extremely tough, we didn’t have any overnight support and I was just about keeping her calm. We weren’t referred to any night care.
Mum did die at home, which I knew she wanted, but it was tough, emotionally it was very tough.
Now I work for Marie Curie, I know what we could have had. I can empathise with people more now and I encourage people I work with to get the help they need.