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 yo, 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 new, 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.

So getting the results, what did she say to you when she’d finished doing the screening?

Oh, she said, Everything all clear. Nothing to worry about, but you’ll get a printed letter in due cours, which I probably have thrown away, [laughter] because everything was all right, yes.

Can you remember much about that letter?

Not really, only that it reinforced the fact that there was no problem.

How did you feel when she told you that?

Completely unsurprised, because I didn’t think there was a problem, but it was reassuring to know that there was nothing that I hadn’t realised could be a problem. Because I’d, you know, symptoms that people say, oh, they’re breathless or they can’t do this or they can’t do that, the only limitations I have are by arthritis, not by what I assume to be a heart problem.

And how did you feel, Roy, when you got the results, when she told you she could see nothing?

Roy’ Well, I mean, you know, it was a relief, really. I mean, when you have something like that you never know, they could come up with something, especially when you’re knocking on a bit. I mean, you just don’t know, do you really? And that was it, really.

Was it something you’d worried about going into it or?

Roy’ No.

No.

Roy’ No.

Peg’ He doesn’t worry about anything.

Roy’ No good worrying about it.

You’re not a worrier [laughs].

Roy’ [Laughs] no. She does it all for me.

[Laughs].

Roy’ No, but, you know, I mean it’s no good worrying about things. It doesn’t – that won’t do any good to anybody.

Well, a few weeks ago, or a few months ago, I received a communication asking me if I were interested in a program about monitoring. And I thought it might be good idea. I had no idea I might need help, or anything was wrong. But in spite of everything I thought, It can’t do any harm. It may do some good So an appointment was made and I went to this.
The nurse did the necessary
Screening?

She did the test, and there she told me then that I seemed to have a slight problem. There appears to be a tear in a valve, in a heart valve. I had not been aware of any problem before, but this has left me rather wondering how serious it might be, or it might become. So when I’ve been asked, when I was asked to, if I would be prepared to take this further I’m quite happy to do so, if it helps. It may not help me, but it could possibly help in the research. So from now on I’m quite happy to help if I can.

When you got the letter asking you to go for screening, did you have to think very hard about whether you wanted to do it?

No, not at all. No, I’m quite happy to help.

Right. And were you thinking at the time that there might be any benefit in it for you, or were you mainly thinking, Oh well, I’ll help somebody’s researc?

Precisely, it’s my idea. And I thought, Well I’m now 82. It may help somebody else

So you weren’t expecting anything to be wrong?

No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t, I was totally unaware that anything could be wrong. I always felt quite fit and well. Although I had experienced slight out of breath and tiredness occasionally, but considering my age I accepted it.

When you were told that you had this leaky valve, what were your feelings at that point?

Well, at that point I went to the scan thinking that I had nothing at all wrong with me, because previously, only within months before, they did this once before, I had a chest x-ray and I’d also had a scan, you know, whatever they call it [laughs].

An ECG or something?

It wasn’t an ECG, but it was, they put you on camera – well, it’s similar to a scan, I suppose.

Right.

A camera and a screen and that. Because at one time I was getting – I don’t know why it was happening – but I could go out and have a meal, and all of a sudden I would get cramps under the ribcage, and I used to have to get up and walk away to get it to move. And I went to the doctor’s about it, and he couldn’t find any reason for it at all, and he sent me for a chest x-ray and also this scan, and it still come back that there was nothing wrong. So I was surprised when they turned round and said I’d got a leaky valve, you know, being as I’d already been for a chest x-ray and a scan previous.

Was it frightening?

It wasn’t frightening, but it was, you feel as if you’re concerned about it, you know. It don’t make you feel as if you don’t just ignore it or whatever. You know, you’ve got it in the back of your mind that there is something there.

So moving onto what she told you when she’d scanned you both, tell me what she told you and how you felt about it.

Pamela’ Well, she just said that there was some sort of narrowing of a thing, but it was normal, you know, in view of age, and she said, You might be called to do something else but, you know, don’t worry about anything. You’ll be alright So we came out of there and didn’t worry about it at all, did we?

