{"id":26618,"date":"2020-12-18T13:40:32","date_gmt":"2020-12-18T13:40:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/?p=18175"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:15:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:15:51","slug":"coronavirus-reports-part-8-going-into-hospital-during-this-time-was-an-extra-layer-of-stress-and-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/coronavirus-reports-part-8-going-into-hospital-during-this-time-was-an-extra-layer-of-stress-and-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus reports \u2013 Part 8: \u201cGoing into hospital during this time was an extra layer of stress and anxiety\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jan<\/p>\n

Jan on a walk with her family<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

We caught up with people living with cancer across the country, to find out how the coronavirus pandemic has been affecting them and their families.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jan: \u201cIt has been a roller coaster journey\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Jan was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2020, at the height of the confusion of COVID-19. \u201cI spotted an indentation on Sunday 1 March when I was going to bed. I Googled a few sites and it was clear what it was straight away. First thing the next day I booked a GP appointment for that evening and then I went to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

After being referred, Jan had a 10 day wait for an appointment with a consultant, which Jan describes as \u201ca horribly anxious time\u201d.<\/p>\n

Jan was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and had surgery to remove the tumour within a week.<\/p>\n

Jan during her chemotherapy treatment.<\/p>

” data-medium-file=”https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Jan_cropped.jpg” data-large-file=”https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Jan_cropped.jpg” loading=”lazy” class=”size-full wp-image-18180″ src=”https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Jan_cropped.jpg” alt=”Jan during her chemotherapy treatment.” width=”200″ height=”200″ srcset=”https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Jan_cropped.jpg 200w, https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Jan_cropped-150×150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Jan_cropped-96×96.jpg 96w” sizes=”(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px”><\/p>

Jan during her chemotherapy treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI had to go in for the operation on my own, and the anaesthetist said that I would still be in the theatre when I woke up, so that they didn\u2019t have to move me between rooms,\u201d says Jan. \u201cI had a wide local excision with reduction and reconstruction and was relieved to hear afterwards that there were clear margins, so I did not have to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jan\u2019s surgery was done privately, but the chemotherapy following her surgery was done on the NHS. \u201cThis started six weeks after surgery. Before that started, I did not have much contact with the team because of COVID-19 \u2013 they were not able to check the wound. Initially I could not see the physio either, but then I was allowed to meet them, to make sure that I could do the exercises correctly at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did get through it all, but I do worry about what would have happened if I had found the lump one or two weeks later \u2013 I don\u2019t know if I would have had the same treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jan has completed her radiotherapy but is still having Herceptin, with the next round scheduled for Christmas Eve. \u201cI have another year of monthly chemical menopause injections, and have started 10 years of hormone therapy treatment too \u2013 I am on aromatase inhibitors for 5 years, then tamoxifen for a further 5 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel grateful to have been operated and put on chemo so quickly,\u201d says Jan. \u201cThe whole experience has been a shock \u202fand I am so grateful for research. \u201d<\/p>\n

Jan highlights the importance of friendships in these difficult times, \u201cI am an ex-regular Army Officer of 13 years. I had very similar timelines to my friend Charly who is also ex-Army and was also diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Her friendship has been so special at this time and we are in touch all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toyin: \u201cCOVID and the restrictions have made things more difficult this year\u201d<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n

Toyin was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer the week before her 28th birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was feeling my breast, as you do, and felt that a lump was just there. It was quite evident, but I\u2019d never noticed it until then.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following day, Toyin went to her GP to get it looked at. The GP advised that because she\u2019s young and has no history of cancer in her family it was likely to be a benign breast tumour and nothing too sinister, but referred her to a breast clinic a week later.<\/p>\n

Toyin during her treatment<\/p>

” data-medium-file=”https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Toyin_cropped.jpg” data-large-file=”https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Toyin_cropped.jpg” loading=”lazy” class=”size-full wp-image-18177″ src=”https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Toyin_cropped.jpg” alt=”Toyin during her treatment” width=”200″ height=”200″ srcset=”https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Toyin_cropped.jpg 200w, https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Toyin_cropped-150×150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Toyin_cropped-96×96.jpg 96w” sizes=”(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px”><\/p>

