Interview 27

Age at interview: 75

Brief Outline:

Has always attended for routine breast screening. Chose to continue having routine mammograms after age 70. Results have been normal.

Background:

A retired teacher, married with no children.

She chooses to have breast screening after 70 because women are still at risk of getting breast...

Well when I did ring them up because the centre is on the Rope Walk here and I said I would like to continue the screening, perhaps at 65 I can't really remember when I had the last regular one. I think they said 'Well there won't be any more after you're 65', or 70, I really can't remember, I think it might have been 65.

It used to be 64.

Something like that. She says 'Well you can be on a list where we will call you if you request it?' So I said 'Yes, I'd like that, I'd like to come back regularly and just be screened.' You can get this horrible thing at any age, I don't see why they stop then, I suppose its money and time and all the rest of it. But anyway I think they do call me back now. And I still say 'Please will you recall me, you know every three years for continuous screening.'

But I haven't, touch wood, had any problems, but I do still go. And I request to go. I think people over 70 need to request a recall every three years isn't it? Because I think it's important, I think its extremely important to get these things seen to in the early stages with everything, every illness. 

She was referred to hospital because of ongoing breast pain, which went away by itself.

You mentioned that at one stage you did have breast pain? 

Yes. 

When was this?

Well it must have been oh quite a long time ago, probably fifteen/twenty years ago. And I went to the clinic at the Hospital and I was examined there, I think I went quite a few times. I don't know, nobody seemed to know what it was. I think it's one of these mysterious things that occurs from time to time. I mean it could be anything, it could be stress or rheumatism or muscular, I don't know. They didn't know really. I don't think I had any treatment at all, they just sort of felt my breasts and said that there was nothing to worry about and I suppose perhaps then, then it went, [laughs], to be reassured is very important indeed. 

Says women should attend for routine mammograms because any pain is short-lived and far...

It [the pain] isn't for very long, it only lasts a second or two and it's no worse than, well what can I say just as, like the prick of an injection or something like that, and it's just one of these things that you've got to put up with. And the benefits that you gain are enormous and it's well worth it, only once every few years, just endure a little bit of discomfort really. There's nothing to worry about, they're very sweet and kind and they treat you very gently and its done very quickly. And you're in and out in two or three minutes and it's something that's worth it.