Anthony’ No. Well, in my case, of course, the valve occasionally doesn’t sort of seal properly. I think that’s what she was saying. It doesn’t close properly. And she said did I feel anything? And I said Well no, I’ve never been conscious of anything at all I think since I’ve had it done I’ve sort of thought about it a bit more, but I still haven’t noticed anything. I can still run up and down the path if I want to and things like this.

Pamela’ Yes.

Anthony’ It doesn’t appear to have done anything, you know, being conscious of it hasn’t affected me in any way.

And what did she say to you about whether you’d need a follow-up appointment?

Anthony’ Well, what she said was that the valve, not that it wouldn’t affect me, she didn’t, you know – it wasn’t serious. It was a sort of age thing and, you know, and as you said, they may ask me to do various other things, which I said I would be quite happy to do, you know, quite happy with that.

I didn’t know, honestly. I didn’t know I have a problem. I know something is wrong, because I have twice this pain when I was walking fast, and my cousin straight away say, This is the heart. You’d better go and see a doctor Then but still I didn’t know I have a leakage, you see. I thought maybe, like before, I have angina, you see? But I am still on these tablets, you see, now. How you call it?

Statins? Are you?

Statins, yeah.

Ah, right. Is that, how long have you been on statins? A long time?

Oh, on statins, I am now about two, three – two years, I think.

Okay.

Not long, really, not very long.

Have you been taking anything else since the valve problem was discovered.

No.

Or not? No, okay.

No. Still I am taking one, one every evening before I go to bed.

Were you surprised that they found something?

Yes and no, because the doctor was a very nice one, really, and she was telling me what she’s doing and this, and she told me then. You know, I was expecting there is something wrong, but I didn’t know what, to be honest.

And how did you feel when they told you there was this thing wrong?

To be honest, I wasn’t worried much. That is one thing. And second, if there is, today’s medicine is so advanced that even if I would need something then they will give me tablets or even operation, you know, if I will need. Anyhow, still I am not a youngster and a lot of my friends – men, women – gone already.

So is there a sort of feeling of reassurance, almost, having found something, that now you’re being followed up?

Then I will know. Then if something is, I will have pain, this and that, then I will not say, Ah, tomorrow I will go I’ll go today, straight away [laughs].

Okay, so yes, it’s made you more aware.

Oh, yes. Definitely.

Do you think you were both expecting everything to be normal?

Cathy’ I wasn’t sure. I’ve had the odd sort of twinge and things like that. And you sort of think, Oh, that’s quite normal. it’s probably wind But because I’m getting older, and I suppose there’s something that rattles around in the back of the mind, I thought I was quite happy to have this check done. Mm. I mean, you know, I’m sure people do get twinges. But I haven’t had them before. So.

So when she said she could see something and showed you the dark spot, you weren’t that surprised?

Cathy’ I think it reinforced the fact that I was aware of the twinges and thinking, I wonder if it is wind [Laughs]. But that’s all. I mean I hadn’t mentioned it to Fraser.

I think you said to me you were you were able to see the picture on the screen.

Oh, I did that, yeah, after. She said, I will be able to show you. Just let me carry o, and then she put the computer in front of me and I saw everything in detail. And she went through all the different, There’s the big one, there’s the- and so on. I come home all excited [laughs] saying, You’d better look after me. I’ve got a couple of leaks

[Laughs] And at what point did she tell you that she could see leaky valves? What it whilst she was doing it or was it afterwards?

That was–

Do you remember?

That was afterwards.

Ah ha.

Yeah.

And what–

When she was going through, you know, sort of, but she reiterated, kept saying, There’s no problem. It is a thing with age So hopefully she’s right.

Yeah, and what were your thoughts when she said that to you and showed you the picture?

You know, with her saying, Well, it’s, it happens with ag and all that, and I’m, what, sixty-nine, so I thought it was par for the course, as you might say.

But you did mention earlier that you found it quite frightening as well.

