Jane, a former inpatient at Moya Cole Hospice's Little Hulton site, came to the hospice to manage pain following a cancer diagnosis last year. In June of last year, she had a hip replacement, and in August, she began experiencing unusual pain in that area.
Unbearable Pain and Diagnosis
Jane said: “My GP tried various medications to help deal with the pain. The pain was absolutely off the scale. My GP got as far as she could with prescriptions; she even prescribed morphine. It wasn’t even touching the pain.”
“I was diagnosed with bowel cancer just before Christmas. It had unfortunately spread to my hip joint, which was causing the pain. It was a complete out of the blue shock as I thought the pain was because of the hip replacement.”
Jane was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital for two weeks to help manage the pain, where she was given more medication, but it still did not help her pain.
Discovering Holistic Care
Jane added: “When I came home, me and my husband hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in months. It was arranged for me to come to Moya Cole Hospice because they provided alternative therapies.”
“It made me nervous, going to a hospice because people commonly think that a hospice is only for end-of-life care.”
“I was dealing with Rose Grundy, a complementary therapist at the hospice, she was absolutely amazing. I’ve never met anybody like her. She helped me with foot massages and relaxation in terms of pain.”
“When I’m in pain I find it hard to breathe and I get breathless. She showed my husband how to do a certain hand massage that would calm me down.”
“She even made up special aromatherapy oils specific to my predicament. I can’t thank her enough, it really helped.”
A Son's Gratitude
Jane’s son, Alan, saw how much the hospice helped his mum and wanted to raise awareness that a hospice is not just a place to go to die.
Jane said: “Alan wanted to do something for the hospice. He ran the half marathon to raise awareness about all of the work that goes on at Moya Cole.”
“Alan has asthma, so he wanted to try and train himself up to do a half marathon. He set himself a goal of £500, and he has now exceeded £700.”
“I’m very proud of him. He saw how much the hospice helped me. He’s seen me at my very best and at my very worst and he saw what a difference the treatment at the hospice made.”
About Moya Cole Hospice
Moya Cole Hospice provides holistic care to patients with life-limiting illnesses, comprising inpatient care, day therapy, and supportive outpatient services from its sites at Heald Green, Stockport, and Little Hulton, Salford. The teams also provide a range of community and outreach services, including care at home via a Hospice at Home service in Salford and Trafford, the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team in Salford, and the homelessness palliative care service in Manchester. A 24-hour telephone advice line is available to patients, carers, and healthcare professionals in Salford, Manchester, Trafford, and Stockport.
