Meet Diana and Stuart…

In 2022, apart from occasional, annoying hiccups, Diana felt fit and well. She was eating and drinking with no problems and swimming every day. She blamed her hiccups on her husband Stuart, telling him to stop rushing her when they were eating out. However, as they kept returning, Diana decided to speak to her doctor, who referred her to the hospital for an urgent endoscopy.

Tests showed that Diana had a tumour in her oesophagus and the growth was so large that the doctor had been unable to pass the endoscopy camera down her throat.

Diana said, “It was like we’d been run over by a train. We were both in shock. I only had hiccups, I was still eating and going out for meals. But my prognosis wasn’t good and the hospital suggested that I begin palliative care and write my end-of-life plan.”

Diana was referred to Dougie Mac and was visited at home by a member of our care team who explained the support available to her and helped Diana and Stuart complete some necessary paperwork.

“After my diagnosis I thought there was no hope, I didn’t want to see anyone and I didn’t want to suffer. I was referred to Dougie Mac’s counselling team and I met with Ruth, who I gelled with straight away. I’ve met with her every few weeks since then and I really love my sessions with her, she’s really helped me. She’s non-judgmental and I can tell her how I feel – I just talk and she listens.

“I’ve also had some complimentary therapy treatments, including hand, scalp, foot and leg massages, and some reiki, which have been so relaxing. My husband, Stuart has also begun counselling and meets regularly with a different member of the Dougie Mac team, Holly.”

Stuart added, “I tend to see the dark side of things, I always have and I struggle with anxiety and depression. I was climbing the walls when Diana was diagnosed but seeing Holly has really helped my stress levels. I feel that I have to be careful what I say to Di, as I don’t want to add to her worries, but Holly just lets me talk, I can release my emotions and share how I’m feeling.”

After a suggestion from a friend, Diana requested a referral to Christies Hospital, in Manchester where she began a course of chemotherapy treatment. Unfortunately the treatment had strong side effects which made Diana very unwell, but her first scan after the chemotherapy showed that her tumour had shrunk considerably and second scan showed that it had reduced again.

Diana’s chemotherapy has ended, but she now takes medication every day and visits Christies for two days of treatment every three weeks. She’s living with her condition and is incredibly grateful for the care she receives from Christies, as well as the support she gets from Dougie Mac.

She added, “I’d visited Dougie Mac in the past, to see friends before they passed away. In fact one of my friends had worked at Dougie Mac and when she became ill, she insisted that’s where she wanted to be. I thought it was just a place for end of life care, I didn’t realise that Dougie Mac offers support like counselling and complimentary therapies and if the lady hadn’t come to see us at home at the start of this journey, we wouldn’t have known that it was available to us.

“When I was first diagnosed with cancer it was like having a rug pulled out from under us and if the support from Christies and Dougie Mac wasn’t here, I just don’t know what we would have done. But I’m a very positive person, I always have been, and I’m determined to treat my cancer in the best possible way, so now I start every day with a swim, I eat what I want and we fill our days.  I’ve received such amazing care from everyone at Christies and Dougie Mac and I’m so grateful every day.”