Shelaugh's story

We spoke to mother and daughter to find out more.

Shelaugh said:

“I spent most of 2020 in hospital and rehab following an injury to my leg. On my return home I had home visits from the team at St Oswald’s and also telephone review calls just to check everything was OK. The treatment is tailored to my needs and I’m currently attending the clinic at the Hospice on a daily basis as part of a two week treatment plan.

“The staff are brilliant, there’s no other word for them. The minute you arrive at the clinic there is a sense of calm, everyone is so friendly and welcoming, it sometimes feels as if you are visiting friends. Everyone treats you with respect and are very mindful of maintaining your dignity at all times, even when you have your skirt tucked up your knickers to keep it out of the way while your leg is getting bandaged. Everyone at the Hospice should be very proud of the outstanding service they provide to patients including the drivers, nurses, doctors, volunteers and all the support services.”

Shirley added:

“When mam was first diagnosed with lymphoedema I didn’t know much about it and I was initially a bit alarmed when I was told we would be attending a hospice. However all my concerns were very swiftly wiped away after our first visit and mam has now been going to St Oswald’s for over four years.

“The staff at the Hospice are wonderful. We’ve got to know the specialist nurses well and it’s great to walk into the place and be greeted by name! As my mam said, it feels almost like you are visiting friends. I have learnt quite a bit over the years by watching what the nurses are doing and they have been more than happy to answer my questions about why they do certain things. It’s helped me a lot in supporting mam with dealing with her condition at home. If there are any flare ups or I have concerns I know help is just a phone call away.”