Patient and Family Testimonials
My sister-in-law, Amy, was someone who you’d gravitate towards. She was fun, funny, and had a bit of sass. She was smart. She personified strength. She was a beautiful person inside and out.
I won’t forget the day my brother called to tell me that Amy’s cancer had returned. She’d been in remission but had been having headaches. They went for a routine scan and learned that a tumor was present on the scans. When he called, I was at work, in a meeting. He rarely called me during the workday, so I knew something was wrong. He told me that he and Amy had just come from the doctors, and they said that she had a tumor that was showing on her brain. They deemed it inoperable due to the location. She was going to be put on a regimen of chemo and radiation to try to reduce the size of the tumor.
Amy and my brother diligently looked at all available treatments. They went on a clean diet. Faithfully exercised, working to kick cancer to the curb. In the summer of 2024, she arrived at a point where the doctors said there was little that they could do to stop the tumor growth. It remained inoperable. My brother and Amy decided that they would pursue palliative care for her. She would receive physical therapy and clinical visits to help her with the challenges the disease was causing her body. They really wanted to be able to take their planned trip to the Outer Banks, NC, over the 4th of July. It was their happy place. A place where Amy felt relaxed, joyful, and at peace with the world around her. A whole group of people were going to be traveling down to spend the 4th of July with them. The palliative care team helped make that trip possible through their care and planning. Amy, Jason, and my little nephew Jase got to go on that trip and make some wonderful memories together, including taking family photos on the beach.
When they got back, Amy’s body continued to try to fight off the cancer that was trying to take hold. By August, we were talking about a shift to hospice care. The shift would mean that Amy wouldn’t receive physical therapy anymore, but given where her body was, she was struggling with it. She was admitted into hospice, and the care and support that my brother and Amy received were so needed. An aide came to help with activities of daily life (eating, bathing, helping with her bed, moving her so she could get some fresh air). A hospice nurse made regular visits and checked in with my brother on an ongoing basis to make sure that Amy was comfortable and that Jason had the support he needed. She checked in with my nephew to see how he was and talked to him, too. She was clearly there to help them all and make Amy as comfortable as possible.
On September 29th, Amy passed away surrounded by people who loved her, in my brother’s arms. The hospice team has continued to support my brother and nephew with their needs since she passed through bereavement options.
I share this story on behalf of my brother and our family. Without the support of palliative care and hospice, it would have been made a challenging situation even harder. The guidance and care given by all those who visited their home to care for Amy was so very much appreciated.
