George - Interview 14

Age at interview: 86

Brief Outline:

George took part in screening for unrecognised heart valve disease in January 2010. Screening showed that he had no heart valve problems.

Background:

George is a retired transport manager. He is married and has one grown up daughter. Ethnic background/nationality' White British.

More about me...

George received two invitations to attend for screening for unrecognised heart valve disease from his surgery. He ignored the first because he was “apprehensive” as to what it might lead to. He felt obliged to take part after receiving the second letter because he believed that his doctors had “recommended it”. He was somewhat reluctant to go to the screening appointment – he is generally apprehensive about going to the doctors, saying that they can “give you the death penalty”. 

 

George has not had many health problems. The most serious was when he had his appendix removed several years ago. He said that he did not feel any pain at the time and, whilst he saw this as a benefit then, he soon began to worry that if he became seriously ill, he might not be able to feel it and, consequently, would not be able to have it treated in time. 

 

His decision to take part in the screening and contribute to medical research was partly due to his wife’s recent heart attack. He thought it was important to take part as it might help someone else in the future, and also because if any problems were found during screening he would probably receive treatment for them. However, George was happy and “relieved” to learn that he had no heart valve problems. He was told that the blood to his heart was being pumped in a little slowly, but that it was to be expected in someone of his age.

 

George had no concerns about the information he was given about taking part. In fact, he thinks that without “full medical knowledge”, having a little information can lead people to jump to the wrong conclusions. He thought that the staff seemed knowledgeable about the screening and he felt he could ask questions about it if he wanted. George is pre-medical research, but he thinks that it is up to the individual to decide whether or not they want to take part.

 

George ignored the first letter from his surgery because he was worried about where it might lead...

 As I say it started off with actually two letters from the surgery. The first one I ignored, mainly because I am, as now, always apprehensive as to where it leads to. The second time I felt I ought to take part since obviously my doctors, in a sense, recommended it. So, there you are. Then I got an invitation to attend the surgery, my own surgery.

 

I was told there was nothing radically wrong with my heart except the blood was a little slow in moving into the heart. I don't know if that is significant in any way or not. And that's about it to date.

 

OK, and you said there that you got two letters and the first one you ignored because you feel apprehensive about these kind of things? Can you tell me a little bit more about that?

 

Well, I suppose... I was in the Forces during the War. I volunteered to go into the Forces. And once you're there, you volunteered once, you're reluctant to volunteer again. It’s something that I suppose is bred into you, in a sense. You never willingly volunteered. Once you're in the Forces, you never volunteered again, so to speak. For example, if they wanted a job done by you personally or a group of men, the sergeant used to come down and call for volunteers. Nobody volunteered. It was, “You, you, you, and you, get on and do it.” And I was brought up in that sort of atmosphere. So I suppose that was originally my reluctance. Does that make sense?

 

Were you worried about what might be found from it? Or was it just that you...?

 

Yes, probably you are a bit worried. I always have been. For example, all my life I have said I would prefer to go to a dentist than to a doctor. My reasoning being if you go to the dentist, he will tell you that your teeth are rotten, and you got to pull out. And you've got to endure pain for perhaps two minutes while the tooth is pulled out. The doctor, if you're not certain what’s wrong with you, he can tell you, he can, in fact, give you the death penalty if you like - say, you know, “You’re such and such and you've got such and such”, and “incurable”. So maybe that doesn't make sense, but that's the way I feel. 

George felt he ought to take part to help others, especially since his wife had a heart attack....

And when you were deciding whether or not you would take part can you tell me a little bit about what you were thinking at that time?

 

Well I was thinking if I am in a position to assist in anybody's medical research then I ought to do it. Particularly as twelve months ago the wife went, had angina, finished up with a heart attack. And the cardiologist virtually saved her life. I can remember that clearly. And I supposed that was the motivation to, triggered me to agree to this.

 

So that we could find out more about....

 

That's right. I thought that if there is anything that I can help with or, you know, as a person then I ought to do it in case I can be in a position to help somebody else in the future.

 

And were you thinking that you might be able to get some benefit for yourself?

 

Not benefit for myself. But I thought probably once you got there, if I do start sniffling in the cold, I mean, you’d probably do something to get rid of it to keep me going. That sort of thing [laughs]. But no, not seriously.  

George assumed it was normal to have this kind of screening in the local surgery, and it was easy...

And what did you think about this screening research being done at your local surgery?

 

Well I assumed it was normal, and it certainly didn’t worry me in any shape or form.

 

And did you think it was a good thing that you didn’t have to go a hospital to have this done that it was just..?

 

Oh yeah. Yeah. Not that that would have worried me, you know, if you know what you’re going for, but.

 

You wouldn't have been worried if you’d had to go to your hospital first?

 

No, no, no, why should you? Why should you be?

 

And is your surgery convenient to you, is it near you?

 

It's the other end of town actually.

 

Right.

 

It is convenient because I can get in the car and it's a big enough surgery car park to get the car in. 

George does not feel he should presume to give any advice to professional researchers or to other...

Is there anything that you would like the screening staff to know about?

 

No, I don't think there is. I mean I think it would be presumptuous for me to try in any case, to try and advise professional people, or medical professional people who are trying to do research, how to conduct themselves. I don't think there is a need.

 

And what about other people who had been invited to go for screening, what would you tell them?

 

Well, I would never meet them because - I don’t know, I wouldn’t think that they admit that they been invited. And I would say, it’s up to the individual. They must make their own mind up. The only thing I can tell them, is that it doesn't seem very painful. Not yet.