A BRAVE mum whose ‘niggling’ shoulder pain turned out to be incurable cancer, has died just weeks after being diagnosed.
Stacey Robertson went from having ‘zero’ symptoms to being told she had just days left to live.
The 39-year-old mum-of-two was ‘living her best life’ according to husband Ian, 52, when they got the life-shattering news that she had terminal cancer.
He said: “We had just been to Glasgow to celebrate her 39th birthday and then you’re told that the love of your life is dying. You’re just thinking ‘What? How did we get here? How? You can’t take it in. It’s surreal”.
Stacey, from Kilwinning in Ayrshire, had a ‘niggling’ pain in her shoulder back in April this year, which gradually became worse, but, being a nurse herself, she put it down to muscular pain.
The couple, who share daughters Bonnie, eight and six-year-old Eilidh, had celebrated Stacey’s birthday on April 17 with a date night in the city, followed by a day at the beach on April 20 with their daughters.
But just three days later Ian rushed Stacey to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock with excruciating stomach pains after coming home and finding her doubled over the kitchen table.
The couple’s world collapsed when later that night, following a CT scan, medics told them Stacey had cancer of the colon and they had found further lesions on her spine, liver, ribs and lungs.
Ian said: “It was obviously devastating getting that news but we tried to keep as positive as possible.”
Stacey underwent a five hour operation to remove the cancer on May 1, and was left with a colostomy bag, but just three days after being released from hospital Stacey was rushed back in with excruciating pain.
Doctors then told the couple Stacey had an inoperable tumour in her ribs and that was what had been causing her initial shoulder pain.
Speaking through tears Ian said: “They said there was no cure and Stacey had one to two years left. She was distraught.
“All she ever wanted was to be a mum and now she was being told she wasn’t going to see our girls grow up. She was devastated. I can still see her face.”
From there doctors put together a plan for Stacey to undergo chemotherapy which would extend her life.
However in a final cruel blow it was discovered the cancer had spread to the lining of her stomach and she was told rather than years, she only had days left.
Ian said: “It’s the most unbelievable thing you’ll ever hear. I’ll never
forget how she looked.
“Her eyes were piercing as she mustered up the strength as she looked up at me and said, ’you look after my girls.’”
”It took every single bit of strength she had and she looked up at me and said ‘will you look after my girls?’”
Stacey was transferred to Ayrshire Hospice in Cumnock to spend her final days and Ian took daughters Bonnie and Eilidh to say their final goodbyes to their mum.
He said: “There’s no book for that, for how to explain to your little girls that they only have days left with their mum?
“I just told them mum’s body was broken and the doctors couldn’t fix it so mummy is going to die.
“The girls broke down and I just held them close and told them we were going to have to help each other get through.”
The girls wore matching dresses to go and see their mum for the last time and hours later she passed away as Ian held her hand at her bedside.
He added: “In her final moments Stacey became increasingly restless and agitated, I kept repeating to her softly asking her to find the peace as there has been too much pain, no more pain just find the peace.
“After a few minutes Stacey did finally relax and passed away as I held her hand.”
Hundreds of people turned out to pay their last respects to Stacey, the devoted mum, wife and nurse whose smile warmed everyone who met her.
Ian says he’s now trying to find a way to cope without her.
He said: “I thank god I have these girls because I don’t know what I’d do without them. It’s hard and it’s unreal. I still have to ask myself, how did we get here?
“We were normal, living our lives and now this. It’s hard to comprehend.
“I just hope that by sharing Stacey’s story if anyone has anything they’ve been ignoring or a niggling pain, to go and get it checked.
“It was too late for Stacey but it might not be for someone else.”
