Mesothelioma Patient Says Hospice Care is a Lifesaver

A man diagnosed with mesothelioma is singing the praises of hospice care, stating his time at St. Helena Hospice in Essex, England has given him a new lease on life.

David Shirra was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer, in late 2007. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure and Shirra worked with asbestos frequently as a docker.

Following his mesothelioma diagnosis, 71-year-old Shirra and his wife, Doreen, were shocked, stating the news hit them like “a bolt out of the blue.” His family, especially his teenage granddaughter, took the news very hard.

Shirra’s time at St. Helena’s not only helped enjoy his life again, but it helped his granddaughter accept his diagnosis after she enrolled in an art therapy course offered by St. Helena Hospice.

“I am sure that a lot of people out there think of hospice as a place to go to die, but it is not. They have been a lifesaver to me,” Shirra stated.

Though a mesothelioma cure does not exist and prognosis for patients is typically poor, Shirra stated that the support of hospice has inspired him to keep living.

“I might break world records and live for another 20-odd years! At least we can try,” he said. “When the time comes to go, I shall kick and scream, but at least I shall be happy that I had 70-odd years.”

Mesothelioma patients often experience difficult breathing, and Shirra says when he would go to bed at night “it would be like drowning.” He experienced relief through hospice stating, “Since they showed me how to breathe, I have had no trouble.”

Shirra also praises the staff at St. Helena Hospice noting they “are really interested in you as well. It is not just a check-list. It is like a second family here. Nothing is too much trouble. They are like guardian angles.”

Socializing with other hospice patients is also enjoyable for Shirra. Like Shirra, any patients are facing incurable diseases, and Shirra says the hospice environment allows him to feel at ease discussing serious issues.

“I talk to people outside and they say, ‘How are you?’,  but you can’t go too deep into your problems. Here most of us have the same sort of problems so we just relax and talk to each other.”

Shirra adds, “If I hadn’t come to the hospice, I don’t think I would be so happy and relaxed. I think I would’ve given up the ghost.”

Additional information about mesothelioma treatment and mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 11:21 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.