Interview OV32
Age at interview: 66
Age at diagnosis: 56
Brief Outline: Ovarian cancer diagnosed in 1994 following tiredness, pain, nausea and vomiting. Treated with bowel surgery then chemotherapy. Recurrence treated by chemotherapy prior to surgical removal of ovaries and womb. Second recurrence treated by more chemotherapy.
Background: Retired teacher, single, no children.
More about me...
Wonders if HRT might have caused her ovarian cancer.
Wonders if HRT might have caused her ovarian cancer.
SHOW TEXT VERSION
PRINT TRANSCRIPT
Was very sick after chemotherapy and needed to be hospitalised.
Was very sick after chemotherapy and needed to be hospitalised.
SHOW TEXT VERSION
PRINT TRANSCRIPT
And I have a neighbour who has become a very good friend and support who's a doctor, and she said "I'm going across to get him." Brought him, he gave me an injection and said "If this doesn't work in forty-five minutes come back and get me," and he said to me " I'm putting you, I'm phoning, I'm putting you back in the ward, I'm phoning for the ambulance, I'm telling them you're on your way, I hope you don't mind." So I said "Please feel free." So I went. And they were worried, he said "I'm glad they're going to see what happens when patients come back from the day hospital sometimes," as a GP no doubt he's seen some of, you know, these things happen. But then they can put more patients through and for most people it works very well.
Talks about her family history and her concerns about being tested for a faulty gene.
Talks about her family history and her concerns about being tested for a faulty gene.
SHOW TEXT VERSION
PRINT TRANSCRIPT
I know of nobody in my family until my sister who's had breast cancer, so the two of us have turned up, you know, in one generation.
So, you know, I, I think the idea of the genetic testing is an important one but of course it's not one which is recommended is it to sort of everybody because it can be, it could be a frightening, it's better to think 'well I've got a one in however many chances' than to think 'it's very likely' I think.
Attended art therapy sessions to help her to unwind.
Attended art therapy sessions to help her to unwind.
SHOW TEXT VERSION
PRINT TRANSCRIPT
Retired early on health grounds and received an occupational pension.
Retired early on health grounds and received an occupational pension.
SHOW TEXT VERSION
PRINT TRANSCRIPT
Not, I don't think so, no because it was so near, I was so near retirement. I suppose the only thing is that in fact I retired on grounds of ill health which meant I retired about two months earlier than, two or three months earlier than I normally would have done, but in a way that was because if I hadn't done it that way, if I'd gone onto my normal time there would've been financial implications in the sense that I would've lost out on some pay. And in the event I didn't. The bit of time you miss gets made up when it's on health. And but I could have done supply teaching after retirement if I hadn't gone out on health grounds. Actually I wouldn't have wanted to because as things are time is too precious to spend on that sort of thing. But it's quite useful, I mean it would've been quite useful money.
A social worker helped her to apply for Incapacity Benefit.
A social worker helped her to apply for Incapacity Benefit.
SHOW TEXT VERSION
PRINT TRANSCRIPT
I'm trying to think what it's actually called. I'm not sure what it's called because I, I mean I could go and look it up, whether it's incapacity or but it's something on those, on those lines. She actually completed the, brought it up with me, said "Have you applied for anything like this? And I don't want to be embarrassing by talking about money but," and I said no I hadn't, I'd actually had forms at an earlier stage but had found it impossible to fill it in at the time because I was on treatment and my mind just was soggy, I couldn't concentrate. And then someone had told me that it was unlikely I'd get anything anyway because, so she said "Oh that's not true, it's not means tested, it's according to need and if you don't mind I'll fill it in for you." And, and she did and it was accepted.
Initially found it difficult to say the word 'cancer' but believed that doing so helped people to...
Initially found it difficult to say the word 'cancer' but believed that doing so helped people to...
SHOW TEXT VERSION
PRINT TRANSCRIPT