Sarah & Lynda
Lynda was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in October 2024. Her daughter, Sarah, shares the challenges they faced with her mum’s diagnosis alongside serious problems with her housing.
My Mum, Lynda, passed away from pancreatic cancer in July 2025 and I can only just speak about it now, nearly 9 months later.
My Mum went to the doctor in 2021 and said she didn’t feel well but there were no direct or major signs of cancer. It wasn’t specific, but she was unwell. She was then misdiagnosed with a minor illness that could eventually turn into cancer, but it was not related to pancreatic cancer. After this nothing more was done even though her direct family including her Mum and brother had both passed away with other cancers and her cousins had passed away with pancreatic cancer.
She then retired and moved to her dream cottage and began to renovate it as a hobby. This turned out to be a nightmare for my Mum. Due to awful problems with workmanship she had to mainly live in her bedroom as the rest of the house was a mess, lots of trip hazards, mould, no home comforts and she wasn’t able to have friends or family visit. She didn’t feel safe there.
She was completely yellow with jaundice
In October 2024 she woke up and was completely yellow with jaundice. It was then the doctor sent her straight to hospital where they diagnosed her with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and she was given up to 12 months to live.
It completely tore me, my Mum and my son’s worlds apart.
It was the hardest time of our lives
The hospital didn’t seem to be confident with this type of cancer and there was not much information or help to answer the questions we had. The general cancer charities did get involved and the Pancreatic Cancer UK website gave help and advice. We also had an email from one of the Pancreatic Cancer UK specialist nurses but unfortunately my Mum was too ill to email back and answer questions. It was too much for her to deal with. I was the sole carer for my Mum and my 12 year old son. Living an hour away from her home and the hospitals she was treated at was a strain.
It was the hardest time of our lives. I was driving a lot, still working full time and trying to be a Mum and keep everything as normal as possible at home.
Lynda with her family
Problems with my Mum’s care and housing
I kept a diary of my Mum’s care as we went through this journey. It helped me keep track of everything that was happening and also of the problems we were having with her care and housing. It was all so difficult and frustrating.
She was deteriorating quickly
In her final weeks I could see her deteriorating quickly. I begged for help from the hospital and charities to move her back close to where I lived. She was willing to move anywhere – a care home, nursing home, anywhere that would get her close to me. This was her final wish but it didn’t happen.
The cottage she lived it was dangerous for her due to the very serious problems with the renovation works. And as she’d become more poorly, she couldn’t make it up the stairs so she spent all her time in her bedroom.
A few days before she passed, I found her a nursing home which was ten minutes away from my home. At this time, she was in hospital to have a procedure to remove fluid from her stomach and agreed to be discharged to the nursing home.
But unfortunately, she passed away on the day she was due to be discharged.
We didn’t get the ending we wanted
My Mum only had me in her family to help and I really feel for the people who have no family or support to help them.
I think she could have been diagnosed earlier if she had the other symptoms but by the time the jaundice showed it was too late.
Our story is over now, and we didn’t get the ending we wanted but hopefully with more funding and more recognition and research more families could get theirs. I pray for everyone affected by this horrific cancer.
