I spent last Christmas in Malta watching my Aunt Helen die of lung cancer; between her diagnoses and her death there was less than two months. The month over Christmas and New Year was very tough as my family and I tried to stay positive and hope that the treatment that was taking the life and soul out of Helen would work. Helen however had resigned herself to the fact that she was not going to get through it and nothing we said or did lifted her spirits.
On Boxing Day Helen went into hospital to be treated for dehydration, she was refusing to eat or drink and the pain killers she was on were making her hallucinate. The doctors said she could be out in a few days if the re-hydration went well and that they could then begin chemotherapy. Helen never came out of hospital and we spent the next two weeks watching someone we loved very much slowly deteriorating. On the 30th December Helen developed a blood clot and we were told she would not make it through the night. As we had thought Helen would be out of hospital soon her eldest daughter had flown back to the to be with her husband and two children, there was now a dash to get them on a plane and to in time to say good bye. However o
n N ew Years day she suffered a stroke and we were told that there was nothing the doctors could now do apart from make her as comfortable as possible. Helen was not able to move one side of her body and it was very difficult to understand what she was saying when she tried to speak; it was heartbreaking to watch her trying to explain something when none of us could understand. Helen’s two granddaughters (12 and 4) obviously wanted to see her, always immaculately dressed Helen found it very hard and frustrating not being able to look her best and made us hide all the wires and tubes and kept asking if she looked alright, she then managed to tell them that she loved them.
During the next week Helen got weaker and weaker. On Saturday the 6th January Helen and her husband celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, he bought her the most beautiful eternity ring and told her that he’d meet her again and then they’d be together forever. On Monday 9th January Helen died with her family holding her hands and we take comfort in the fact that during those last weeks we let her know how special she was and how very much we all loved her.
I am trekking Patagonia in memory of Helen and in the hope that the money I raise
will go some way to helping other people who suffer from the crippling disease of our generation. This includes three other members of my extended family who are currently suffering, one is luckily in remission, another’s treatment is so far going well and the 3rd – my 41 year old cousin who has a 5 year old daughter – has had all the treatment possible and is waiting hopefully for any medical developments that
will help her.
Very sadly the member of my family who was in remission passed away on the 14th of September 2006. My cousin passed away on the 28th November 2006 at the age of 42, she was very brave and fought so hard. This trek is now also in their memory.
Please support me in my attempt to raise £10 000 for Cancer Research.
Many thanks
Paula
Trek Patagonia
Photos of Torres Del Paine National Park -
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