When Lindy Hunt woke at night with agonising pain in her ankle two years ago, she figured she must’ve done something to it while playing with her granddaughter.
But by the time it got so bad she couldn’t walk, Lindy was taken by ambulance to hospital, where doctors found an infection caused by bacteria from the gut. Shockingly, five weeks later, the then-49-year-old learnt her problems were far greater than an aching ankle. Lindy had terminal bowel cancer.
“They did a CT scan and found lesions all through my lung, liver, bones, spine and pelvis,” says Lindy, now 52, who married her partner Pete in January 2020, eight months before her diagnosis.
“Pete’s devoted his time now to looking after me,” says Lindy.
“I was on my own in hospital during Level 4 lockdown when doctors broke the news it might be cancer. I had Pete on the phone, but it was horrible.”
Until then, other than her ankle, Lindy hadn’t felt unwell or shown any signs of bowel cancer and refused to believe it. Doctors did lung and liver biopsies, as well as other tests that came back clear, and for a while, Lindy clung to the possibility the lesions were signs of infection that’d spread from her foot.
She was put on heavy antibiotics, and booked for a colonoscopy once she’d recovered from skin grafts and operations on her ankle. Tragically, the colonoscopy showed cancer in her bowel and the next step was finding out if it’d metastasised or spread to her other organs.
“I went for a further CT and the lesions were bigger,” shares the mum of Dylan, 27, Tyla, 24, and stepsons Daniel, 26, and Bayly, 24. “If it’d been the infection, they would’ve been smaller. I was told it was terminal. It was surreal. I said, ‘This isn’t happening,’ and left. When you get a diagnosis like this, your life as you know it will never be the same and it’s tough.”
Lindy and Pete, a 58-year-old consultant, drove in silence to Thames, picking up fish and chips, then sitting by the water’s edge to let the news sink in. They decided not to tell their children just yet and accepted an offer from a good friend to spend a weekend at their bach in Hahei. There, the couple discussed how they would tell the kids and family, and Lindy made calls to her insurance company.
Every moment counts for the couple, with kids (from left) Dylan, Tyla, Bayly and Daniel.
“When I was new into my relationship with Pete and had my two children as dependents, working in sales for an American company, I got medical insurance with Partners Life,” explains South African-born Lindy, who emigrated to New Zealand 21 years ago. “It’s lucky because Pharmac hasn’t funded a new bowel cancer treatment in more than 20 years
“Bowel cancer is the second highest cause of cancer death in New Zealand and people are being forced to seriously think about comprehensive private medical insurance, instead of relying on the public health system.”
Within a week of her diagnosis, Lindy was able to see one of the top gastric oncologists in New Zealand. Had she been in the public system, she would’ve had to wait three months. Ironically, when she was given her terminal diagnosis, Lindy was told she had just three months to live without treatment. With it, doctors estimated two years.
For the loving mum, who started chemo immediately, one of her treatment drugs costs just below $9000 a month, while the other is $95,000 a year. Without insurance, she believes she’d have sold her house and be living in a caravan – or dead.
“The same day I met with the oncologist, Pete and I called the kids together for dinner and broke the news. It was the worst day of my life. It’s one thing being diagnosed because you’re in control of how you feel, deal with it and behave,” shares the grandmother of Lily, five, and Finn, two, wiping away tears. “But you can’t control how others feel and make it better. You can’t fix it and while I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of leaving them behind.”
Making special memories with grandkids Finn and Lily.
Now, having used her life insurance payout to help buy a bach in Tairua, Lindy’s spending her days beside the ocean, where she finds solace walking the beach, and painting and restoring old furniture from thrift shops. As well as trips away with friends and enjoying plenty of family time, she’s off on a six-week Australian adventure with Pete this month. They plan to go diving with sharks, hot-air ballooning and sightseeing on a train ride through the outback from Darwin to Adelaide.
“That’s part of my bucket list,” smiles Lindy, who describes her marriage as a true love story. “Pete’s devoted his time now to looking after me and making sure I get to do everything I want to do while I can.”
Since her terminal diagnosis, she has refused to let the cancer define her. Instead of telling people she’s battling or fighting cancer, Lindy says she’s living with it.
“I’m not a victim,” says Lundy, who makes her feelings known on her tattoo!
“I’m not a victim at all and that’s the attitude I have every single day,” she concludes. “You’ve got to live every day like you’re dying because that’s the only way to really experience life.”
For more info or to make a donation to Bowel Cancer NZ, visit bowelcancernz.org.nz.
