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People's stories

Age 40-49

Interview 19

Interview 19

Age at Interview: 48
Background: A physiotherapist assistant. Married, with 2 adult children.

Brief outline:Took part in research and had mammograms every 3 years since age 38. Results were clear. At age 47 noticed changes to nipple. Mammogram and ultrasound were normal. Biopsy revealed Paget's Disease. Had mastectomy and DCIS was also discovered.

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She had her first mammogram before fifty in medical research on breast screening.
Print How did you get involved with this research programme? Through my Nan, through my Grandmother. She was a, or we were asked if we would be involved and we said yes. And what does that involve, does it mean having mammograms every three years? It did but then because I was such a low risk [laughs], which seems funny now ... but they took me off the programme and they said "well you're not at any greater risk". Oh, were they looking at family history or? Yes, yes. So, at what age did you have your very first mammogram through this Oxford research group? I was probably about maybe 40, 38, 40.

She discusses what happened when she had a sore and weeping nipple.
Print Well I'd gone with my daughter onto a sun-bed, which I have never done before, and it was just, I thought I would just go with her to see what it was like. And over the next few days my nipples seemed to be a bit sore, weeping. So, I went to my GP and she said to me "I think its eczema" and she gave me some cream. I went back after a week and it hadn't done any, well there was no change in my nipple, it was still sore. So, she said "I think we'd better refer you to the hospital" and that took three months actually. I went back to her and I said, "I still haven't got an appointment" and my nipple was changing quite a lot by that time, it seemed to be getting a lot worse. Then I got my appointment through at the hospital. I went to the hospital.

Feels wary because her Paget's disease and DCIS didn't show up on mammogram but advises women to go for screening.
Print But I mean I was always quite vigilant anyway, but then I would never have been able to pick this up because it was, I mean it didn't show up on a mammogram. It didn't show on an ultrasound. I mean and that kind of gave me a bit of a problem for quite a long time because I felt "well why am I going back for my check-ups because you can't tell anyway". So, getting my head round that was quite difficult. But now I have a problem now with going back for my, like I went back for my year check in September, having an ultrasound, a mammogram, coming away being told that I am clear because how do I know, because I was clear the first time. So, I do have a bit of a problem with that. I mean I do think people should go for screening. But at the moment I need someone to say to me, I think they class Paget's, well the DCIS is like pre-cancer rather than a cancer, so eventually it will show up on a mammogram but not until it's more invasive. So, I think they need to, I think maybe the professionals need to find a way of actually detecting it, you know, before it becomes invasive. And I would just advise people to do their check-ups and to, you know, go for their mammograms and ultrasounds.

Her HRT hadn't been monitored and she stopped taking it when she changed doctor.
Print And how long had you been taking the HRT? About five years. So, without, you know, really thinking about it I suppose. So, you went to the GP every six months to get HRT? Mmm And what kind of questions did he or she ask you? He didn't ask me any questions at all. I had no check ups at all while I was on the HRT. I mean I just had repeat prescriptions and I would just go and pick them up. It wasn't until I changed to the female doctor, who is the best doctor at the practice anyway, I think, and she said to me "I don't think you should to take the HRT anymore" and by which time we both come to the conclusion that I would come of it, so...

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