Lorraine’s story

Lorraine’s story

Lorraine was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, which has since spread to her bones.  She also has peripheral neuropathy in her legs and feet, lymphedema, and Parsonage Turner Syndrome which affects her left arm and hand.  This has resulted in Lorraine needing to use a wheelchair and not having use of her left arm.  Lorraine was referred to Rennie Grove Peace by her Macmillan Nurse in December 2024 and has since used many of the Rennie Grove Peace services, including creative therapy, emotional support, physiotherapy, Living Well classes and the Advance Care Planning course.  

My first appointment at Rennie Grove Peace  

Lorraine says, “Going into a hospice can be quite scary because the word ‘hospice’ makes you think of a place where people go to spend their final days, I had no idea there were so many activities to get involved in before that happens!  

“Rennie Grove Peace is such a warm and inviting place to visit.  My first experience of the hospice was at their nurse clinic in Watford where I had a chat with the nurse.  It was all very positive and upbeat and I felt I could talk openly about everything.  It was a very relaxed environment, so completely different to a normal medical appointment which is often rushed.  The nurse listened and then we talked through the types of services that she thought might help me.       

Creative therapy  

“I started with Creative Therapy, as I used to love art, but since I’ve lost the use of my left hand I’ve not had the opportunity to do anything creative.  I was apprehensive about going as I was worried how it would work, with me being one-handed.  I needn’t have worried though, as one of the volunteers sat with me and became my left hand!  This meant I could participate in all the activities, which was wonderful. We made calendars and did felting, and it was nice to leave with something I had created.  It was a small group of us, and everyone was very friendly and welcoming, and we chatted while we crafted.    

Learning how to live well with my illness  

“I then went on to do the Living Well course in January.  It was nice to meet people, and it felt like a safe place where I could chat with other people who are going through similar situations. When you have a terminal illness, you do tend to feel terribly alone.  Doctors and nurses are busy, and having a designated place to go to learn and meet like-minded people is just fantastic. It felt very social and there were interesting speakers.  

Emotional support  

“I get very frustrated that I can’t do all the things I used to be able to, and it was helpful to talk through some of the stress I have of becoming recently disabled.  I’m not a complicated person but talking to someone face-to-face about how I’ve been feeling about my illness and my new reality really helped me. 

Planning for the future  

“My husband and I attended the Advance Care Planning course together and it is done in a really lovely, sympathetic way, not miserable at all.  My husband wasn’t keen on coming as he finds it hard even to hear the words end of life care.  It’s a hard thing to cope with and think about, but it felt good to be able to organise and write everything down.  Hopefully we won’t need to look at it again for a while, but it’s given my family and I peace of mind that everything is written down. 

Life-transforming 

“Rennie Grove Peace provide the most amazing variety of support and services to help people and their families deal with life-changing illnesses. 

“It’s just a shame people don’t know more about all the extra help they can give you, as it has transformed my life.”