Kay Montgomery - Blog

Kay Montgomery was diagnosed with terminal Pancreatic Cancer – Stage 4 – during a routine ultrasound for gall stones on 21 June 2025. Having been a gardening journalist and magazine editor for decades, Kay’s instinct is to regard this event as just another project upon which to report.

This blog offers observations on entering the strange new world of hospitals and cancer. It aims to be a light-hearted view of a very serious issue. And may it update all the many friends, colleagues and acquaintances – who are genuinely concerned for my wellbeing – on the progression and status of the journey.

Update: Kay sadly passed away on Thursday the 24th July 2025.

Sunday 22 June 2025 – Zoning Out

My bed in the hospital became my sanctuary. Nurses came and went. I zoned out in a blur of drips delivering nutrients, antibiotics, antacids and painkillers. Having struggled with fatigue for so many weeks, my body just imploded. As a news junkie… I watch every aspect of war, politics, volcanoes, floods and earthquakes. I had […]

Saturday 21 June 2025 – The Ultrasound

It was an ordinary, cold midwinter day in Johannesburg. Blue skies. Get there early, I was told. The radiologists are not crazy about walk-ins on a Saturday. I got there at 09h30 and with my doctor’s script requested an ultrasound to check for gall stones. It was a last-ditch effort to try and understand the […]