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Macmillan nurses

I just want to share mine and my familys experience with other people. My dad age 62 was diagnosed in February this year with stage 4 lung cancer that had already spread to the bones it was a incidental finding after a ct scan for something else was done. My dad had no Macmillan support whatsoever and when the nurse came to the house after us pressuring for support she decided to discuss with my dad what he would want his funeral to be like! Which for someone that hadn’t come to terms with the fact they are dying made matters worse for the family. My mum who was 72 at the time wasn’t asked if she was ok with my dad being at home or if she needed any support. we were told as the disease progressed there were no end of life hospice places but when I rang up the hospice myself there in fact was a place that he could of had but Macmillan nurses blocked him from getting the place as she said he was in fact not poorly enough for this place (12 days before he died). Myself and mum nursed him ourselves until his last breath with no support from Macmillan nurses we just got a quick card shoved through the post when he sadly lost his battle in may this year 3 months after diagnosis. The sad thing is my dad knew we were all the help he had and was frightened for other people that may have to face this disease alone with no family around them. My point is I feel from what I’ve heard some people get lots of support from them while others are left to rot literally.

  • Hi there ..

    That's really sad .. and crule ... it's a shame more people don't know about Marie Currie... they are there for people with terminal diagnosis and their families... I've heard so many lovely stories about how they help .. it's such a shame you had an uncaring McMillan nurse .. 

    I used to volenteer for them .. to take people for their treatments or just sit and chat to them and their families... that was before I got my cancer ... and when my brother in law was nearing end of life .. McMillan came round every day to help wash and dress him .. and support my sister ..

    It just such a shame it's not the same everywhere .. but I think you should write a letter to their head office and tell them, what you've said here .. it's too late to help your dad.. but may make a difference to someone else in your area .. they need to know where they are failing people or nothing will change ..

    But you can hold your head up high and be proud of making the best of a bad situation .. lucky he had your hand to hold on that last journey... sending you a vertual hug... Chrissie

  • Hi becky i understand some mac nurses are OK, three years ago i was having cemo and i was struggling badly a friend suggested try macmillan (I was also trying to look after my disabled wife) i phoned them i kept being put to other people in the end i explained it to someone in full detail and i was told if you've any money you can pay and that was that, i couldn't believe it we struggled for nearly two months till cemo finished and wore off, and i thought I'm having nothing more to do with macmillan,.

    Billy