Tony Lawlor

Well I’m Tony Lawlor from Killarney.  Well I’m a Chief retired, I love sport, football, hurling, rugby, swimming, walking you name it boxing.  I’m married to Agnes 45 years, 2 sons.  One at 44 and the other one at 36.  One in Germany, one in Australia, one granddaughter.

I went up to cook the dinner, I was retired and I didn’t feel well so I went up to the bed and I lay down and the next thing, all I know about is Aggie shaking me and I said “hey I need help”.  Next thing I know, ICU.  I was 93 days in ICU.  I first started getting palliative care two years ago.  The whole care team comes to me every three weeks or if we ring up they are there that day no matter where they are.

So right in my case there is loss of voice, they try to bring that back, now it is 50% stronger,  without palliative I’d be back where I was, whispering, well to get your swallow back it all boils down to the exercises you do, you must start small and then create, as they create your voice becomes stronger, your swallow becomes better but it’s all down to practice and without the practice you are going no place.

I would like to thank all the staff here at Kerry Palliative Care because they have been brilliant to us. 

The one thing I am really looking forward to is getting my voice back and to sit down with a knife and fork, with a plate of bacon and cabbage and a plate of beef and then Ill be happy and I’ll be able to drink porter because as it is all I can do is sip it but one decent swallow will I be happy.  There is nothing to be afraid of, it’s a valuable bloody service.