14 April 2009, Tuesday
The doctor and nurse from HCA called today. I have finally been discharged from hospice care.
I was feeling well enough to be independent and should have made the request to be discharged earlier. There are so many more cancer patients who are worse off than me and I feel really guilty to be still under their care, encroaching on their time, effort and resources.
HCA has been caring for me and guiding me since Feb last year after my discharge from hospital. I must say that their service has given me great comfort and has made my battle with cancer very much more tolerable. Their service is truly indispensable and should really be commended.
From my place, they were called to another patient's place to do a terminal discharge. I found out that it meant the patient had been discharged from hospital and hadn't had much time left. It is now up to the hospice care staff to provide the necessary care and comfort on his or her last leg of the journey.
I admire the courage of the staff of hospice care. It is not an easy task caring for terminally ill patients, and at the same time, feel their fears and frustrations and sometimes watch them succumbed to their illness. One must be mentally strong to be able to handle such matters, as normally it is not a one-off visit but repeated visits over a period of time.
HCA Hospice Care staff - I wish you well! Please do remember to take care of your own health while you are taking care of us.
I will miss their visits, but no matter, as I have made some new friends.
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