Interview LC03

Age at interview: 81

Age at diagnosis: 81

Brief Outline: Non-small cell lung cancer diagnosed April 2000, followed by radiotherapy from outside the chest to the lung (CHART) in June 2000 (died March 2003).

Background: Accountant (retired), widow, 2 children.

Describes what it was like to have CHART treatment and says that her stay in hospital was pleasant.

How many people were in the ward?

Well we were in the hostel wing and there were, we each had our own sort of bedroom with a curtain that was pulled around and had our own television and everything and there were four in each, there were twelve people altogether, there were four in this particular part of it. Not that it's exactly like a ward because, and then we had a shower and everything there. And unless you needed to see the nurse you didn't see a nurse.

It sounds rather nice.

It was rather nice actually. It's for people who can look after themselves you know.

So three times a day you walked down to radiotherapy did you?

No, no we had (laughs) it's a long way to go, we got taken in a wheelchair by the porters who were quite fun. It was miles, absolutely miles, you couldn't possibly walk.

Right.

And we were rather lucky because where they sold the newspapers was just across the grass so we even got newspapers in a morning.

And then when you got to the radiotherapy department you were there for how long?

Well you had to wait for whoever it was who was in front of you to come out and you were in there quite a long, I seemed to be a long time, it might've been about a quarter of an hour or something like that.

Actually in there having the therapy?

Yes, because they have to get you sort of arranged on the stretcher and sorted out and you know.

Did you have a session beforehand where they had to mark exactly where to do the radiotherapy?

Oh yes.

Can you say a little bit about that?

Well I don't know whether it's a ball point pen or whatever it is but they do, you do go down there and they mark exactly where they've got to put the zapper, I call it zap you know put the machine. And you have several, several times you have it done, it isn't just once they stop and then they do it again and then they do it again so it's, but the nurse is talking to you the whole time, you know talking and telling you, you know asking what she did that night or last night or something so it's not frightening. I didn't find it frightening; I didn't find anybody, either of us, the three of us, we, none of us found it scary.

Says it does not help to be frightened and it is important to have a positive attitude.

Have you got any other messages for people who've just been diagnosed with lung cancer?

Well I mean don't think the worst, I mean some people think cancer is such a frightening word they think when you've got cancer you're going to die and that doesn't necessarily follow because they've got so many new treatments now that they can get rid of cancers or alleviate the symptoms, and I don't think it helps if you're frightened. It doesn't help to be frightened and it doesn't help your family. I think you've got to be positive for your family's sake.