Toyin was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer when she was 27.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Toyin had a similar experience at the clinic, with the doctor only briefly touching on cancer, \u201cit was not the majority of the conversation\u201d.<\/p>\n

A week later, Toyin was called back to the clinic where she was met by the same doctor. It was then, in June 2020, that Toyin received a full diagnosis. \u201cI really wasn\u2019t worried about the appointment, so it was a real shock to be told I had breast cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before starting treatment, Toyin went through a round of IVF to freeze some of her eggs, so that she\u2019ll have the chance to have children in the future. \u201cThey managed to get 14 eggs, which was really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

By mid-July, Toyin had already started her chemotherapy. \u201cCOVID-19 and the restrictions have made things more difficult this year,\u201d Toyin adds. \u201cThe saddest thing is not being able to have my mum and sister to attend chemotherapy or appointments with me. They wanted to support me and I wanted their support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had chemotherapy in a \u201cchemo bus\u201d, which was in the hospital car park. My mum came with me, but she wasn\u2019t allowed in. She was outside in the car park, and I could see her walking around and she was upset, and that was hard. My twin sister wanted to be there too, so it was really isolating that she could not be.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a few weeks of chemotherapy, Toyin could feel the lump shrinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most severe side effect I felt was itchiness on the soles of my feet and I had hyper pigmentation on my face. I had all of my energy and was even able to go out for meals and continue working.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toyin only stopped working in October 2020 when she started her next 4 cycles of chemotherapy, which were a more aggressive cocktail of drugs. \u201cThe fatigue of everything this year has hit me. It\u2019s beyond comprehension and it will take some time to get over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toyin set up a You Tube channel shortly after her diagnosis. \u201cI\u2019m a very shy person, but also very bubbly and I think a lot of people need to know about breast cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

She wanted to do something outside of her comfort zone and to get the message across that cancer does not have to be a negative experience and it\u2019s not all about death. She is keen for people to see the positive side of her journey and to connect with others who are going through a similar journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main message I want to get across is that even though I\u2019ve been diagnosed with cancer, I believe overall it\u2019s mind over matter and I want people to know this and keep positive. If you get diagnosed, there is nothing you can do about it but get on with it and try to maintain a positive outlook.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt: \u201cThe care and attention I received from the NHS staff was amazing\u201d<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n

Matt, who is 55, from London, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in May.<\/p>\n

Matt in hospital during his treatment.<\/p>

” data-medium-file=”https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Matt_cropped.jpg” data-large-file=”https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Matt_cropped.jpg” loading=”lazy” class=”size-full wp-image-18178″ src=”https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Matt_cropped.jpg” alt=”Matt in hospital during his treatment.” width=”200″ height=”200″ srcset=”https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Matt_cropped.jpg 200w, https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Matt_cropped-150×150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Matt_cropped-96×96.jpg 96w” sizes=”(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px”><\/p>

Matt in hospital during his treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI was probably fitter than I had ever been in the last 25 years,\u201d says Matt. \u201cBut in mid-April, I started having stomach problems and losing weight.<\/p>\n

By mid-May, Matt had lost over 10 kg, and his family insisted he visited the hospital. The first time he visited the medical team thought it might be COVID related but with no improvement three weeks later he visited A&E again . \u201cThe medical team sprang into action \u2013 taking blood samples, chest X-rays and monitoring my blood pressure, all things COVID related. That was until a third doctor suggested an MRI scan and further bloods to look for other clues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt was advised to stay in hospital overnight to prepare for a colonoscopy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was woken by a doctor at 1:30am to tell me the results of the MRI. He was of the view it could be cancer but could not tell me much more,\u201d he says. \u201cAt this time, visitors were not allowed, I didn\u2019t want to phone my wife Stef at this time of the night, so I sat up alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

