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Colorectal CancerArrow
Less than 3 years since diagnosis
Interview 25  

Interview 25

Age at Interview: 66
Sex: Female
Age at Diagnosis: 64
Background:

Brief outline:Diagnosed with colorectal cancer and secondary cancer of the liver 1999, recieved chemotherapy treatment.


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Her diagnosis of inoperable cancer was insensitively conveyed.

 



We were ushered into this tiny little room, which was more like a cupboard. I know facilities at hospitals aren't very good but it was kind of perched on the edge of things and it was all where the nurses had their clothes and bags and things.

But the consultant just came in, and I mean I know perhaps they don't like telling bad news but he said "I'm sorry but I can't operate your liver's far too bad. If we did operate the operation would kill you because of your liver as well and he said "I'm afraid there is absolutely nothing I can do for you."

So I said "Well, how, how long do you think I've got to live?" So he said "Oh possibly six months." And um, he didn't say a lot else and I said "Well isn't there anything I can do?" and he said well he would refer me on to the oncologist.

But it was all so cold and so hard. I mean, as I say, the sister and the junior doctor were quite caring and nice but it was all, it was all so traumatic and so sudden and so awful.

The consultant never even said "Well how do you feel? Do you feel ill? Are you in any discomfort or are you in any pain?" Nobody had asked me that at all. "How are you managing?" And I mean actually my symptoms just before that had been so bad it was uh difficult to go out because the bleeding had got so bad and the bowel problems had got so bad.
Colorectal Cancer
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