Interview LC17

Age at interview: 70

Age at diagnosis: 70

Brief Outline: Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002, followed by left pneumonectomy (left lung removed).

Background: Clerk of works (retired), married, 4 children.

Describes the epidural and morphine pump that he used for pain control after his pneumonectomy.

And I was strapped up with epidural and what is that thing called, morphine, and then I had to breathe in this machine which was giving me oxygen and all that there. And I didn't use half the morphine because I wasn't in pain.

That's good.

I wasn't in pain to be honest. Although they was giving me pain pills every so often and water pills and I think I had a steroid at one stage, probably that killed all the pain but I never experienced any pain at all.

Did the epidural stop the pain?

It must've done because it was in my back, two little tubes or three tubes in my back, it must've stopped the pain because I never received, I never got no pain.

Oh that's good.

I can't say I got any pain but I was taking pain killers and I didn't, well I suppose I had to take them, they made me take them you know.

You could give yourself, was it a morphine pump, could you give yourself?

Yes I could give myself some and then after about the third day I said, "Could you disconnect this one?" They said "Well are you still using it?" But apparently they do the check and they can tell how many times I pumped away, well they said "You haven't used none," I said "Well take it away then."

Describes his recovery and getting back to work after his pneumonectomy.

And then what could you do when you got home, what sort of life could you lead when you got home, what could you do, what couldn't you do?

I couldn't do a lot, I used to have someone come in to help me, I used to sit about quite a little bit. I used to be able to make tea, I couldn't lift nothing heavy, it was impossible to lift anything heavy and I couldn't do a great lot myself but I, fortunately I got, as I previously stated I got a lot of friends who virtually came and done everything, done anything for me.

And how many weeks did it take to start to feel more like your normal self?

About four to five weeks and I had the operation, oh gosh in September, 15th, I think it was 15th September and here we are now nearly the end of December and I'm on top of the world.

You look good.

I'm on top of the world. I can work now and do little things but not for long. I can do a hour's work and then come in and sit down, do an hour's work steady, not overdo it and then come in and rest then.

What sort of work would you be doing?

Oh a little bit of gardening.

Oh good.

Yeah a little bit of gardening, then tidying up and that.

Says that he felt a bit depressed after his pneumonectomy.

The only side effects I had a little bit of depression, and I was told that's natural, you're bound to get depressed you've lost a lot from your stomach, you're bound to get depressed. But that's gradually getting better now and I think I've got over that and that didn't last too long you know.

Did you have any medicines for that or'?

No, no I didn't want nothing for that at all, no.

Did you have any other sort of support?

My daughter.

So that helped?

Yes because if I started to cry, "Come on Dad stop it, stop it Dad." Sometimes I wish they'd have let me get it out you know and probably one good old cry would've been the end of it but she used to stop me. I've got over it now anyhow you know, you still get tearful a little bit at times but that's the only side effect I've ever had from it.

Did you have anybody else you could talk about it to, any counsellor or somebody?

No, no.

Would you have liked to have had somebody else to talk about it to?

Not really I don't think so because I don't know what they could have done really you know. It's just that you feel like you've lost something, you feel like, you don't feel a man any more because you've lost something. But you'll get over it, I've got over mine anyhow.