Susie - Interview 07

Age at interview: 74

Brief Outline: Susie took part in screening for unrecognised heart valve disease in 2010. Her screening results were normal.

Background: Susie has retired from her job as a packer in a food factory. She is married with three grown-up children. Ethnic background/nationality' White British.

More about me...

Susie was invited to take part in a research programme which involved screening for unrecognised heart valve disease in 2010. She was very pleased to take part. In the past she was involved in a research programme looking at bowel cancer screening. As her husband had bowel cancer many years ago, she felt it was a really important piece of research. She wanted her son to be screened too because of the family history, and he now has regular screening through his GP.

 

Susie looks after her health. She has had a vegetarian diet for many years and always takes plenty of exercise, and she rarely needs to go to the doctor. She was not expecting anything to be wrong with her heart, but she does have a sister who has had heart problems, and her husband now has a pacemaker. She felt taking part would be of benefit to both herself and other people in future who might be helped by the research. She was delighted to hear her results were all normal.

 

She was impressed by the manner of the person doing the screening. Susie is quite a private person and did not particularly like having to strip to the waist, but she felt it was well handled and completely understands that it is necessary for the scanner to get a clear view. She also has breast screening, and has noticed over the years that more attention has been paid to preserving patients’ dignity, for example letting them wear a cardigan round their shoulders, which she thinks is a good thing. She was also impressed that the screening took place at her local health centre, which made it very convenient, though she would still have gone if it involved a trip to hospital.

 

Susie is very supportive of the need for medical research, and advises others who are invited to take part to ‘go for it’.

 

Susie felt she was 'walking on air' when she was told her heart was normal, even though she had not really been worried that anything would be wrong.

And did they tell you the results on the spot, when you had the screening?

 

Yes, they did. She said, “I’m pleased to tell you”, she said, “Everything is fine.” And I was just like walking on air, you know, and I came home and I said to my husband about it and he said, “That’s brilliant news”, he said, and it really was. So, you know, no problems.

 

Had you been worried, before you went, thinking, “Oh, what if there is something?” Or did it not, did you expect the results to be okay?

 

Yes, I did expect them to be okay, you know, because I sort of - all right, fair enough, we all get tired at our age, but I didn’t have any chest pains or breathing problems or anything like that. So I think everything was, you know, okay, so. 

Susie says she is not a hypochondriac, but she tries to keep active, she doesn't smoke, and she eats a healthy, vegetarian diet.

So you’ve got quite a bit of heart disease on both sides of the family, your husband and your sister.

 

Yes, but I think my sister’s was brought on by smoking. And I mean, we’ve never had a car, so we’ve always exercised, walked, and of course my sister, they always had a car, and I think, really and truthfully speaking, what with a car and what with smoking it doesn’t help, does it? And she realised that. But, thank God, you know, she’s done remarkably well, she has.

 

Do you sort of see yourself as someone who pays a lot of attention to your health?

 

I’m not a hypochondriac, and I don’t very often go to the doctor, and if I think I can sort something out for myself I will. I’m a vegetarian, and I do take a multi-vitamin, which I’ve taken for years and years. I’ve been a vegetarian for nineteen years, and I think that’s really helped, and we have a good staple diet - fruit, vegetables. And you know, walking, and I think that goes a long way, it does.

 

So you’re not someone who normally sort of worries about your health, particularly?

 

No, I don’t. I just make sure that, you know, things are in working order really, you know, to make sure that everything’s okay, and I just sort of carry on and look forward to every day doing different things and that. I like gardening. I walk down the town to do the shopping and I - well, I looked after my grandchildren for fourteen years, you know, and it’s only three years ago I packed up looking after them. And I think that’s really helped keep me active. And, you know, I do worry about keeping active. You know, I don’t want to end up, you know, not being able to do anything for myself. That’s one thing I don’t want. So, hopefully, you know, see how things go. 

The letter inviting her for screening came 'out of the blue', but Susie was on the phone straight away to make an appointment.

When I first got the letter about the heart valve survey, I was very pleased to think that people were taking an interest in us, and I got on the phone straight away. I made the appointment, and within a week I’d gone for the test and luckily enough I passed with flying colours. They were very pleased, you know, with the outcome, and I also was, and I know by doing this it helps other people and they can think of other ways, you know, to help heart problems. 

 

And did it come via your GP?

 

It came through the post. I think it was the hospital, yes. I think it was the hospital, if I can remember rightly, and you know, it was, it came out of the blue, actually, you know, because I wasn’t expecting anything. I have taken part in surveys before, but for a different cause, of course, you know, and I really think that it’s a brilliant idea, I do.

 

Susie thinks her husband might not have needed a pacemaker if there had been more research in the past.

Well, I think it worked both ways. I was thinking of my benefit, of course, and I was thinking of helping other people. And my husband’s just had a pacemaker put in, you know, and perhaps if they’d have had this years ago he wouldn’t be having it today. So really and truthfully speaking I think it’s worked out in many ways, it has.

Medical research is vital. Susie is in favour but you need to know anything you are given is not going to harm you. She supports careful use of animal testing to check treatments are safe.

Perhaps just one other thing would be whether you, sort of what your thoughts are about medical research generally.

