Interview CC21

Age at interview: 39

Age at diagnosis: 34

Brief Outline:

Diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1997. Wertheim's hysterectomy.

Background:

Housewife; married, 1 child.

Explains that her father never used the word 'cancer' and because she wanted to protect her parents she didn't talk about her illness in detail with them.

I still don't quite understand my parents reactions. I think part of it was probably their fear. We have a long line of people dying of cancer in the family, all on my father's side. All the females from his side have had cancer and have died quite early from it and his mother did too. So I don't know whether that had more of an impact on him. 

But he didn't ever use the word cancer and in fact he even told another relation that I didn't have cancer, I had pre-cancer. So I think they found it hard. But part of it was also it came from me because I was quite putting on a very brave face and giving them as little information as possible. I think that probably dictated that they did the same back again. And I don't think we've really sort of crossed that. I think I always feel that they're not quite sure what went on really. And I think because I didn't have chemotherapy and radiotherapy and my hair was still intact, I think they found it hard to understand that I did still have cancer. It's not the sort of stereotypical picture and stereotypical treatment.