Former bus driver Paul Nolan has been visiting Marie Curie Hospice, Liverpool, as a day patient for six years. Here he shares his experiences.
Why I started coming here
“I was referred by my doctor. I have chronic heart failure. Doctors haven’t actually said how much time I have. They’ve said to try and enjoy the time I have left. I’m married and have twin boys.
I’ve been ill for so long that every time I see my doctor he gets this look in his eye that kind of says: ‘you’re still here?!’ I see the doctor at the hospice every couple of months. Some days I feel horrible, but I’m hanging on.”
Putting a smile on people’s faces
“Right now I am part of the hospice’s day patient programme, which concentrates a bit more on the social aspect of things.
What I like about coming to the hospice is that everybody is the same, everyone is ill, and for the four hours that we are here no one worries about their illness.
I like to make people laugh – other patients here and the nurses. If I can make somebody smile, I go home happy.”
Find out more about Marie Curie hospices and how they can offer support if you or a loved one is living with a terminal illness >> https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/hospice-care