Derick - Interview 48

Age at interview: 70

Age at diagnosis: 69

Brief Outline: Derick first developed a serious cough and went to the doctors in January 2011. He had a series of tests and was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had his left lower lung lobe removed using video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).

Background: Derick is now retired but worked as a senior supervisor for museums. He is married with 3 children (age 47, 45 and 43).

More about me...

 

Derick had a severe cough that made him vomit and affected his appetite. He didn’t think that there was anything seriously wrong with him, but his wife persuaded him to go to the doctors. He went for an x-ray and was sent for a scan which showed a shadow, however the consultant wasn’t able to give a conclusive diagnosis. He went through a period of more tests which were also inconclusive and left Derick in a difficult period of uncertainty. The consultant decided to take a biopsy of Dericks lung via a video-assisted procedure which proved that he had lung cancer and during the same procedure he had his lower left lung removed. Derick experienced some pain after the operation but his recovery was quite rapid and within a short period of time he felt completely back to normal. To strengthen his lungs he does breathing exercises and walks every day. He feels very lucky and is extremely grateful for the services provided by the NHS.   

 

Derick recalled what it was like to have a PET scan. He described it as quite a peaceful and pleasant experience.

So then, it was suggested that I go for a PET scan, OK we’ll got for a PET scan. PET scan is when you are injected with a radioactive fluid, and you’re put into a room, lovely music, you get a choice of music, and the lights are dimmed and you have to lie still for an hour while this radioactive fluid gets round your system. That was OK, it was fine, yeah. It did relax me a little bit, but with all that was going on, the concerns are getting deeper and greater. I want someone to tell me what the problem is and nobody can at this point. So then, I’ve had an hour on the bed, and then I go in for this PET scan and I was again given a choice of music, because the PET scan takes quite some time to do. Err, it’s quite peaceful just lying there on a bed, just going through this scanner. There is no fear of scanners, they don’t hurt you, they don’t remove anything from you, you just lie there and, just sensation of moving backwards and forwards, it’s rather pleasant I found. 

Derick had video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) during which doctors removed a lobe of his left lung.

 

So we got to the point where, I was invited to have an operation, and what I was told was, they would take me down and do a VAT rigid operation, I did know at one point what VAT stood for, visual, something,

 

Video assisted...

 

video assisted

 

...thoracic surgery.

 

That’s it. And that meant that they could then remove, the so called offending bit, get it analysed, if it was cancer, they would remove part of the lung.

 

 

Anyway, I went on the 15th, we got there about eight o’clock we got there, I was booted and suited by half past eight, quarter to nine I was being lead towards the theatre for the operation, I was first on the table. Next thing you know, I was coming round, all wired up and a big drain coming out of me and all the rest of it. Yeah, I was a little bit non-plused, you know, in and out of consciousness. But yeah, my wife and my son come to see me on the evening, desperately tried to stay with them while they was there, sort of nodding off all the time, and I did, and then the following day the nurses came round, got me out of bed, sat me in the chair, I was eating and drinking, and, yeah, a little bit uncomfortable, OK, so I was a bit uncomfortable...

 

Did you feel prepared for the operation, as in did you understand what was going to happen?

 

I under, well I thought I understood what was going to happen, I didn’t really know what was going to happen, all I knew was that it was going to be done by keyhole, that’s all I really knew. There’s a chap on the estate, he had his done five years ago, went for his last consultation yesterday, and he was cut from the top of his shoulder blade, right the way down past his ribs, almost to his hips and he couldn’t believe that I’d had mine done by keyhole surgery. Because I’ve got two, well three little scars I’ve got now.