Search

  • Visit & Contact
  • The Mill
  • Online Shop
  • Log In
  • My Account
  • Log Out

Your local charity in Lancashire

Patrons: Sir Bill Beaumont, Sir Duncan Nichol, Dr Lynne Livesey, Dr St John Crean, Mark Lawrenson and Tisha Merry

Donate
  • Our Care
    • We help patients and families have quality of life, to the end of life.

    • Column
      • Back
      • Covid-19 updates
      • the work of the charity is only possible because of the support it receives from the local community.

        At the hospice
      • In the community
      • Lymphoedema clinic
        • Lymphoedema in babies, children and adolescents
    • Column
      • Carers & family
      • Befriending service
      • Bereavement and Remembrance
      • Compassionate Communities
  • Support Us
    • Our care is only possible because of the support we receive.

    • Column
      • Back
      • The work of the charity is only possible because of the support it receives from the local community.

        Fundraise
        • Organise a fundraiser
        • Give money raised
        • Join in a hospice event
        • Fundraising for businesses
      • Donate
        • Donation Form
        • Make a monthly donation
        • Make a one-off donation
        • Donate money raised
        • Donate in your will
        • Pledge Gift Aid
      • Lottery
        • Lottery terms and conditions, legal information and advice
        • Join our lottery
        • Lottery results
        • Gift cards and wedding favours
        • Update us or add a number
      • Wills
    • Column
      • Shops
        • Find your nearest shop
        • Donate to our shops
        • Online Shop
      • Volunteering
      • Raffles
      • Yellow Ribbons
  • Events
  • About Us
    • We are an independent, local charity working in Central Lancashire.

    • Column
      • Back
      • Our Purpose
      • Our Team
      • Work for us
      • Volunteer with us
    • Column Two
      • The Mill
      • Room Hire
      • Feedback
  • News
  • Resources & Training
  • Tributes
  • Donate
St Catherine's Hospice > Patient Stories > Nicholas praises the ‘unsung heroes’ at St Catherine’s Hospice who helped get his life back on track

Nicholas praises the ‘unsung heroes’ at St Catherine’s Hospice who helped get his life back on track

A Preston man who suffers with painful swelling in his legs has told how the ‘unsung heroes’ at St Catherine’s Hospice have helped get his life back on track throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

Civil servant Nicholas Riley was diagnosed with lymphoedema last year, caused by varicose veins, and wasn’t sure where to turn or what the future would hold.

“My legs were getting bigger and bigger and I didn’t know how to cope with it,” he said. “I went to the doctors and they referred me to St Catherine’s. Lymphoedema can’t be cured but it can be managed, and the hospice’s nurses have really helped me to take ownership of my condition and treatments, to live with it more comfortably. I’ve never known such level of personalised care and support before. They’ve been amazing.”

The team of nurses based at the Woodside Clinic in the grounds of the Lostock Hall hospice provides specialist treatments for cancer and non-cancer related lymphoedema; a build-up of lymph fluid that can affect any part of the body.

Drainage, bandaging, laser therapy and compression pumps are all used, and patients are also advised about how to better manage the swelling at home, through techniques such as exercises and massage to ease discomfort and boost independence.

Nicholas, from Ashton, explained: “I use stockings which mimic the muscles in my legs and help the fluid to flow properly to reduce the swelling. My nurse Julie also recommended some moisturising cream for my skin. She thinks of everything – making sure my chemist has my stocking prescription in on time and really explaining everything to me. She’s so thorough and conscientious, and her support has really improved my quality of life.

“Before I came to St Catherine’s I was really worried and didn’t know how to deal with it all. Lymphoedema can really restrict your life, but Julie has guided me through every step of the way and has given me reassurance and confidence to get my life back on track.”

The 48-year-old added: “You think of hospices as being about the end of life and people’s final days – I didn’t even know this service existed. But they help in so many different ways and they’re with you throughout your journey.

“I’ve been especially blown away by the support St Catherine’s has been able to give me throughout the Covid pandemic. They are the unsung heroes. They have been there for me constantly, at the Woodside Clinic and at the end of the phone. They have really risen to the challenge and found new ways forward to continue helping people during this time.

“The charity relies on the public’s support and you know that your donations are going to a worthy cause, which is really making a difference and helping local people. Everyone should be proud to have St Catherine’s there for when they need it.”

Back to News

Share with your friends!

Newsletter Signup

Sign up to our newsletter and receieve updates on our charity, successful fundraising events and much more!

Sign up

Sign up to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter and receieve updates on our charity, successful fundraising events and much more!

    Required
    Required

    Count me in!

    We'd love to keep in touch with you letting you know how your wonderful support is making a difference to St Catherine's, and informing you about other events and campaigns which might be of interest. We’re very proud of our ethical approach to fundraising and, rest assured, your information will be stored securely and we will not pass your details to any third party.

    Please let us know your preferred way(s) for us to contact you:

    Post
    Email
    Phone
    SMS Message
    For further information about how we use your data, please click here to read our privacy statement.

    Count me in!

    You’re a valued member of the St Catherine’s community and we’d love to keep in touch with all the latest news, events and campaigns from the charity. Let us know the best way to contact you by clicking below.

    Count me in!

    Visit Us

    Connect with us

    Connect with us on social media to keep up to date with the daily news from St Catherine’s and our cafe and community hub The Mill.

    Rate and review our services

    Patrons: Sir Bill Beaumont, Sir Duncan Nichol, Dr Lynne Livesey, Dr St John Crean, Mark Lawrenson and Tisha Merry

    © 2022 St Catherine’s Hospice Reg Charity No: 512186 Company Limited by Guarantee: 1602467

    • Privacy policy and use of Cookies
    • Sitemap

    St Catherine’s Hospice, St Catherine’s Park, Lostock Lane, Lostock Hall, Preston, PR5 5XU

    Designed and built by BlueWrenBlueWren

    Added to your basket

    Continue Shopping Go to Basket

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. OptionsOkay, thank you
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT