My Mam was let down

My Mam bravely fought cancer back in 2003. After many years of remission she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic cancer in April 2019. As a family, we were obviously devastated but reassured by the doctors  and nurses that this, although not curable, would be manageable and my Mam would be around for many years. She was initially doing very well, up until as recently as January of this year. Her scan results were coming back clear, no sign of the cancer having spread, and there was some healing on her bones. Unfortunately for her, this coincided with the caronavirus outbreak and the Welsh government's  decision to postpone all treatment for cancer patients. As a result of this decision my Mam developed complications and spent the past 6 months in and out of hospital, undergoing surgery because she had gone into kidney failure, blood transfusions because she had developed anaemia, and admittance for a number of infections.

Her body took a battering.

She was so strong and so brave right until the end. She passed away on 29th August.

My question is, has anybody else been let down by the government's response to the covid-19 outbreak?

We as a family feel like this decision sealed my Mams fate!

And now we have to live knowing that she was taken from us all too soon. 

Parents
  • We were badly let down by the government and all help regarding  our lovely mum.The 

    3rd week into lockdown our mum was following government guidelines and self isolating for the good of the country .

    We'd just lost our dad 6 months prior so it was tough for her.Every day was tough and she became ill during this time .Doctor said to take her to hospital for tests ,we took her and waited 4 hours for her as they wouldn't let us in ,then she called to say they were keeping her in for tests .

     

    For those 3 weeks she was in there we fought with that hospital night and day to get in to be with here (everything was "you can't do this or that because of covd")She was crying everyday .Her care was inadequate,the information was inadequate.My sister forced her way into the hospital in the end.

    We felt the hospital wouldn't give us the diagnoses ,which was end of life due to cancer ,because they would of had to let us all into the hospital.

    They sent her home after 3 weeks ,an ambulance couldn't bring her out because of COVD.

    Her son in laws had to carry her into her home because she couldn't walk.And that's hwhere we were left with it ON OUR OWN.!

    One week we had with her .Her doctor of 20 odd years didn't come to see her .Facetimed her.

    Palliative nurses couldn't give mum their undevided care,or district nurses for that matter .

    Her end of life care was appalling .78 years old paid more  than her dues in her lifetime for her community ,and she couldn't get the best care when she died

    Everything in this world was against us even down to our local vicar telling us to "just do a graveside service"we fought that with great muster and found a church that would give her the dignity she deserved.

    We have written to several of our MPs during this time even BORIS !(he hasent replied )and are in the process of doing all that complaint stuff because we feel as a family the government needs to learn lessons from this pandemic and how they dealt with it concerning cancer patients or end of life .

    We are just still in massive shock over all of it and find that's there's nowhere to go for help support or compassion which makes us worry for the future for our own health .

Reply
  • We were badly let down by the government and all help regarding  our lovely mum.The 

    3rd week into lockdown our mum was following government guidelines and self isolating for the good of the country .

    We'd just lost our dad 6 months prior so it was tough for her.Every day was tough and she became ill during this time .Doctor said to take her to hospital for tests ,we took her and waited 4 hours for her as they wouldn't let us in ,then she called to say they were keeping her in for tests .

     

    For those 3 weeks she was in there we fought with that hospital night and day to get in to be with here (everything was "you can't do this or that because of covd")She was crying everyday .Her care was inadequate,the information was inadequate.My sister forced her way into the hospital in the end.

    We felt the hospital wouldn't give us the diagnoses ,which was end of life due to cancer ,because they would of had to let us all into the hospital.

    They sent her home after 3 weeks ,an ambulance couldn't bring her out because of COVD.

    Her son in laws had to carry her into her home because she couldn't walk.And that's hwhere we were left with it ON OUR OWN.!

    One week we had with her .Her doctor of 20 odd years didn't come to see her .Facetimed her.

    Palliative nurses couldn't give mum their undevided care,or district nurses for that matter .