Oh, yeah. Well, you know, it’s when I started to think of my cousins and uncles and all that that have had heart, so that’s always in the background, I suppose, the heart. Although my daughter might argue the fact that stroke is worse than heart, but [laughs] for me within the family, being that there’s so many males in the family that have had heart problems – another uncle as well has had sort of like three, I think. So you start to think, could it be your turn? One died when he was fifty-four. So you start to think back, then, thinking, Well, is it all in the family

Yeah.

With the other Barrett’s oesophagus I’ve got, it’s I know there’s a couple of nephews that have got it as well. So you start to tend to think it runs in, don’t you?

Were you anxious before you went? Had you been thinking, Oh, gosh, I wonder if they’ll find something Or–

Not really, because I’ve always, I played a lot of football up until I was about forty, and I’ve always considered myself fairly fit, and I’ve always worked, and sometimes I was working seven days a week for years. And I still go loads, still do work now, still can go on long walks and feel okay. So I suppose I’m like everybody, we think we’re pretty immune from the [laughs] the big bang, as they say. So no, I didn’t worry. Maybe if I’d – I’ve often wondered how people who’ve had a heart attack, how they cope with life after. Do they push themselves, or? Like yesterday I worked really a sort of ten-hour day, because the people are away and I’m trying to get the job done before they come back, and I was told off when I got back here that I should be doing it less, gentle, but I feel I’m okay.

Is there any family history of heart problems?

No, none at all.

No. And you don’t have high blood pressure or anything as
No, no
…far as you know?

…it’s never been diagnosed as high blood pressure. Always quite normal.

So when she said to you that there was something, was that a bit of a shock?

Well, of course it did make me worry, especially since I don’t really know how serious it is now, or how serious it could be in time to come. I’m not quite sure what I can or cannot do. I’m a very active person and one who likes to know beforehand.

So for you there are some questions here about what this really means. Did you get any information from them about what heart valve disease is?

No, I didn’t, and I didn’t ask either. I haven’t been back to the surgery since. And I did receive a, the notice officially of what was found at the time, but I haven’t taken any further steps.

Would you have liked to have been given something to take away with you, some information?

I might have been happier had I been told what, how serious it is or how unimportant it is, because to me it seemed, although it was found, but nobody gave me any indication as to what I can or cannot do, avoid any strenuous exercise or work or anything like that. But, as I say, at the moment I’m just waiting to see what happens.

And you’re not sure yet whether they’re going to ask you to go back for another appointment?

No, up till now nobody has bothered, so I’m just wondering. I feel rather, a bit let down.

Pamela’ She just said there was something but it was nothing to worry about, and then we had the letter with the thing and we read it and put it in the drawer and didn’t worry about it.

Anthony’ Yes, yes. That’s the same in my case as well. She just said there was something and I said, Oh ye.

Pamela’ You see I think you’ve got to realise that when you’re 78 and 80, you’re bound to have something wrong with you, because otherwise it’d be a miracle, wouldn’t it? [Laughter].

Yes. So you just take it on the chin, in a way.

Pamela’ Yes.

Anthony’ Yes

Yes. What did you think about that letter when that came?

Pamela’ What, with all the details?

Yes.
Pamela’ I thought it was very good how they’d gone to all the trouble of putting all that out, you know, and sending it all out in full.

Uh-huh.

Pamela’ Wasn’t it?

Anthony’ Yes.

Pamela’ I mean, not that we understood all the exact things, but at least it was in the open. it’s much better than being, you know, people wouldn’t tell you anything. If they didn’t tell you anything you might start to think all sorts of things. But if something comes in the open I don’t think you’ve got to worry about it anymore.

Anthony’ I think we’ve grown up in a generation of people when doctors didn’t tell you what was wrong with you. And I think
Pamela’ Which was bad.

Anthony…we’ve now over the years become more used to the fact that doctors do tell you what’s going on, truthfully, and don’t try and gloss things over. And I think this is you know, I feel quite happy about it, I’m not worried about it in any way.

Do you think there’s anything they could do to improve that letter, because I know it’s quite complex isn’t it with a lot of figures
Pamela’ No I thought it was fine, we both thought, didn’t we?

Anthony’ Yes.