Daughters’ dedication saw her through

 In News

Creemore experienced a miracle this year when Linda Cockton came home after almost a year in hospital.

Even though doctors said she only had a five per cent chance of survival, Linda herself never doubted that she would come home.

She says she was in good hands. Yes, the medical treatment saved her but she attributes her recovery to the dedication of her daughters who advocated for her every step of the way.

“Those girls were amazing,” said Linda, “They never left me alone.”

Julie and Allison spent countless hours at the hospital. Allison left her job as a veterinarian technician to keep careful watch over their mother and Julie was on maternity leave, having given birth to Chase, Linda’s first grandchild.

Linda’s daughters not only dedicated themselves to their mother’s needs but also to her community. They diligently posted to a blog in order to keep Linda’s many, many friends updated.

In the last post, written just before Linda was getting ready to come home to Creemore last month, they summed up the experience: 10.5 months, six hospitals, one intubation, three trach tubes, six feeding tubes, five rounds of chemotherapy, endless tests, one reconstructive surgery.

Linda had never been sick and never expected to be. But last fall she began to feel unwell. At first she had a persistent cough and by the end of September, she could barely breathe or swallow.

It was discovered that she had a lump in her throat, which was diagnosed as non-hodgkin lymphoma.

Linda said she doesn’t remember anything about that time at hospital in Barrie. She was sedated while undergoing the first round of chemotherapy. By the end of October, Linda was transferred to hospital in Toronto and was being treated by a team of specialists. Although it was really touch and go, Linda rallied and finished another round of chemo and had a tracheotomy.

From the beginning of her stay in hospital, Julie and Allison set up a radio near her bed so that she could hear her favourite country music. As she started to feel better, Linda communicated by writing notes and when she got bored – a true sign that she was feeling better – she started doing crafts in her bed.

While in hospital, Linda made a small quilt, two pillow tops and 100 handmade cards, 68 of which she sold to people in the hospital.

Linda said the chemotherapy caused her fingernails and toenails to fall off and she lost her hair. Her daughters massaged her head with coconut oil and they could see it growing back, silver and curly, and they painted her nails when they started to grow back.

Although Linda couldn’t receive visitors or flowers in the beginning, people sent cards and notes, which were posted on the wall of her room. It was made clear to the medical team that there were a lot of people rooting for Linda.

Her friends from the local quilting guild each contributed a square with their names, which were made into two quilts and sent down to the hospital.

Days before Valentine’s Day they learned that the lymphoma was gone and Linda was on the road to recovery.

Now back at home, Linda has already attended a quilting guild meeting and is working away on many projects, preparing for the upcoming Christmas season. She said although she is not quite strong enough to stand for any length of time so she has not been able to get back in the kitchen to bake the treats for which she is known for all over town but she expects to be back at it soon.

With the tracheotomy still in place, Linda speaks in a loud whisper but she can eat everything and feels stronger every day.

“Everything tastes so good. It’s like you are eating it for the first time,” she said after having been tube-fed for 10 months.

“I cannot get over how beautiful people have been, with so many visitors inquiring and bringing food,” said Linda.

She is going to the doctor on Oct. 7 to see if the tracheotomy can be removed but if not, Linda can live with it the rest of her life. She’s okay with that.

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Showing 4 comments
  • Isabelle Gubbels
    Reply

    Linda I am so glad to hear you on the road to recovery. I have often thought about how you were doing and would send a little prayer. Love to your and your family.

  • dwayne cooksey
    Reply

    julie and alison

    you two are amazing women for everything you did for aunt linda

    xoxo dwayne

  • Joan Winter
    Reply

    Linda, it is so good to see you. You look great and you have been through so much and I see your sewing machine all set up. Good for you. The SCQG people sure missed you and I am one of those people.

    Love and successful healing

    Joan

  • Joan Glover
    Reply

    Hi Linda
    So happy to hear you are back home, you look great and have been through so much. Barry and I have moved from Creemore but we keep in touch with what is happening around town.
    Wishing you well on the road to recovery and good to hear you are back doing a little quilting again.
    Joan and Barry

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