Interview LC45

Age at interview: 58

Age at diagnosis: 58

Brief Outline:

Diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2003, and had diathermy resection to open an airway on 15th August. This operation was followed by radiotherapy.

Background:

Housekeeper, married, six children.

The diathermy resection made it much easier for her to breathe.

After that [the diathermy resection] I could breathe and I sat up, and I couldn't believe it, that I could breathe again. It was amazing, really, you know, an amazing feeling.

So the operation had improved the situation?

Yes, You know I didn't even feel rough or anything afterwards. I just felt great. I think I remember waking up because I had my dinner not long after. 

Recalls her pain and panic when she could not breathe because her airway was blocked.

I started to get pains, I couldn't breathe. My chest was gurgly like I'd got a microphone inside, gurgly [pause], it felt like somebody was squeezing my chest together and I couldn't squeeze out.    

Can you summarise how you felt about the breathing? How did it feel exactly?

Frightening, really scary. One minute I could walk about and do things, and then three days later I couldn't do anything, I'd got no strength.

And you couldn't get your breath?

I couldn't, "no", you try to cough and you think it would go away, but it didn't go this time  [pause], the worst part was not being able to breathe, that's what frightened me the most.

I really thought I was having a heart attack. That was strange. Because the pain is horrendous.

Where were the pains?

Across my chest. When you breathe in it was tight and I couldn't breathe out, and I think that was the panicky thing, that I couldn't breathe, and I'd never known anything like that before.