Miriam - Interview 47

Age at interview: 61

Brief Outline:

Miriam always attends for screening and one mammogram detected a cyst, which was aspirated. She is pleased all staff in screening units are women.

Background:

Miriam is a retired housewife. She is married with four adult children. Ethnic background/nationality: White British.

More about me...

Miriam has always attended for routine breast screening and was recalled on one occasion because a cyst was detected in one of her mammograms. It was aspirated and she has had no breast concerns since then.  

Miriam said that, because she is Muslim, she is pleased that all the staff in the breast screening unit are women. She encouraged other Muslim women to attend for screening and felt that the invitation letter should state clearly that all staff in screening units are women because this would encourage more women to attend. 

Miriam felt it was extremely important to attend for breast screening and felt that all women should make the time to attend. She finds the procedure slightly painful but says that it is quick and convenient. She also felt the atmosphere in the waiting area was always friendly and supportive. 

Miriam felt very comfortable waiting to have a mammogram with all the other women 'going through...

Did you find it at all a bit embarrassing or because it was all women there and a woman radiographer, you didn't mind that at all?

No I didn't mind at all, I felt very comfortable because I know what to expect, when you go the first time you don't know what to expect. But when you stick, keep on going every three years, you know well when I go in there I know that lady's gonna be there, or it's gonna be another female radiographer to do it for you, but it's, because it's all in one place, it's all compact, you feel comfortable. There's nobody keep in and out all the time like in a hospital, you know, you find they're doing something then, “Hold on a minute I have to go and do this and then come back.” You just feel that everybody's there, you feel like a family together, because we're all going through the same thing together, you know, not any of us are different, we're all females and we've all got the same problem and we all have to feel comfortable. But you feel like you're a family because you've got the same thing, we're all going to have done to us you know?

And you say you've been going every year, have you been...

No not every

...every three years sorry.

every three years.

Every three years, and have you always been happy with the service, have you always been happy with the staff there?

Yeah I find they're very nice, I've always praised [hospital name] because I've never felt uncomfortable with [hospital name].  You know, [hospital name] nurses and all that are fantastic, that is true, even the doctors there, I've never had any complaint about any of them.

And you're happy with the breast screening service?

Yeah.

And didn't have to wait too long or?

No, no, I find she's very, very good, you know, very good. They talk to you, it's not like you go in on a machine and no-one talks to you but, when you go in there, she'll explain to you what's gonna be done and when you gotta come back next time and things like that. And I felt happy with it and you go away feeling happy, but, if you're gonna go into a place and no-one's gonna explain anything to you, then you think to yourself 'well why did I bother going? There's no-one to tell me, you know, how things are progressing and, have you had any problems there? Did you feel any lumps there? Do you examine yourself?  You feel uncomfortable and you go away and you think 'there must be something wrong', 'there must be something wrong, why isn't she explaining anything to me and she won't tell me anything?'

Miriam says it's important women should know beforehand that all staff at breast screening units...

When you first went for your very first screen, did you know what to expect? Did you know that you would have to take your top off and that it would be a woman conducting the'.

Well when we had the letter they did explain to us, as, not like before, can you please bring your dressing gown with you as you will have to, just have to take your bra top off but the rest you leave. But you don't know what to expect because it's like when you go to the hospital, if you have to have an x-ray, it can be a man, it can be a woman, you don't know who but, with an x-ray [mammogram] you got a room you can change in and it leads you straight into the x-ray you got, and, we, even you had that garment on which you still can wear a dressing gown over the top, no-one is telling you you can't because of what we are [Muslim], we have to cover up. We're not allowed to go out and show ourselves. But that's what, I think a lot of it is involved in, is who is actually taking the pictures.

It's always women for the breast screening.

Yeah, yes that's what I'm saying but they [other Muslim women] might think because you go to the hospital you might not see a woman, but it's always women, every time I've gone, every three years it's always been a woman.

And have you taken a dressing gown with you or you're okay with having the x-ray then putting your top back on and waiting outside?