    Her end of life care was appalling .78 years old paid more  than her dues in her lifetime for her community ,and she couldn't get the best care when she died

    Everything in this world was against us even down to our local vicar telling us to "just do a graveside service"we fought that with great muster and found a church that would give her the dignity she deserved.

    We have written to several of our MPs during this time even BORIS !(he hasent replied )and are in the process of doing all that complaint stuff because we feel as a family the government needs to learn lessons from this pandemic and how they dealt with it concerning cancer patients or end of life .

    We are just still in massive shock over all of it and find that's there's nowhere to go for help support or compassion which makes us worry for the future for our own health .

Children
  • This story rings so true for myself and, I believe, many other families. 

    I'm so sorry and saddened for what you have been through, especially having lost your Dad so recently. 

    I'm going to write to my MP but I think the only way to get heard and to stop this happening to others, is to start up a campaign. 

    My Mam also shielded at the beginning of the pandemic, on goverment advice.

    At the start we were following these guidelines and accepting what the oncologist and consultant were telling us. 

    We had the same experience with the hospital.

    My Mams health was deteriorating quickly and it became a fight to get anyone to help her.

    At the end we were begging for them to help save her life albeit too late.

    Fluid had started collecting in her abdomen on the Sunday, before she passed, and she was in so much pain. The district nurses and Macmillan did all they could but speaking to the doctor and trying to get them out to treat my Mam was a nightmare. 

    It wasn't until the Thursday afternoon that the GP rung back and told us there was a bed waiting for my Mam and to take her up to A&E straight away. 

    Myself and my brothers managed to dress her and help her into the car. There was nobody to meet us at A&E, I had to go and look for a wheelchair in another part of the hospital and then fought with the nurse to let me go in with my Mam.

    There was no way I was letting her go in by herself and thank goodness I persisted because we were there for 7 hours! A terminally ill patient stuck on a trolley in a corridor! 

    I ended up bringing her home. We were also told there was no ambulance available because of covid-19 restrictions. 

    My Dad and I spent 2 and 1/2 hours trying to get my Mam upstairs and back into bed, it was heartbreaking.

    That was the Thursday evening and she passed away on the Saturday. She deserved so much better! 

    People need to learn about what is happening. We have no faith in the government or the health service now and it does make you concerned about getting older.

     

  • L-W82,

              l can only read yours and others posts with feelings of disgust,horror,overwhelming sympathy and absolute sadness for the people lost who deserved so much better.

    l struggle to blame the medical profession who have been placed into a nigh on impossible position,feel the government have been inept and lacking backbone,pressured into flip flopping by constant sniping from press,oppostion,and every expert with an opposite view.But l reserve my greatest contempt for the section of our society that shout loudly and carry on as normal ignoring rules set in place or making clear they will not abide by further restrictions put in place.Their actions undermine unity and concensus,making it difficult for us to face this challenge as a nation,instead we have a weak fragmented approach leading to whole sections of medically challenged persons being let down without even a basic level of care.All too easy to focus on the situation only affecting the elderly,when the reality is that cancer is increasingly diagnosed in those of a younger age ,with growing families of their own.

                                                  Hearing daily arguments about whether the the spread is in the home or in hospitality,what should be shut or open is just clouding the reality that increased contact equals increased spread,wherever,whenever. It is a sad situation when we arrive at position when we can no longer see the wood through the trees,and put our own percieved freedoms and difficulties above those who are suffering worse than ourselves,sorry l probably have not expressed this very well but l fear for those coming forward with a cancer diagnosis,

                             

                                                                                              David

  • Thank you for your reply.

    I understand that it's not the frontline staff to blame, but those at the top of the pay chain in the hospitals and the government.

    I have the upmost respect  for the nurses and doctors dealing with this pandemic and know that they are only following orders concerning the non covid patients.

    It doesn't appear that Covid is going anywhere anytime soon. It's vital that things change and people start to get the treatment they so desperately need to stop more suffering and dying to soon like my Mam. 

    I want to start up a campaign so myself and other families, who have suffered, can be heard.