“Without the hospice I’d be stuck in my wheelchair”
George was diagnosed with prostate cancer which spread to his lower spine in 2023. He shares more about how your support has enabled our therapy team to help him.
“I was in East Surrey Hospital after a big burst of radiotherapy when some doctors came round and asked “can you wiggle your toes?” At that stage I couldn’t. I don’t like to say it, but they more or less wrote me off and told me “we can’t do anything else for you.” That was a real downer.
After that I was transferred to Crawley Hospital who put me in touch with various places including St Catherine’s.
The St Catherine’s team visited me at home* which made me feel less down
The team from the hospice cheered me up and made me see that there was more that could help me. From then on it’s been onwards and upwards!
Dorota and Beth from the therapy team have helped me with physio for the last few months and I’m getting better and better. I jokingly call them the torturers because Dorota really puts me through my paces!
When we first started our sessions, the next morning my legs would really ache, but now I don’t get much ache at all after a session. My partner Paul said he can see progress every time the team have worked with me.
The therapy team have been really, really good
Thanks to their help, I can now walk with a walker and with crutches. I never thought I’d walk again when I left hospital but I’ve felt a lot better as time has gone on and my legs have got more and more use. I can even manage to get on the toilet myself without any help now.
I’m also coming into the hospice most weeks to use the therapy gym and equipment, that’s been great!
The hospice’s support has made a really big difference
If it wasn’t for the therapy team I’d be stuck in my wheelchair not able to do anything.
I had no idea what the hospice did before I was in touch with them
You mention the word hospice and everybody immediately thinks it’s just somewhere to go and finish your last few days but it’s so much more than that.
St Catherine’s is a really caring and outgoing organisation
Since I’ve been having help from the hospice Paul and I have rewritten our wills and left something to St Catherine’s so other people can have the same help and support I’m getting.”
*Please note, George was supported at home before our therapy support changed at the end of July 2024.
Click the video below to see George walking after support from our therapy team:
