Anne - Interview 08

Age at interview: 67

Brief Outline: Anne had heart valve screening in January 2010. No problems were found.

Background: Anne is self-employed. She is married with four grown-up children. Ethnic background/nationality' White British.

More about me...

 Anne was invited to take part in screening for unrecognised heart valve disease as part of a research programme in January 2010. She immediately agreed to take part, mainly because she wanted to help other people. She was not expecting to gain any personal benefit as she was not expecting anything to be wrong. As she expected, her screening results were completely normal. She does attend other types of screening such as breast cancer screening, because she wants to detect any problems earlier so there is a better chance of treating them.

 

In Anne’s case, it made a real difference that the initial screening appointment was at her local health centre. If she had had to travel to the hospital in the nearest city she might not have gone, because her husband has had a painful hip and would not have been able to drive her. But if she’d needed a follow-up appointment at the hospital her daughter would have helped her get there. Anne’s husband has been quite unwell, and in fact has himself got a leaky heart valve and keeps passing out, but she does not feel this had any bearing on her decision to attend for screening. She tends not to pay much attention to her own health because she has spent so much time looking after her husband. This has been quite depressing for her.

 

Anne advises anyone who is invited to take part in the heart valve screening programme to go. It was very easy to do, the information was generally very good, and the staff member doing the procedure made her feel very relaxed and well looked after. She is happy to help future generations and would probably take part in other research if she was invited, but she would not want to take part in any drug trials, as she doesn’t like to take any more tablets than she needs to.

 

Helping future generations was Anne's main reason for having heart valve screening. She was...

Well, when I first got the letter I thought it was a fantastic idea for anybody. To help anybody out is ideal, because otherwise you don’t learn. So when I got the letter and I had the appointment, I was quite pleased to go and have it done.

 

And then after that I had my letter to say everything was perfect, which was a relief. Otherwise I wouldn’t have known anything. So I’m very pleased to be on this. So I hope to carry on and help whenever I can.

 

When you first got the letter, were you interested to go along for your own health reasons as well?

 

Well, not really, because I didn’t think there was anything wrong anyhow [laughs]. But no, I done it to help other people, you know, like children and, you know, the young generation – everybody, really. Because if you don’t learn from me and how I’m feeling, or if I have a problem - I know that I’m all right now, but if I feel unwell or I feel a lump or something, then straight away I shall know it’s from this year and it’ll be early stages if they do find anything. So I was quite pleased with it, very pleased. 

Anne could walk to the local health centre for the appointment. If it had been in hospital she...

You mentioned that it was quite important for you that it was local.

 

Yes.

 

Were you surprised that they were able to do something like that locally?

 

I was. Because I thought, “Oh, no, that means I might have to go into the city.” And I thought, “No.” Because my husband, he’s just in hospital at the moment, he had a hip operation. And I thought, “I don’t want him to drive far away if I’ve got to go away. I shall say, ‘No, don’t bother’.” I wouldn’t have gone. But being at the local town, I could walk. So it was lovely.

 

So you really wouldn’t have gone?

 

No, I wouldn’t have, no.

 

That’s interesting. Because again, one of the things they’re quite keen to find out is whether it improves people’s willingness to come if it’s done locally.

 

That’s right. Yes, I think it did.

 

If they’d found anything, you would have had to go for a follow-up appointment in the city.

 

That’s right. Then my daughter would have driven me. My husband would drive me anyway, but not with his leg. No, he was suffering, pushing the pedal, with his leg.

 

So if it had been at another time, if he’d been well?

 

Yes, that would have been different, yes, that would have, yes, definitely. Yes, he would have took me anywhere. 

The ultrasound technician was friendly and chatty, and made Anne feel very relaxed. Anne was...

When I got there, the young girl was so nice, so relaxing and nothing to worry about, just jelly all over your chest, and really made me feel relaxed. And it was lovely. I really enjoyed it. And she was so sweet.

 

Did she show you the pictures of your heart as she was doing it?

 

Yes.

 

What was that like?

 

Yes, I liked doing that. I like, because I like watching the things on the television that are hospital things. Well, I’m busy watching the Children’s Hospital at the moment. I love it. My husband don’t, but I do [laughs].

 

So for other people who are thinking about whether to go along, can you talk me through what happened when you arrived, all the different steps that she went through?

 

Well, she had a little chat with me and I had to sort of give my consent. And then she told me to undress down to my waist, and then lie on the bed on my left side, which I did. And from there she put the jelly on and done what she had to do. And then she told me to wipe all the jelly off and get dressed. And then she said, “I’ll have a little chat with you in a minute”, which she did, and told me it was all right. She couldn’t find nothing. So, lovely.

 

So she didn’t talk to you during the, while she was doing the scanning?

 

Well, I think we did. Yes, I think we was on about the weather and the families, I think. Yes, she was going off to a big party or something [laughs].

 

But not about what, whether she was seeing anything?

 

Oh no, no.

 

And when did you see the pictures? While she was actually doing it? Or was that afterwards?

 

Afterwards. Because it was sort of behind me, behind my side. Yes, but I loved seeing all that and the old pump going. Amazing, isn’t it?

 

Yes, yes, it is, what you can see.

 

What shows up.

 

And one of the things I know the staff are quite interested in finding out people’s views about is the issue of having to strip to the waist and whether you felt that was all handled with due privacy and dignity.

 

No, it didn’t worry me, no. I bet she’s seen it once, so she’ll see it again and again and again. So no, that didn’t bother me at all.

 

Would you have been more worried if it was a man doing the procedure?

 

No, not really. I don’t think there was any bother there. Well, you get men doctors, don’t you? So what’s the difference?