Fred’s Story – Phyllis Tuckwell

“Phyllis Tuckwell has changed my life completely,” said Fred, who has lung disease. “Last November I went through a bad patch. I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wouldn’t eat or drink; all I wanted to do was sleep. My doctor got onto Phyllis Tuckwell and Gerard came out to see me.”

Gerard works in our Pastoral Care team. He listened as Fred talked, and explained how we could help improve things. He suggested that Fred attend our Living Well sessions, which help patients and carers manage their symptoms and cope with everyday life.

“Since I’ve been going to that class, they’ve opened me up,” said Fred. “When I first started, I wanted my wife Ann to come with me, because I couldn’t break away from her. Now I don’t mind going by myself. They’ve been fantastic.”

“At first, he would rely on me to do all the talking,” said Ann, “but now he’s coming out of his shell. They’ve brought a new lease of life to him.”

Fred has attended our two eight-week programmes – Living Well with Illness and the Creative programme. These offer a two-hour session once a week, at our Beacon Centre in Guildford. Each session focusses on a different topic, such as food and nutrition, managing your mood, therapy through nature, or moments in bottle.

At our Moments in a Bottle session, we ask patients to recall positive memories, which we help them record in words and pictures, to look back on when they are going through a challenging time. Fred has also been to our Therapy through Nature session, where patients can create a flower basket or planter, for example, using the plants, soil and pots provided. At the session Fred attended, patients each arranged a jar of flowers to take home.

“It was lovely,” said Fred. “I like gardening, but I get out of breath. That’s why I’ve got this oxygen tank. Ann’s been really patient, waiting on me hand and foot. I wish I could do a bit more around the house, but after a few minutes I have to sit down and fight for my breath. I feel guilty, because she’s doing all the walking with our dog, Max. We used to share walking him, but now I just can’t do it.”

We invited Fred to our four-week Breathlessness programme, which is run by our physiotherapists and teaches gentle exercises and breathing techniques.

“The breathing sessions have helped a lot,” he said. “If I’m in a panic, I breathe too fast, so they showed me how to breathe properly.”

Fred has also seen our occupational therapists, who have provided equipment to help him.

“They said to use the oxygen tank when he’s moving about,” said Ann, “and in the kitchen he’s got a perching stool which he sits on to do the washing up. They also gave us a list of places where we could go to look at getting a mobility scooter.”

“I don’t like sitting around,” said Fred. “I like to be on the go. I’m pleased I’ve got my mobility scooter.”

“I’ve had support too, as his carer,” said Ann. “We started with video calls with all the carers, and now we meet at the Beacon Centre. We have a Whatsapp group too, so we can keep in touch. If one of us is having a bad day, we’ll all support them. I felt isolated before, but I feel better now I know Phyllis Tuckwell are only a phone call away. It eases the pressure. They know how to manage Fred’s health, and my wellbeing too. I don’t know what we’d do without them.”

“I’m really happy there,” said Fred. “I enjoy going to the classes. All the staff are gentle and kind. I’ve got Ann and I’ve got Max, so I’ve got something to live for.”