And I asked a lot of questions by then and one of my main concerns wasn’t about the fact that I’d had a breast removed but whether I could go back on HRT because I felt that my quality of life was more important;

And it was agreed that she [nurse] would speak to the consultant. He came to speak with me and I felt I needed to put this point across that I would like a reason why I should not return on to the HRT. What he did say was he would have to have a meeting with other colleagues before they made a decision. And their decision was that I could return to the HRT because there was no factors to indicate it was receptive to the hormones;

When you, before you had the mastectomy, you were talking to the consultant about having a mastectomy, is this when the conversation came up about you will have to stop the HRT patches;

Yes, yes. He was very, he was very against it. And I had looked up a bit about it anyway prior to all this, and I was feeling so well on HRT and have done for many years that, I really didn’t want, I didn’t want to go back to what it would have been like without them. And I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to return to my employment having suffered menopausal symptoms. So it was something that I felt I would probably fight about, and I did;

So after the mastectomy, how soon after where you able to take the, have the patches;

I would say about a week after I returned home. And my GP was a bit unhappy about it, but there was a letter to support what I’d said, so that was fine;

Yes, so you were back on it;

I was back on them fine, yes;

I knew that when I was 50 I would be able to go and have a mammogram. And when I was 50 I contacted the Local Health Authority and they said that I was too late because of where I lived in a rural area. They only had, they only came out every three years then, so I would have to wait till I was 53. Which I did do, and it was in August 1999 that I had a letter to say would I go to [town]. I had a letter to ask me to attend for a mammogram and I was quite pleased about that.

I knew, you know, it was important and I was a little bit disappointed and disillusioned when I was told I’d have to wait another three years. But I was very busy and it’s just one of those things you accept;

Did you talk to your GP at that stage or did you phone the breast clinic?

No I didn’t, I didn’t speak to anybody, no.

Who told you that you have to wait another three years?

The person I spoke about them coming round for the next time, that they would come in this area would be three years. It was a mobile screening unit you see;

Yes; OK; And so you waited another three years;

Yes;

And when you were invited, did you get a letter to go;

Yes, I got a letter;

One of my concerns was that if I hadn’t gone for this mammogram I wouldn’t have known anything because I was always told, like lots of women, that you feel for a lump. There was no lump, there was no problems with the nipple, there was nothing like that at all, I had seen absolutely no difference in my breasts at all.

And it’s one of the things that I have been concerned about these few years on that mammograms are not to be put across just because you have a lump. I think theres not enough information about the many different cancers that are breast cancer;

So in your case you would really strongly recommend that women have mammograms because you wouldn’t have found yours;

Yes I do, I think it saved my life, probably. And I also think one of the things I do, or I have expressed to others is that it’s important to have mammograms at whatever age. And I did read some, there was some research which suggested we shouldn’t have so many mammograms. Well in my case I’m afraid it saved my life and I think that it must be gotten across to women and to men that it’s not necessarily about feeling a lump. Because I think it gives the wrong messages out. One wouldn’t want to alarm people, but I think it’s important. If you have the opportunity, go for a mammogram;