A woman living with terminal lung and bone cancer has decided to speak out about her experience of hospice care, urging those who are faced with the prospect of going to a hospice ‘not to be scared’.

Fibi Bibi, aged 62, said she was terrified when told by her consultant, Dr Bhavyang Acharya, that it was time for her to go to a hospice for pain management.

She requested that she go to Cynthia Spencer Hospice in Northampton, as her father had passed away there 31 years prior, and Dr Bhav, as Fibi affectionately calls him, also works at the hospice.

She said: “I was absolutely petrified when I arrived at Cynthia Spencer. You think it means ‘the end’, but for me, it was just the beginning, which I why I want to talk about it.

“The staff have been amazing and helped me to see that being here does not mean it is the end of my life. It is just part of the journey. I have made some real friends whilst at the hospice and been adopted by other families too. In fact, the family of one friend I made, Michael, still came to see me after Michael went home. His son Daniel is helping me get my house ready for my return and setting up my spare bedroom ready for a live-in carer to move into.”

Friends are something that are dear to Fibi. So much so, that when she received her initial lung cancer diagnosis, she immediately purchased a camper van and embarked on ‘Fibi’s Farewell Tour’ across the West Country and South Coast. Having previously lived in Somerset for 20 years, Fibi wanted to say goodbye to old friends and leave her beloved dogs with family members. During her trip, Fibi held a living wake and selected a plot at what will be her final resting place, Atlantic Rest Natural Burial in Cornwall.

When Fibi was ready to return home to Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire, her friends sat her down and voiced concerns that they didn’t think she was well enough to drive back. She reluctantly agreed and they drove her home. It was then that her doctor suggested palliative care begin at a hospice.

Fibi’s condition worsened after she was taken to hospital to have a CT scan to see if the cancer had spread to her spine. Her back was broken during the procedure which left her with some paralysis, losing the feeling in her legs.

“Dr Bhav was amazing. He fought for me to go to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for pioneering surgery on my spine. This consisted of cement being added to my discs to strengthen my back and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) which burns off nerve endings in the spinal column so I can’t feel pain. He also worked hard on finding the right medication to manage my pain effectively.”

Knowing Fibi was a massive Formula 1 fan and that the British Grand Prix was taking place in Northamptonshire while Fibi was at the hospice, Dr Bhav and the Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity team surprised her by arranging for her to go and see the F1 qualifying at Silverstone. Unfortunately, Fibi experienced some medical issues which meant that she couldn’t attend.

“I couldn’t go but that didn’t matter,” said Fibi. “That gesture meant the world to me. Dr Bhav is not a saint, but he is close to it in my eyes. He’s amazing. I couldn’t wish for a better consultant.”

Fibi also made a point of saying how much she enjoyed the woodlands at Cynthia Spencer. She said: “The woodlands are peace on earth. I go there every evening and have seen deer and squirrels but kept looking out for a fox, which I finally saw yesterday. He was a great big, red ‘Daddy’ fox. He looked at me. I looked at him and he just strolled on into the wood. He wasn’t scared.”

Now Fibi is preparing for her departure from the hospice and will be cared for by a live-in carer at home. She would like to return to the hospice to pass away and is making her own purple ‘death dress’ and has been gifted a purple tiara by Colette Harding, who runs a local independent business and has been following Fibi’s journey on Facebook.

“I go home tomorrow which is a bit overwhelming after being at the hospice for so long. My experience has been terrifying, cathartic and amazing all at once. I just want to change people’s perception of hospices. People should know there is nothing to fear. Everything is dignified and you are treated with such respect. There is just so much love in the building and everyone has been so kind which I couldn’t understand at first. I am just me, after all. I am just Fibi.”

To find out more about how you can support Cynthia Spencer Hospice, visit https://cynthiaspencer.org.uk//how-you-can-help-us/