SLIDE 1 Another Day On The Set Of Holby City
Ian Leech, Mel’s Dad and also Community Engagement Manager at St Giles Hospice
SLIDE 2
- Remembering My Space?
- My first blog . . .
- Dealing with Julie and Becky’s reactions
- It wasn’t about the readers
- Mel and Facebook
SLIDE 3 “Just to let you all know, save writing to everyone, that im home from hospital now! for good! my results came back and they know now its a non hodgkins lymphoma - high grade type which means its faster growing but thats good cos the treatment attacks it better and quicker! i just have to go in now for chemo and antibody treatment every 3 weeks or so as an outpatient. Ill be missing freshers week as still pretty weak at the min but i am much better than i was a week or so ago! ill be back at uni in
- ctober but probably commuting from home for term one but ill
be back soon enough getting drunk im sure! Just thought it was easier to write that once instead of 10 times on everyones wall! hope it makes sense and thanks for all the messages and texts since ive been in hospital - they really have helped! :) xxxxx”
SLIDE 4
Tomorrow, the chemo starts and who knows how Mel will react to it, but for now she's eating well, talking and looking a lot better than she did yesterday. This evening she plans to check out her nurses on Facebook . . . but don't tell them :). Oh, those days before medical professionals realised what privacy settings were for
SLIDE 5 “I feel so weak and crappy, i dont know how i am amanging to
- write. Stop sending me text message saying 'how r u today?' i cant
answer and most of the time i feel like shit. Its what Facebook and this blog is for. I'm not saying dont text me but text me normal stuff or i' hope ur feeling better' - just dont ask!
- please. Thats it for today cos i feel sooo weak Mel xx
SLIDE 6 ”Its now 245 am and im awake but slolwy drifting off. they give me this anti cikness drug that makes me high and then kncocks me out. Sorry to be so blunt earlier but when iget about 5 days a day sayin 'How r feeling today' i can't answer!! i feel toomuch like shit, if you wana know read this and facebook. Its why they are here. by all means wish me well and text me but please no silly
- questions. u can ask how i am in a facebook message everynow and again
but not all the time.
Later that night . . .
SLIDE 7
Wednesday 7th May
Mel posted an entry on Facebook today, it read . . .
“Mel Leech is having a rough coupla days and visitors are restricted at the min . . . its not personal. . . I just need to recover and sort my meds out”
SLIDE 8
- Mel joins the party
- Two perspectives, patient and parent
- The media are watching you!
- The kindness of the world
SLIDE 9
- The end of the story . . .
- Being “other people’s drama”
- Helping others
- One Day at a Time
SLIDE 10
- Dealing with Mel’s Facebook page
- To keep it open?
- To close it down?
- To memorialise it?
We've decided today that we are going to keep Mel's Facebook open for ever. Mel loved Facebook and it proved invaluable to her whilst in hospital. She always seemed to find a way to access it, even if at times it was only by phone.
SLIDE 11
- Using Facebook
- The highs
- The lows
SLIDE 12
Twitter Two accounts or three? Instagram Sharing the love
SLIDE 13
Twitter Two accounts or three? Instagram Sharing the love
SLIDE 14
When Social Media is at it’s very best!!
99% certain its u, our fave photographer! If nt, jst delete msg!!!
SLIDE 15
Thank You
Email: ian.leech@stgileshospice.com Twitter: @melsdadian @stgilesengage
