What people can't tell their families: a day on the Support Line with Karen

When you have been diagnosed with cancer, there are things you sometimes can't say to the people you love.

You don't want to upset them, or let them see how frightened you really are. For many people across Wales, Karen is the person they can say it to.

After more than 20 years as a district nurse, caring for people with cancer in their own homes, Karen now takes calls on our free Support Line. She makes at least 10 scheduled calls a day, on top of every call that comes in, and here she tells us why she does it.

Over 20 years of caring for people at home

Karen's career began in district nursing, where she spent more than two decades looking after people who had been diagnosed with cancer and were undergoing treatment. She helped patients manage their side effects, cared for PICC lines and offered emotional support, as well as advice and reassurance to their families whenever it was needed.

She also cared for people at the end of their lives, making sure they were comfortable, free from pain and treated with dignity at all times.

Why Karen joined the Support Line

After so many years supporting people with cancer, Karen wanted to carry on making a difference to people who have received a diagnosis. She knows from experience that talking to the people closest to you isn't always easy.

What a day on the Support Line looks like

A typical day for Karen includes at least 10 scheduled calls, as well as any calls that come in. She speaks with people who have a cancer diagnosis and are having treatment, talking through how they are feeling, which side effects they are experiencing and how best to manage them. Where it's helpful, callers can also be pointed towards other support within Tenovus Cancer Care, such as counselling or benefits advice.

She also speaks with people who have been diagnosed but are unable to have treatment. These conversations are often about what happens next, and Karen listens to their fears, explains what support is available and reassures them that services are there to help manage their symptoms and keep them comfortable.

What Karen finds most rewarding

For Karen, it comes down to being there for people:

• Listening when someone needs to be heard
• Being a shoulder to cry on when someone is upset
• Offering advice and guidance to help people get through their treatment
• Hearing that someone has had the all clear

The calls that stay with her

Some calls are pure relief. Karen spoke with a lady who had just had a PET scan and been given the all clear. She still had two more cycles of treatment to get through, but the end was finally in sight, with her treatment due to finish in August. After everything she had been through, she was looking forward to the summer and to spending some quality time with her children.

For Karen, sharing in news like that is one of the most rewarding parts of the role.

She also remembers a call with a lady who had been told that only palliative treatment was now possible. Karen says it was special that she felt able to talk openly about everything she was feeling: the anger, the frustration, the fear and the sadness. Karen helped her understand what to expect, and reassured her that support would be there whenever she needed it.

Help us keep the Support Line going

Karen's message to anyone thinking about sponsoring a nurse is simple.

She adds that the Support Line also helps to take some pressure off hospital services that are already stretched, using the knowledge and experience the whole team has built up over many years of nursing.

A monthly gift of £5 helps us keep this support available for people across Wales. Become a nurse supporter and help us be there when people need us.

Need to talk? Call our free Support Line on 0808 808 1010.