Your stories matter!
Palliative care helps people live and feel better.
Many people living with a serious illness ask, “What is palliative care, and why do I need it?”
This is best explained by stories – your stories.
Tell us in which unique way palliative care helped you and your loved ones.
You can tell us in any language, with or without names, with or without pictures. You can even send a voice note to your palliative care team to pass onto PALPRAC for us to publish here.
We want everyone to understand it and ask for it.
I don't regret getting palliative care help
At 67, dealing with metastatic breast cancer was like navigating a maze in the dark. Chemotherapy sessions felt like a necessary evil, and the opioids were the only things keeping my pain in check. Being a widowed parent with two grown-up kids nearby, the future looked foggy, and the idea of involving a palliative care team didn’t exactly ease my nerves.
But, against my initial reservations, I decided to go for it. The palliative care team wasn’t a group of overly sentimental angels, and that suited me just fine. They were practical, straight shooters who helped me make sense of the medical jargon and understand what the heck was going on with my treatment.
Pain management wasn’t just about popping pills. The opioids became a tool to get some control back in a situation that often felt out of control. The team wasn’t there to coddle me but to help me express what I needed and wanted.
Talking about the future wasn’t a tearful affair with the palliative care team. We discussed advanced directives and end-of-life stuff without turning it into a soap opera. They made those tough conversations less daunting, letting me face the inevitable with a bit more grit.
With my adult kids in the mix, we tackled the tough stuff together, guided by the no-nonsense palliative care team. Their support wasn’t flowery or sentimental, but it was solid and practical, like a roadmap through the storm. Standing here now, I’m not shielded from the harsh realities, but I’ve got a practical kind of strength thanks to the palliative care team that’s helping me face whatever comes next.
Caring for my mom
Mom was in and out of hospital thirteen times in five months and the need for transfusions was becoming ever more frequent. She would become confused and anxious during the hospital stays. Her quality of life was severely affected and we finally decided on no further treatment.
Mom insisted we visit various care homes where she could be taken care of – she realised it was going to be quite a task for me to carry on working and also take care of her – but we convinced her that home was best although she was never comfortable with the carers sharing her space!
Mom had been so fit all her life that she struggled, at times, to understand what was happening to her and why she didn’t have the energy to do things anymore. The most difficult part for me was when she had episodes of delusion. On reflection, what upset me most was that friends as well as neighbours in our block of flats became aware that all was not well. The stigma around mental health problems! I was very grateful to have a palliative care doctor who came to assess what might be causing the anxiety and to investigate the extent of the delusion.
In my experience palliative care at home is challenging but I am so glad that we managed to keep her at home in familiar surroundings right to the end. Mom had signed a living will and she had refused chemotherapy some years back. She had also lived a full 90 plus years, so we were secure in the knowledge that palliative care matched her wishes for her final months even though she was not able to articulate that wish towards the end.
Talking the tough talks
I’ve got a tired heart, making walks around the block tough. Around home, I manage, but I worry for my unwell wife. Hospital stays feel long, and not much help lately. Scared to burden kids or lose independence. Someone said, “Palliative care might ease your worries.” Reluctantly, I shared my fears with the team. Talking “What-iffs” wasn’t easy, but they really listened and it helped. It helped me plan ahead without stress. Now, I feel a bit lighter, heart still tired, but mind at ease. No more hospital stress, just cherishing moments at home with my wife or playing chess with my friend. Grateful for palliative care, making tough talks simpler.