But this is what it used to be for x-rays but I find, even you go with the screening at [hospital name], I just had my jumper over the top, because this is what they tell you now as before it's changed, you see?

How's it changed?

It's changed because before, they'd tell you take your dressing gown with you, so you can cover yourself up, but it's none of that any more, they just ask you just wear a loose top, d'you see my point what I'm trying to say? It's not encouraging them [Muslim women], it's making them a feel wary, where if I'm gonna take my bra what am I gonna put on top of myself? Do you understand what I'm trying to say? So that's what I'm saying, like me I put a jump, I took, you know, a bigger jumper. But it is nice if they would put on the paper there, 'Muslim women bring your own dressing gowns to cover yourself up'.

You think that would help, in the leaflets?

That would help because to me the letter doesn't explain enough, it does not explain enough and it's not gonna encourage Muslim women to come and have it done. Do you see what I'm trying to say? This is what it's up against in Islam, you see in Islam you're not allowed to have a male, a male doctor, or a male nurse to touch a Muslim woman because we are cleansed, do you understand? If it is a woman we do not mind, we know what to expect, but a male to touch a Muslim woman, no, it won't. But if they can put on the letter that it will be done by a woman you know, the screening and the smear test, because not a lot of women go for the smear test either, Muslims. For a Muslim woman to go for a smear test and for the screening, if they were to put that it will be a female nurse, you will find they will go. Because, like I said, half the letters you get do not indicate. It's the same like me going for physio, they ask you, 'Would you like a male nurse or a female?' I ask for a female because she's a woman, just like me, you see. But that's what I'm saying on letters that go out to Muslims, before they go out they should explain that they will be looked after by a female member.
 

Miriam says if she hadn't gone for a routine mammogram, she wouldn't have known she had a cyst....

I received a letter from my doctor, but when I went everything was fine and then later on I felt something there, but apparently I have been told it was a cyst that I had there. Now, if I'd never have went and found out, would I have known? You see? But I wasn't frightened, I had my faith to believe in, I go there, better to find out than leave it till late.

So you went for a mammogram and they found something?

Yeah, yeah.

And they called you back?

They told me to go back to [hospital name], I had to go there and have an injection, you know, where they pull out the stuff and that, and they told me it was a cyst and since that I have little cysts I know, but they still tell me to check.

In terms of breast screening, when you went that time, you went for a screening did you get a letter saying, 'Can you come back, we've found something'?

Yes, yes, the one at [hospital name], I had to go there, and I think it was every three years I think this was, this was then, this was before this one and I had to go down and I had to do a wasaname, and they just wanted to make sure whether they were cysts or not but you see I wasn't frightened of going.

Because some women do worry during that time?

Yeah. See but I wasn't frightened of going and my daughter come with me and, you know, it's, my faith, what I believe in that made me go to them things. I'd rather find out rather find out too late.

So when you were recalled, you went with your daughter?

I went with my daughter.

Miriam is grateful that women in the UK can get free routine mammograms, and feels that every...

I've always attended, I've never turned round and said, 'No I'm not going.' Because like I said in the back of your mind you're saying to yourself there's nothing to say whatever you've got to do you can do it another time, you can do it another day, but, whatever you was gonna do today you can do tomorrow because in the back of your mind it's always 'if, why didn't I attend?' and you leave it too late and then they find out and then a letter comes and says, 'If only I'd done what they told me to do.'  You see? But this is what I'm saying, what you is gonna do today if you had to go for a screen test or a smear test, you can always do, you can always cancel it and go another day.

A lot of women out there think that they haven't got time, everybody's got time in life, no matter who it is, you know you can find that little bit of time, just stop and think, 'if I didn't go', because if you don't go and have it done, use it, you are lucky in this world to have letters sent to you, you've got everything here, take advantage of it. In the other parts of world have not got it at all, we are very lucky in this country to have all these facilities but there is people out there that do not take, take to it. You've got it take it while you can, and you can live, even a few years longer.