Interview 19 - Lymphoma

Age at interview: 27

Age at diagnosis: 25

Brief Outline:

Hodgkins Disease diagnosed in 2004 after finding a lump in her neck. Eight cycles of ABVD chemotherapy put her into remission.

Background:

Civil Servant, cohabiting, no children. Ethnic background: White British.

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Initially she did not have a good relationship with the consultant treating her lymphoma, but...

 Initially it wasn't, I didn't have a very good relationship with my consultant. He had the view of, 'You will do what I say and not dare to question me'. But once we'd had a little discussion or two and we'd kind of evened out the doctor- patient relationship slightly. I didn't like being treated as a shell, as a disease. I was a person. I wanted to be treated with a little bit more respect and humanity. And perhaps I shouldn't have done but I told my consultant that, and from then on we've got on famously and we get on really, really well. 

 

I wonder if your age had anything to do with his attitude towards you?

 

Possibly. He was very much old school medicine. And I don't think many people would have said what I said to him because he was quite, he had a bit of a reputation for being a sort of old school scary doctor. And I think a couple of the nurses were a little bit, wouldn't have dared question him as well, but I was the patient, I had nothing to lose by doing so. And I think that really helped. Yeah I get on really well with him now and have total respect for him.