The Stepford staff

4:18pm Friday 27th June 2008

The film Stepford Wives has always amused me.

It is basically about a town which is made up of picture-perfect women who have been created by men. They are a stereotype of perfection through the eyes of man - well anyway I will get my point. I am still in St Barnabas House Hospice in Worthing and I have told staff here that I am calling them my Stepford staff. I must emphasise that I do not mean in a robotic or derogatory way, in fact, quite the reverse.

My comparison is that of the perfection. You simply could not make them any better.

From the moment you walk through the door you are welcomed by the friendly reception and coffee shop staff and this carries on throughout.

The care is outstanding. Doctors and nurses are really friendly and informal. There is no feeling of hierarchy - that is not to say that my own GP isn't pretty special too.

It is tranquil and peaceful and I feel reassured that I can die with dignity.

The kitchen is doing my fear no favours at all - the food is way too delicious. There is a little stand at reception where you can purchase jewellery, which services my shopping addiction.

Standards of cleanliness are really high and someone comes in daily to check out my flowers, and just when I thought things could not get any better, I was asked if I would like any complimentary therapies. Well what can I say?

It would be rude to say no.

There is so much more to a hospice than dying and I am so pleased to be here. I am also pleased that Tom and the boys are experiencing the positive side of me being in a hospice.

I've ballooned up again weight-wise and I am still getting the whooshing head and wobbly moments but I am feeling really energised and expect to be going home soon.

I have been to see a neurologist but nothing different has been picked up.

There is an artist, Stevan, who works with patients here and he has got me totally remotivated about writing my book.

We are hopefully going to create a title page and my nephew Daniel, who is my ghost writer and worked on the book with me a year ago, has located all the paperwork and is as keen as me to get started again.

We plan to meet weekly and I feel really excited and enthusiastic about the whole thing.

Friends have been bringing me far too many cakes and corrupting me with chocolate and Lewis's teacher made me a fabulous banoffee pie.

With all the yummy stuff and steroids my bottom now expands the width of my wheelchair.

You can email me at sandra.carey-boggans@ntlworld.com.

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