Emily has been given six months to live and is trying to spend as much time as possible with her two children, who are naturally devastated their mother is dying.
In the recent school holidays, the 42-yearold took her daughter, 14, and son, 11, to Kāpiti Island for the day. Another goal is to go to Tekapo to see the night sky.
But most of the time Emily - a single parent is forced to deal with the bone-aching fatigue of metastasised breast cancer and what she has to do, and cannot do, to get through her day. Twice a week, she taxis to a Wellington pharmacy to get her opioid painkillers and chemotherapy pill - she isn't allowed to drive. Often, the script is not correctly filled out due to errors at the pharmacy or by her GP. On a recent trip, Emily "turned on the waterworks".
"I told them: 'I've got a terminal illness so I've got limited life left. I do not want to stand in this pharmacy for 20 minutes, twice a week, looking at you. I don't want to do that"."
The Te Omanga Hospice sits in manicured grounds down a long driveway in Lower Hutt. It's a sanctuary for Emily (not her real name), who goes there once a week for everything from counselling and art therapy to social catch-ups. On a sunny morning in late April, she sits in one of the common rooms with her friend Heather, a 75-year-old who is also terminally ill with cancer, and they talk about what it is like to be dying in Aotearoa today.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 25-31 2024-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 25-31 2024-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.