Interview 06

Age at interview: 53

Brief Outline:

Has had screening mammograms in the private sector since age 40. Is now also attending for routine mammograms on the NHS. Results have been normal.

Background:

Retired Marks and Spencer PA. Married with 2 adult children.

She had private mammograms as part of a health care scheme at work.

My first experience of breast screening is through Marks & Spencer, they have a programme of screening women after the age of 40 and we were invited to go the private hospital in London... And we just had a mammogram there and they actually followed it with an examination and a chat with a nurse who was specialised in breast screening. And they asked you lots of other things about your health and whether you were on HRT, etc. And I had about 3 or 4 of those, I think it was every 2 years, and each time I was clear and I was just sent a letter saying that everything was okay. And since I was 50 I retired from Marks and Spencer but I am still on the programme and I had one last year, at the [private hospital], and again everything was clear, thank God. And I've just had my first one on the NHS at the age of 53.

She read the information about breast screening after her first mammogram.

So when you went to hospital, did you pick up any leaflets or, your very first mammogram did you have any expectations or any concerns or questions?

Yes, I didn't know what to expect. And I didn't actually pick up a leaflet when I went in, I'd rather experience it first hand and then I picked up leaflets on the way home. And I thought it was very thorough, it did hurt slightly but I thought, well a little bit of pain like that didn't really matter as long as it detected anything that might be there. And I felt very confident about the whole thing.

So, you didn't pick up any information beforehand. Was it because you might have become worried if you'd picked up the leaflets?

Yes, I'm a little bit like that, yes [laughing]. But once I'd experienced the mammogram I did pick up leaflets and read about, you know what they were looking for. And it's all very easy going so that's okay.

She would rather have mammograms and is not concerned about the small dose of x-rays.

So having mammograms, are you having one mammogram every 3 years or more frequently because you can also go to the Marks & Spencer?

It probably will be more frequent, I don't know what the NHS do. Is it every 3 years? 

One every 3 years.

Every 3 years. So I'll probably have another one in 2 years time because that's when the Marks & Spencer, but I can't see why not, really, unless it's harmful, the radiation.  I don't think so, it's such a small dose, isn't it? Oh no, I would rather, I mean I believe in preventative medicine and yes, this is a good way of detecting these things.

She compares her experiences of private and NHS mammograms.

Just as when you go to the doctor's surgery, you just say your name and they check you off. You wait to see the nurse and then you go in to have your mammogram and she actually sat down and told me exactly what was going to happen and how the procedure works. And then she said, you know "you'll be seeing me after, even though you won't actually get the results for a few weeks. But I will talk to you about any concerns and how you reacted to the mammogram and if there was anything else you wanted to talk to me about and then I will give you an examination myself." And that's how it went. It was all very informative, yes. 

Did you learn anything new when she was telling you this information? 

Yes, I suppose the new thing I did learn was how to examine my breasts properly and I thought that was really important, and how often to examine your breasts. 

How did the NHS experience compare with the private check-ups? 

Well, the surroundings weren't as nice [laughing]. I realise that [the hospital] are going through some kind of refurbishment but it was all very quick. I didn't have to wait very long at all. But going into a mobile unit, it's a little bit, it's not very intimate [laughing]. But the actual procedure was just as, it was exactly the same apart from the examination. She didn't examine my breasts and I did ask her and she said, well they don't, they don't do that. They expect you to examine your breasts regularly. But I would, I still feel that I need, at least once a year, someone to examine them properly. 

She compares receiving results on the NHS and privately.

How long was it before you received the results with the Marks & Spencer and the NHS? Was there any difference? 

There was, with the NHS it was a little bit longer, it took a, in fact I only got it the other day and I had it, was it over a month ago? Yes. Whereas with the [private hospital] it was within 2 weeks.

And what did the letter say?

It was a basic letter which they probably send out to everybody saying that they didn't find or detect anything but that we should carry on examining our breasts. But the NHS letter said that there wasn't anything that they found but there is always a small chance that something wasn't detected and that to carry on examining yourself and to carry on having mammograms and I would be getting notification, I think it said 3 years. So it was basically the same.

Easy to understand?

Oh yes, no I mean I just scanned the letter very quickly and it was very clear. 

She took HRT for a year and then changed to a herbal remedy that she recommends to other women.

So, when you went on the HRT, were you having certain symptoms and that's why you went to the doctor, what symptoms were they? 

Oh yes, terrible flushes but I was only about 45, I think, when it started. And I was having pains in my legs, I was feeling quite tired and quite down and then I went on to HRT, which I didn't really want to do but it really helped. And then after a year of taking HRT I decided to take a herbal remedy which is called Wild Yam Root which really helped me and I stopped taking HRT after that, yes. 

I mean I've seen myself that the herbal extract works because I stopped taking HRT and I took this and it worked for me. And I presume there aren't, I don't think there are any side-effects but, hopefully, there isn't. But whereas when you take conventional medicines there always seems to be a list of other side-effects and I don't want those. 

Do you ever advise other women who you know that are taking HRT to try the herbal one?  

Yes, I do always. And in fact my other sister-in-law rang me the other day because she wanted to stop HRT and asked me where to buy this. 

Did it work equally as well as the HRT?  

Yes it did, yes it did. And in fact, I stopped HRT and the reason I started this Wild Yam was because I was putting on a lot of weight and it was all kind of a water retention weight. I mean I didn't look overly fat but I just felt very heavy and when I stopped HRT, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I just did not stop going to the toilet for days and days, it was just continuous. So I had all this water retention and I never did get that with the herbal extract, so that's one of the reasons I was looking for something else. And I did actually ... 

So your stomach always felt a bit bloated?

Yes, and my legs. I was, in fact I looked quite bloated most of the time.

She says that pain or discomfort shouldn't deter women from going for screening as the benefits...

Well, to prevent getting breast cancer and detecting it. Because I know that if it's detected early there's a lot you can do but people that aren't detected early on do suffer. 

It's not as if it does you any harm whatsoever, it does you good more than anything. And the very slightest two seconds of pain is nothing, really, it's just like, it's just a little bit more painful than cutting your finger, I suppose. It's not very, not very bad at all. No, I would say, no you must go. 

I've been impressed [with breast screening].  I've been impressed and I've been very satisfied and hopefully, I don't actually get breast cancer but if I did, I know it would be detected at early stages and I'd be happy to have whatever treatment I need to have. 

Because you've read quite a bit, do you think it takes the fear away?  

Yes it does, yes. The more you know about something, the less scary it is. 

Is there anything else you would want to tell people about breast screening?  

I think I've pretty much said that I'm in favour of it and I believe every woman over the age of 40 should go for it, there's no reason why not.