Reading about him has been an unwelcome blast from the past
so please may I unload here?..
Sorry if it's long.
1999 I was sunbathing on my terrace, applied sun oil, and it was then I thought that one part of my l.breast felt different. Not a lump, more a thickening of a patch under the skin. So I went to see my GP who confirmed it and I was referred to hospital for further investigation.
Enter Mr. Ian Paterson.
Examination, no fine needle aspiration made, and he sent me away with the words "you've got a lumpy breast. Some women do. Word of advice. Next year you'll be called for breast screening. Refuse it. Too many unnecessary MRIs given these days."
And so, when the appt came, I refused, saying I'd already seen Mr. Paterson and he was OK with this..
And that's how the c. continued to quietly grow until it had apparently, I discovered later, had invaded the Sentinel Node on the l. side...
3 years later I did, indeed, take up the offer of breast screening, fine needle aspiration confirmed that I had in fact got breast cancer and that my entire left breast had to be removed.
I'd anticipated this and already decided on my course of action - I wanted a Union Job! (one out, all out
) and that's what I had. My reasoning was that if I had only one breast removed I'd be forever be reminded of cancer as I put on a bra with a falsie - I'm slim, dress well, could manage that.
There were already rumblings about Paterson and I saw a Partner in a firm which specialises in cases of medical negligence. She called in all my files to discover that there were missing pages, those which covered my H.apts, but said that my case would lie on their files for 7 years ready to be reactivated if necessary. Time expired now, of course.
All these years later, still aware of the lymph node involvement tho, which has left me with an impaired immune system so I still have to take care.
If you've got this far, thanks for reading. My GP was so supportive to me during this and used to just call in saying he was "passing by" on occasion. Our NHS is great - but there are the occasional rotten apple in every barrel, aren't there?
Gentle hugs to you.
