Last week Mum left Wexham Park Hospital after 6 weeks. She'd had a seizure caused by the brain cancer, which is a secondary cancer from the original bowel cancer. It left her virtually paralysed down her right side and it also badly affected her speech. The hopes were that Mum would have chemotherapy or even at an outside chance an operation to tackle this setback. However sadly we got the heartbreaking news that there was no medical treatment options left and that the cancer is terminal. The result of this was a palliative care package to me put in place. Mum's preferred option was to go to a nursing home where she could receive the 24/7 care that she now needs rather than move back to her house. The staff at Wexham Park were brilliant in the way that they cared for mum, dealt with the terminal cancer and sorted out the palliative care. On Mum's behalf they applied for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which is the name given to a package of care that is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for individuals who are not in hospital and have been assessed as having a "primary health need".
Mum has moved into the St. Mark's Care Home in Maidenhead, which is run by BUPA. She has settled in really well and we all, including mum, can't believe how fortunate she is to have got this high quality package of continuous care funded by the NHS.
In the above photo you can see myself and dogs, and my niece Anna with Mum. This was the first time in almost two months that the dogs had seen Mum and it was a lovely moment. It's a case of taking things one day at a time and making the most of the time that Mum has left.
I will continue with the fundraising for Beating Bowel Cancer. The recently completed silk screen prints by Reigate artist Adam Green are now on sale, alongside the Lives & Times book, and they have helped boost the fundraising total to over £2,300. So please take a look at my fundraising website and all support really is greatly appreciated.
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