Lecturer case study

Peter's Story

 

My condition and treatment had a dramatic impact upon my life, seeing me confined to a wheelchair with limited mobility.

Peter Willett, 62, from Shepperton, received treatment for a series of tumours in his spinal cord. The tumours, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment had a dramatic impact upon his life, seeing him confined to a wheelchair with limited movement and the need for sliding boards to move from the wheelchair to a bed or treatment table.
Peter shares his experiences, talking about the huge impact Princess Alice Hospice physiotherapist Liza Robinson has had on his life.

‘I have been receiving Hospice care as an out-patient since December 2008. Liza has been incredible during that time. Her support and care has helped to bring some normality back to my life’.

‘I was suffering from back pain and decided to visit an osteopath for treatment. The osteopath advised that I visit my GP who in turn referred me to a consultant, who discovered that I had a series of tumours on my spinal cord. A large tumour was putting pressure onto my vertebrae. My surgeon removed the tumour and I received chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat the smaller ones’.

At the end of 2008 a referral from the head physiotherapist at my hospital to Liza Robinson, a specialist palliative care physiotherapist with neurological expertise, at Princess Alice Hospice made all the difference. She started to slowly but surely improve the quality of my life and that of my wife, who is my carer’.

‘I attended as an out-patient at the Hospice for two sessions a week. Over time, Liza has enabled me to go from being confined to a wheelchair to walking unaided at home and with a stick when walking up and down stairs. She knew exactly what she had to do to improve my mobility. Throughout I had complete faith in her judgment and professionalism. She was easy to talk to, caring and knowledgeable’.

‘Liza got me to where I am today; I hope that the Hospice can continue to help as many people as possible. Not only did she help me, but she also gave my wife more time to herself. As I improved, I relied less on my wife and therefore she had greater freedom and we could spend more time doing fun things as husband and wife rather than simply being patient and carer. Anyone who helps to raise money can have a real impact on the life of a patient; Liza has given me back part of the life I knew before my illness came along’.