Vicky Strange was getting ready to go on holiday when she found a lump
A woman has delivered a resounding verdict on the NHS after she found a lump just before she was due to go on holiday. Vicky Strange says her world was turned upside down when she found a lump in one of her breasts in October.
Just days later, the hospital cancer care co-ordinator was referred by her GP onto a two-week-wait pathway for a mammogram at the very hospital where she works – Pilgrim Hospital in Boston. Vicky also had biopsies taken during the same appointment.
Vicky said: “I was getting ready to go on holiday for four days when I found a lump in one of my breasts. I knew I couldn’t ignore it and made a GP appointment for the following week when we returned. They then referred me for a diagnostic test called a mammogram and as there had been a cancellation I was invited to attend later that week.
“During the mammogram I was told they thought I had cancer, but I also had to have some biopsies done so they could look at what was going on. A couple of weeks later I had an appointment at Pilgrim hospital where I was told it was cancer and that I needed to have some more tests and biopsies.”
Just a couple of weeks before Christmas, Vicky had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery at Lincoln County Hospital. Now she has delivered an emphatic 8-word verdict on the NHS, saying: “We are so lucky to have the NHS.”
She said: “The amazing team managed to squeeze me in at Lincoln as there were no times available at Pilgrim hospital. My surgeons and everyone in the team were so amazing. I didn’t get any special treatment for working in the NHS, it is simply what this team does for all their patients. They always go the extra mile, and, in my mind, they are all superheroes.”
Vicky’s histology results were then sent to America. With no family history of breast cancer and no genetic indicators, further testing was required to assess the risk of reoccurrence and identify the most effective forms of treatment.
Vicky said: “That was the longest wait I experienced. Everyone’s cancer diagnosis and treatment are different. Thankfully I did not need chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but other tests showed there was still some cancer present and so I had to have another surgery in February this year.”
Remarkably, Vicky was back at work just a few weeks later in April, supported by her fiancé, two daughters and colleagues in the Macmillan Cancer Care team. She said: “I am so grateful to be alive. Please don’t think I am simply being dramatic, but I know how time is so important and any delay can have a massive impact.”
Prior to her diagnosis, Vicky’s role involved establishing the UK’s first ever Kidney Cancer Support Group in the East Midlands, alongside the Lincolnshire Prostate Cancer Support Group. She added: “I knew I needed to come back to work as soon as possible. I really love my job and being able to support our patients living with cancer and their families is a real privilege.”
‘Do not delay getting checked out’
She added: “Nobody wants to have cancer, but I honestly believe I now have a better understanding and an insight into what our patients are going through. I now know what it is like to be waiting for that phone call. Nervous because you need to know the results, but then also worried in case it is bad news.
“All I can say is, please don’t ever delay making an appointment to get checked out. We are so lucky to have our NHS. It might not be perfect, but I can honestly say the care provided by my amazing and talented colleagues was second to none. They are absolutely brilliant.”
Vicky continues to require physiotherapy to assist with mobility in her arm. She added: “That is a small price to pay for being alive. I will never be able to thank the team enough for what they have given me. However, I also hope that by telling my story other people will check their breasts and contact their GP if they find any lumps or have any other symptoms. If this can help just one other person, then I am glad that I have told my story.”