 

As long as it’s not harming animals to the extent, you know, that it’s, you know, not very nice, but if anyone can take part in it and providing it’s not going to interfere with their health, I’d say, yes, I think it’s a good thing. It really is. I don’t believe in animal experiments for cosmetics and that, definitely not. When it comes to medical research there’s got to be a certain amount, hasn’t there? Otherwise they’re never going to learn, you know, what to do in the future. And the future that lays ahead is for our children and our grandchildren, so somebody has got to say, “Right, you know, go ahead and do it.” That’s how I look at it.

 

And you also mentioned there as long as it’s not going to interfere with your health. Were you thinking about specific examples of people being--?

 

Well, I think - can I take an example about the swine flu and injections? They weren’t fully experimented on, were they? And there was people, you know, that was virtually ill. I think they should make sure that everything, you know, has been fully found, you know, experimented on to make sure that it’s safe. Apart from that, you know, I think, you know, everything’s fine.

 

Yeah, so you’d be in favour of using animals for that sort of making sure it was safe.

 

Only to a certain extent. Not just killing an animal just to say, “Oh, yeah, we’re going to have this out of it and that out.” They’d have to be a hundred per cent sure that it was necessary, I think, you know.

 

It’s very difficult isn’t it with things, new treatments or vaccinations or drugs and things.

 

Oh, definitely.

 

Because at some point it’s got to be the first time in people.

 

Yes, yes. And all right, I mean, an animal’s got feelings, you know, but if they test it on animals and then on human beings, there’s a less chance of it sort of doing any harm to the humans, isn’t there? But as long as they don’t try to, you know, really operate on animals and, you know, make them suffer. This is the problem, isn’t it? But I’m not going to go out on the streets and demonstrate against it [laughs].

 

Would you go out and demonstrate for it?

 

No [laughs]. No, I can only say what’s in my heart, but I wouldn’t go out and demonstrate for it, definitely not, you know - not at my age, anyway [laughs]. We’ll leave it to the youngsters. 

Susie would still have taken part if the first appointment was in hospital, but others might have been put off.

It was held at our health centre a couple of yards down the road so, you know, there’s no problem getting there. If it had been up to the [hospital] I’d have still gone. I wouldn’t have seen any problem there.

 

No. I suppose, I mean, one of the things I think the staff are quite interested in is whether it’s a good idea to have this kind of screening programme in local health centres, and what people think about having it in their own health centre.

 

I think it’s a brilliant idea, it really is, you know. Because there’s a lot of people no doubt wouldn’t bother to go up to the [hospital], you know, because of perhaps a problem getting there and, you know, depends on their age or how active they are. But no, I think it’s a great idea at your own health centre, it is.

 

Susie finds it embarrassing having to take her top off, but the person doing the scan was so friendly and reassuring she felt completely at ease. She understands why it's necessary to get a clear picture.

I went in and booked in, and the young lady come out, you know, that was doing the screening and she called me in. I think I waited about five or six minutes. She came in. She was a lovely lady, she really was, you know, and she asked me some questions. She took my blood pressure, which was normal. And she said to strip off to the waist, which I did, you know, and I had to lay on the couch, and lay on my left side, and I didn’t see the screen. And she came from the back and just put the monitor on, just on my chest, like. And you know, she was just so friendly you don’t even realise, you know. It made you feel so comfortable and, you know, I was really comfortable and yet I’m usually sort of a bit strung up. But I felt really comfortable.

 

Tell me more about that, you’re usually strung up. Do you mean you might have been a bit anxious about having to strip off and?

 

[Laughs] Well, I don’t know whether I ’m allowed to say this or not, but I don’t like standing in there with nothing on the top, and I said to her, I said, “The only thing I don’t like about this”, I said, “is showing everything I’ve got.” [Laughs]. And she smiled and she said, “No.” She said, “We don’t take any notice.” She said, “In fact, there was one lady that walked out when she knew that she had to strip down.” So I mean, at our age we’re not used to it, are we, you know? But I’d still rather do that than not go at all. So, you know, I overcame that problem [laughs].

 

Is there anything you think they could do to make it more dignified?

 

I don’t really know, because I mean to say they’ve got to have real access to show things up, haven’t they? So, really and truthfully speaking, I don’t think there is, you know. I mean, it’d be nice if there was. I know, when I used to go for the breast screening, you used to walk in there in the altogether, which was embarrassing, and now you can put a cardigan round your shoulders, which I think is nice, you know. They say it’s to keep you warm but it I think it’s to cover your dignity as well. So, you know, it is a good thing, but the heart screening I don’t think there would be, because they don’t want any obstacles in the way, really, do they? They want a clear view and things like that.

 

Do they just screen you from the front or is it from the back as well?

 

No, they just screen you, I had to lay on my side – it might have been, I forget about that, really. I had to lay on my side and she did it, she sort of come in from the back, and sort of reached over from the back and sort of done it there. 

If anyone else is invited to take part, Susie's advice is to 'go for it'. It may help you as well as others, and the staff are doing 'a brilliant job'.

We ask people just to think about what their messages would be for anybody else who’s invited to take part in screening. Have you got any messages?

 

I’d say go for it. I really would, you know, there’s nothing to it. You’re doing good for yourself as well as others, and just, you know, if you get the chance, just go for it. That’s how I look at it.

 

And is there anything you’d want to say to any of the staff who are running the programme, anything that they could do better or anything that you thought was particularly good that they could do more of, or?

 

I don’t think there’s anything better they could do. I just think they’ve done a brilliant job, you know, by even starting this, this experiment, you know. And I think there’s nothing more, you know, that they can do that’s any better and I thank them all for what they’re doing.