Interview 27

Age at interview: 38

Age at diagnosis: 37

Brief Outline:

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. Had a lumpectomy and was given radiotherapy and Tamoxifen.

Describes a misunderstanding and that she was given a sleeve which she is pleased with.

And I told the doctor that my arm is swelling. She told me to see the nurse again. She doesn't want to receive me.

I told her that "if you don't want to receive me, I want to go home, because it's one, two o' clock. I didn't eat since morning. I'm taking this and I didn't eat.

She told me to take another appointment to come back to see doctor.

I say' "I can't go there. I'm waiting here till you give something because the doctor told me to give something to me to put in my arm. I can't go."

She took her time, one hour before coming to check me, and she give this one to me and I came.

Same day?

Yes, yes.

The same day she gave you this sleeve?

Yes, she gave me that and I came back.

And is it good?

So yeah, yeah it's good, good, my arm feeling better now.
 

Patient from West Africa describes her difficulties in communicating with hospital staff about her feelings and her infection.

So in the hospital I saw many things.

I know that I don't know English and when the doctor come he can't communicate with me. He can't speak to me, he can't ask me if I have pain.

Even the women who were working there, they can't ask me' "How is your pain?"

And my neighbour who was there who was sick like me, they give medicine to her. They give medicine, injection to her, and I'm there.

When morning my sister came and they speak to my sister, I was very surprised because I said' "Why? The same disease this woman has, they give medicine to her and they didn't give anything to me." So I was depressed in this hospital. I didn't speak, because I can't speak. What can I say to the doctor who want to, they told me two days, three days, they didn't give anything to me.

And they told me' "You have to go home because we don't have place here."

In this time my breast, the wound they did, it was open again. They didn't take the time to close it, and they told me to go home. I went home and when I went home it was very open, so I was crying. And it was infected.

When I came back in hospital to tell the nurse, who was in hospital, about my breast they said' "It's not infected." Because oh, you know, water was coming out.

So I cry, cry. And I went to see my GP because he is from France, I can speak French with him. And when I went to see my GP, oh he was, he was surprised.

He give medicine to me, antibiotic, and one woman who is the nurse in this hospital, where my GP is, this woman is very good. She helped me. She told my GP to give medicine to me and she told me to come every day to do the, what do you call it, to put medicine on my breast.