Meet Stacey Pentland

16 months ago Stacey was diagnosed with incurable cancer. Having no ‘cancer symptoms’ at the time and when she was diagnosed, Stacey now wants to make sure she helps to raise awareness of the condition and her journey on social media.

To help control her condition, Stacey has been cared for at the Hospice. She has praised staff for helping her to get her life back in just a few days, as she was in so much pain she couldn’t get out bed. Stacey is now preparing to go home to spend quality time with her family.

Talking about her initial diagnosis, Stacey said:

“When I was diagnosed with incurable cancer, my world came crashing down. I was fit and healthy, and so it came as a complete shock. The first thing I had to do was tell my four children and be very open and honest with them, they were absolutely devastated. It was made worse as it happened during Covid so I couldn’t see family which was soul destroying.

“My children know that if it wasn’t for my cancer treatment, I wouldn’t be here. For a year and a half I’ve been on chemo every second week but my treatment stopped working, so I’ve started a new treatment in the hope that it prolongs my life.”

With the time that Stacey has left, she wants to raise awareness of living with cancer and inspire others, she continued:

“After the initial shock of my diagnosis, I thought if this is the end of my life, I need to do something good with the time I have left. I knew nothing about cancer, and so I wanted to raise awareness to others, and that’s when I started my daily video diaries on Tik Tok.

“Everything started to blow up on social media and as a family we’ve had an unbelievable amount of support. From the beginning I’ve been really honest about my journey as there’s a lot people don’t talk about when it comes to cancer. It’s sometimes a taboo subject, so I want to show the hard times when I’ve been in a lot of pain.”

Stacey has been receiving pain and symptom management at the Hospice for around two weeks, so she can go home to be with her family. Stacey continued:

“I need to live longer to support my kids and St Oswald’s Hospice is helping me to do that. I was so scared to come in to the Hospice but it’s nothing like what I expected, it’s a home from home.

“Before being cared for at the Hospice was the most ill I’ve ever been and I couldn’t get out of bed. I would cry all night, screaming in pain and my husband would have to help me, and then get up for work himself in the mornings.

“Now, I’m physically a lot fitter and I’m mentally a lot stronger and I can’t wait to have my life back and be able to go home and spend time with my family.

“St Oswald’s Hospice has helped to bring my family together, when we’ve been going through something life-changing. My husband, Anthony, has been able to stay overnight with me in my room and the staff even arranged a date night in their gardens. We had wine, steak and chips and the Chef made us homemade cheesecake. It gave us quality time together which we’ve not been able to have because of all the stress and strain of being ill.

“I don’t have words for the care at St Oswald’s Hospice – it’s like being in a 5-star hotel. All the staff are loving, and they genuinely care about you. They don’t just support you physically, but emotionally and mentally too.

“The Hospice has given me my life back, instead of being in pain all the time I’m pain free and enjoying time with my family.

“Over the last few days we’ve spoken to social workers and the bereavement team at the Hospice, who will support family members before my death. It’s something I want to look in to for my children because I want this to make them strong so they have the courage and determination to push through life.  I want them to fight as hard as I’m fighting now.”

Stacey ended:

“Hospices aren’t just for end of life, they’re for giving you some life back in the time that you’ve got left. Just because I have a life-limiting illness doesn’t mean I don’t have a life, I want to spend as much time as possible with my family and the Hospice is helping me to do that.”

To follow Stacey’s journey living with lymphoma cancer find her on Tik Tok @Stacey352