Once the CancerCare team wraps their arms around you, we don’t let go until you’re ready.
Sue, from Morecambe, is one of many clients who has found comfort and strength through our services since being diagnosed with stomach cancer in January 2021.
Currently, she is undertaking her second course of scar tissue massage therapy with Teresa, one of our therapists at our Slynedales Centre in Lancaster.
Before her diagnosis, Sue had been struggling with acid reflux and a persistent discomfort after eating. A gastroscopy suggested the cause was a benign gastric ulcer.
“The hospital wasn’t particularly worried at this stage and I was given medication,” said Sue. “However, in October 2020, samples were sent off and it became apparent that something more serious was going on. Just after Christmas [in 2020], I was diagnosed with cancer.”
Sue underwent chemotherapy and two major surgeries. Her first operation to remove her stomach required a nine-week stay in hospital due to complications. During one of her chemotherapy sessions, hospital staff told her about CancerCare.
Her first visit was for an aromatherapy massage and she soon began receiving nutritional advice as well.
“I was on a feeding tube for a long time after my operation,” she explained. “I was also learning to live with more food intolerances, a side effect of the surgery. My diet was very limited and my Nutritionist, Debra, helped me find ways to get more nutrients from the foods I could tolerate.”
Sue later tried hypnotherapy before beginning her scar therapy sessions with Teresa.
“The scar on my stomach caused me a lot of discomfort; it was very hard and had gotten bigger over the years,” she said. “Something I didn’t realise before seeing Teresa was that the scar tissue had stuck to my organs. Now, it feels so much freer, and I’ve had incredible relief. I just wish I’d been given more information about scar tissue at the time of my operation. I’ve lived with it worsening for four years without knowing how much discomfort it could cause.”
Sue praised Teresa, not only for her skill and knowledge of how scar tissue can impact on your life, but also for her compassion: “She’s so empathetic and understanding. It’s not just the massage that helps me, she also gives me advice and ideas to try at home.”
Reflecting on her journey, Sue added: “I’ve gained so much from CancerCare. As well as easing my physical discomfort and making everyday life easier, it’s helped me mentally too.
“It’s somewhere to go where you feel genuinely supported. Everyone is so friendly. I’ve told all my friends who have had cancer to get in touch and see if they could benefit as well. It’s meant everything to me.”