After running through the procedure with a surgeon, Matt was taken into the operating theatre. \u201cI counted 15 people in attendance, and I hoped this was because COVID-19 meant an operation proved exciting, rather than the seriousness of the case. After almost 5 hours, and the discovery and removal of the tumour, the operation was complete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt stayed a further 11 days in hospital, spending time in intensive care before he was moved onto a main ward. \u201cHospitals were strange and lonely places during this period as no visitors were allowed, but the care and attention I received from the NHS staff was amazing.\u201d
When Matt was finally discharged, he was taken down to the entrance of the hospital in a wheelchair to see his family. He hadn\u2019t seen any of them in 12 days. \u201cThe shock for them was palpable, especially as this was almost exactly a year to the day since I lost my sister Harriette to cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last 3 months I have begun my recuperation and rehabilitation, with the love and help of my family, and it\u2019s going extremely well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt was given the \u2018all clear\u2019 in July and won\u2019t require any further treatment. \u201cWhen friends and family have asked me how I feel about my experience and brush with mortality, the answer is I feel incredibly lucky. I am extremely thankful to the doctor who insisted on the MRI that spotted the tumour, and to the skills of the brilliant surgeon and his team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hayley: \u201cIt feels like I am just waiting and waiting\u201d<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n

Hayley, from Ossett, was diagnosed with bowel cancer when she was just 34 years old, and shortly after she given birth to her daughter <\/span>Avy<\/span>-Rae<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Hayley has Lynch syndrome \u2013 a hereditary genetic condition that<\/span> increases her risk of bowel cancer \u2013 and was being monitored. \u201cAs part<\/span> of that, I had a colonoscopy in August 2019. It was the first one I had ever had and they found something straightaway. I was fast tracked and diagnosed in September 2019.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Hayley wearing a mask during her treatment.<\/p>

” data-medium-file=”https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Hayley_cropped.jpg” data-large-file=”https:\/\/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Hayley_cropped.jpg” loading=”lazy” class=”size-full wp-image-18179″ src=”https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Hayley_cropped.jpg” alt=”Hayley wearing a mask during her treatment” width=”200″ height=”200″ srcset=”https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Hayley_cropped.jpg 200w, https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Hayley_cropped-150×150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/zniup3zx6m0ydqfpv9y6sgtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Hayley_cropped-96×96.jpg 96w” sizes=”(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px”><\/p>

Hayley was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

She started on a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in October, which she finished in November. But her treatment didn\u2019t end there. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

After scans showed that the tumour had shrunk in size, Hayley underwent surgery that included a full hysterectomy. \u201cI was also given a colostomy and fitted with a stoma, which was due to be reversed in June.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Following her surgery, Hayley underwent a further 4 months of chemotherapy, just as the first lockdown began in the UK. \u201cThey did ask me whether I wanted to carry on and I said yes. It was a strange time and it was not nice not to have anyone with me. I had side effects like losing feeling in my hand and it was harder to speak to staff. They were all amazing, but it was difficult and I was glad to finish.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Due to the disruptions to healthcare services as a result of the pandemic, Haley\u2019s stoma reversal was suspended. \u201cMy experience is that the communication has not been good. I did get an appointment in August and saw my consultant, but I have had to chase appointments and I just wanted to hear more about next steps.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Hayley describes the difficulty of having a young baby while dealing with the pain and discomfort of having a stoma. \u201cI need certain procedures to happen to see if it can be reversed and it feels like I have just been waiting and waiting. I have just heard it could happen in the next four to six weeks and I really hope it will.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Keyan Milanian and Tom Bourton who work in our media volunteer liaison team at Cancer Research UK<\/em><\/p>\n

Thanks to Jan, Toyin, Matt and Hayley for sharing their experiences with our Media Volunteer Liaison team.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you would like to share your story with us, please <\/em>visit our website<\/em><\/a>. And if <\/em>you have questions about cancer, you can talk to our nurses Monday to Friday, 9-5pm, on freephone 0808 800 4040.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

More on this topic<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jan on a walk with her family We caught up with people living with cancer across the country, to find out how the coronavirus pandemic has been affecting them and their families. Jan: \u201cIt has been a roller coaster journey\u201d Jan was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2020, at the height of the confusion […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26618"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45463,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26618\/revisions\/45463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}