Anne’s Story

“I was asked if I’d like to be part of Rennie Grove’s six-week HOPE course. HOPE stands for Help Overcoming Problems Effectively. The course encourages you to become more grateful by turning something negative in your life into something positive. We would have meditation sessions and one week a nutritionist came in to talk to us about eating the right types of food. In another session we did chair exercises, so each session was varied.

“Most of the patients on the course had been recently diagnosed, so it was a very difficult time for everyone especially when you’re so unsure about your future. To have a course like that which is available to people who need hope in their lives at a traumatic time is wonderful – I’m so glad Rennie Grove was able to offer it to me.”

“I’ve also been part of The Movement. This 10-week exercise course encourages you work at your own level. The class is set up like a circuit, usually with about eight different stations, and we move around the room doing different movements. Being part of an exercise class like this is different to going to a ‘normal’ exercise class because staff know your background and what your ability is.”

“Coming to Grove House and using Rennie Grove’s day services has given me the chance to talk to other patients. They know what it’s like to go through chemo or radiotherapy and being able to share experiences is really comforting. It can be difficult for friends who have all the will in the world to understand what you’re going through but haven’t ever experienced it.

“I have son and a daughter-in-law who have found my illness difficult to cope with from the beginning which I understand. My husband died very quickly after being diagnosed with cancer 22 years ago so I know what it’s like.

“It’s important to me to have everything prepared for my son so that when I’m gone he doesn’t have to make any decisions. With the encouragement and help of the Rennie Grove staff, I have been able to put everything in place. I’m glad I’ve sorted things out now. It can be difficult to talk to your family about things like this so having the support of staff here has been a great help.

“Nobody knows what’s going to happen in the future but it’s nice to know that the path ahead of me is planned. I would recommend Rennie Grove and its services to anyone.”

“My advice to anyone who has just been diagnosed would be not to think twice about making a call to Rennie Grove. The care and support and the way you are given every help and encouragement is invaluable. If I hadn’t found Rennie Grove I don’t know what I would have done.

“I was in real turmoil not knowing what my prognosis was, what was happening to my eyes, what was happening to my lungs – there was so much going on at once. I was going to all these different hospitals where I was told so much confusing information. But to be able to speak to a Rennie Grove nurse and calmly sit and say “I don’t know what’s happening” is amazing. You have a listening ear and support here and I wouldn’t be without it.”

​May 2019