Wellbeing Centre patient Vicky tells us that music and laughter helps her on her way!

Vicky Smith arrives at the hospice with eleven bottles of plonk!

Well, actually it’s ten, and a bottle of zero alcohol wine (a nice one though), “just in case someone prefers it,” says Vicky, with a knowing wink which says, “I don’t.”

Red, white and rosé wines, a couple of bottles of port, gin and a Jack Daniels honey blend Tennessee whiskey. The gifts are gratefully accepted and will make it into hospice raffles, tombola’s and some will help fill the inpatients ward’s drinks trolley. Nice!

It’s especially lovely because Vicky is a patient in our Wellbeing Centre and is experiencing first hand the support we offer people living with life-limiting conditions.

Vicky has been on a long journey with breast cancer. For over 33 years she’s experienced occurrences and also long remissions. In June this year she entered the hospice’s wellbeing programme which sees her visit the hospice once a week, for nine-weeks initially, for practical advice and instruction for coping well at home with her illness.

Each session begins with armchair exercises and finishes with a relaxation session with hospice therapy health care assistant, Tracy. Vicky tells us, 

“Our visits always start with a smile and help us to feel invigorated before getting involved with that week’s topic. Then the relaxation session at the end, which we can replicate at home, really helps us to feel at ease with things.

Tracy’s absolutely brilliant, genuine and funny, I look forward to chatting with her.

Then there’s the actual Wellbeing Centre programme; Resilience and spiritual support, nutrition, advance care planning, understanding our pain, mobility and falls prevention, preparing for appointments and medicine management, bowel and urinary health, hydration & skin care and getting restful and important sleep.

It’s really informative and, honestly, hugely helpful. The Wellbeing team are superb and ready to help if we need more advice. Ryan, Kate, Beth and Ashley are just the best, friendly, professionals.

Following my nine-week course I’m definitely going to get involved in the patients’ ‘check in and chat’ weekly meet ups in the Wellbeing Centre and I’m also looking at the Monday exercise group.”

Vicky’s been friends for over 40 years with hospice hybrid hero (both volunteer and bank worker) Elaine Brown, whose story we told recently. They first met when they were working for a while as store assistants at Wirral’s Gordale Garden Centre.

They went dancing at Westwood Grange in those days and music, dancing and laughter are still the essential ingredients which Vicky says makes for a happy life.

She tells the story about the time she was working with Elaine, moving some pallets at Gordale, with her Sony Walkman headphones on (a forerunner of airpods for our younger readers), listening to her favourite ‘Chaka Khan.’

“I was singing along, although I can’t hold a tune, when a customer had come in behind me and I continued singing. I jumped out of my skin as I turned around, although the person was only asking for help.

I spluttered a bit with nervous laughter, ‘oh, sorry, how can I help you?’

Elaine was doubled over laughing.

The track was ‘I feel for you,’ I’m not sure she was feeling very sorry for me. HaHa!”

Coincidentally, as we’re speaking, Elaine arrives for a volunteering shift. Time for a photo? There’s genuine affection, and some laughing of course, as they greet each other warmly. They speak most nights over the phone.

At home, Vicky is also a carer for husband Paul after he suffered a massive stroke some sixteen years ago.

“It was touch and go at first for Paul, but eventually we’ve been able to cope with the challenges the stroke left behind and we get through with laughing and of course, music, singing along together.

Today, I’ve left daughter, Faye, painting our decking and I know she’ll be making Paul a cuppa and they’ll be listening to Greatest Hits radio.”

During our conversation I ask Vicky the date she got married and she laughs,

“I know it was around twenty years ago. I’ll have to phone Paul. HaHa!”

She phones and Paul duly comes back with the information.

“It was 1^st August, 2005! Wow, That’s only a couple of days away. HaHa.”

 Yes it is, Vicky. Happy Anniversary for that day. You’ll fill it with music and laughter we’re sure.

 Thank you for sharing your hospice story with us.