Sammi & Kim
Sammi’s mother-in-law, Kim, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during the covid pandemic in 2020. Sammi shares their family’s experience and reflects on how loved Kim was, and how much everyone misses her.
Kim started to notice symptoms
In August 2020, my mother-in-law, Kim, started getting severe back pain. She went to her GP numerous times, and they gave her painkillers and said she was low on vitamin D.
In November 2020 me and my husband, Lee, went to pick up our girls from Kim’s and noticed that Kim was very yellow. When I got home Kim texted me to say her husband, Trevor, said she looked yellow. So, I texted back to say I agreed and that she should go to urgent care and get checked out. The doctor at urgent care told her to go to A&E. So off she went and she was then admitted to hospital.
Kim and her family
The tumour was too close to the artery
After investigations, scans and tests Kim was told she had pancreatic cancer. They could not do surgery because the tumour was too close to the artery so she would have to manage it. She was told she had roughly one year to live.
At the start of 2021 Kim was due to start chemo but she got covid so wasn’t able to have it. Once Kim had a negative test for covid she went to see her doctor, but she was told she couldn’t start chemo because she was too poorly.
She lost so much energy and weight
Kim turned 60 in January 2021, and we had to have a doorstep birthday for her as we were in covid lockdown. Her two grandchildren adored their nan, she did everything for them. When lockdown was lifted, we visited her at her home all the time trying to make her as comfortable as possible. She lost so much energy and weight, she struggled to eat and kept being sick.
Getting care at the local hospice
At the beginning of March 2021, the doctor from the local hospice (which Kim worked for), came to visit her. He recommended she come to the hospice to manage her pain. She went into the hospice on 9th March. As they had strict covid rules only two people were allowed to visit every day which was Trevor and Lee.
Every day was harder and harder for Lee, he knew she was dying and was dying quickly. On 19th March 2021, we got a call to say she is going to pass very soon. The hospice made arrangements to allow Kim’s mum and dad to visit her to say goodbye, they live 2 hour drive away and are in their 80s. I never went to say goodbye as I didn’t want my last memory of Kim to be of her looking so ill. On Sunday 21st March 2021 we got a phone call at midday to say she had passed away.
She is very missed by so many people
Kim was a very bubbly lovely lady. I met her in 2009 when I got together with Lee, we instantly clicked. She treated me like a daughter, a daughter she never had. When me and Lee had our first daughter in 2015, she was Kim’s world, she adored her so much. My eldest daughter absolutely loved nanny Kim and would have sleepovers and days out with her and grandad Trev. Kim adored her son, as much as he annoyed her too! Kim managed the local hospice charity shop and was known in the community, she was always chatty and happy. Kim loved her cats, her dream was to open a cattery.
Everyone struggled with the sudden death of Kim, she was still young, she still had so many adventures she wanted to do.
She is very missed by so many people.
