Jacqui - Interview 31

Age at interview: 52

Age at diagnosis: 43

Brief Outline:

Jacqui was diagnosed with DCIS in 1995 after having a mammogram that was part of a clinical trial. She had a mastectomy and, two weeks later, a reconstruction using an implant.

Background:

Jacqui is a widowed teacher with two adult children. Ethnic background / nationality' White British

More about me...

Jacqui was diagnosed with DCIS in 1995, aged 43, after having a mammogram that was part of a clinical trial she had volunteered to take part in. She was also told she would need a mastectomy and some lymph nodes removed.

 

Jacqui was shocked at the news of her diagnosis and at how quickly everything happened from then on. She had a mastectomy four days after being diagnosed and said she ‘couldn’t take it in because it all happened so quickly.’ She was worried about telling her family, especially her daughter who was studying for exams at the time.

 

Two weeks after surgery, Jacqui had a breast reconstruction using an implant. She said that having a reconstruction helped her confidence, especially as she was young and in a relationship. Several years later, however, after having a fall, the implant had lost its shape and was causing Jacqui some concern. At the time of interview, she had arranged to see her plastic surgeon to discuss the implant. She felt anxious about having more surgery and general anaesthetic again. 

 

Jacqui had a lot of support from a Macmillan nurse but felt that some of the male doctors who had cared for her had not really understood her feelings as a woman. Since recovering, Jacqui has also raised money for cancer research.

 

Jacqui was interviewed for the Healthtalkonline website in 2004.

Jacqui was very happy with the care she got from her surgeon, but felt the anaesthetist could have been more sensitive.

My experience in the, when I actually went down to theatre, that wasn’t a very nice experience either. When I went for the anaesthetic, the anaesthetist didn’t treat me very, well he, I felt as if I was a piece of meat to be honest. He said “which one is it” and “we’ve got to put a cross, put a mark on it” which I realise they have to do to make sure they’ve got the right one. But unfortunately I was left with that, a nurse should have been with me right the way through, but I was left with two men. I was made, as I say, just to feel like a piece of meat and that, since, has given me a terrible fear of having to go through any operation since that experience. I wasn’t treated very good by the anaesthetist, but as regards the consultant, I think he’s brilliant, you know. A lot find him harsh, but he’s straight to the point and doesn’t pull any punches and that’s what I like. I would rather know than not know, cover things up, you know.

Jacqui was chosen to take part in research and nearly didn't go for a mammogram because she'd had no symptoms.

My first experience with breast cancer was in 1995. I had a letter through the door saying I had been picked up at random from so many thousand women to take part in trials for mammograms. They asked me to go for a mammogram the following Thursday. I nearly didn’t go because I’d not had any symptoms, I had not felt any lumps or anything in my breasts. The only symptoms I had had at all was getting really tired, but I put that down to going to work, looking after the family and just generally thought nothing of it. However, I went on the Thursday and had the mammogram.

Jacqui's implant had lost its shape after a fall. She was unsure about having more surgery but felt that having a breast improved her self-esteem.

I’ve actually still got the drainage tube in because I couldn’t face having more operations [laughs] to be honest and so they left that in. But unfortunately now it’s been in nine years. Just before Christmas I had a fall and after the fall the implant had started to go down. So I actually went to see the Consultant two weeks ago and I’ve got to go in a fortnight again because they are on about replacing the implant. Now I’m in two minds whether to have that done after reading information [laughs] on the internet, whether to, or have it taken out completely. I just don’t know what to do. The actual Consultant had signed me off for three years last time I went, this year. So I was really pleased about that.

 

I want to know whether with this one how long is it going to last. If I’m looking at having it replaced in another 15 years I’m going to be a lot older. I don’t want to be looking at that scenario really. To be honest I’ve thought about having it out completely, but my partner said for my own self esteem I ought to have it replaced. So I’m a bit confused about it at the minute. This is causing me some anxiety at the moment.

 

How do you think you will weigh that up? I mean, how do you feel, if you didn’t have it, how do you feel it might affect your self-esteem?

 

I think it will affect my self-esteem because of, having one for this long, for nine years, it’s, you know, I feel as if I’ve not lost a breast and to, and when I did lose my breast I had got that, say, what was it four weeks without a breast, I felt conscious if not … Some people don’t bother and I’m not being, that I’m, I think a lot about myself or anything [laughs] but I think it just did, this made me feel so much better, probably because I was younger…

 

So you’ve got a few weeks just to weigh out in your own mind?

 

Yes, yes.

 

And discuss it with the consultant. And if you go ahead with more surgery, would that happen quite quickly, or …?

 

I think so, yes, they are talking of doing it pretty quick, yes, but I don’t want to have extensive, I’m not bothered about having this attached to the nerve things, I’ve gone nine years with [laughs] it being numb, I can go again, yes.

 

Will you be happy to have a replacement?

 

Like the one I’ve got now, yes, yes. I’d be happy to have that again.