"Hani has given me back my life"

In May 2016 after attending a routine mammogram appointment I received the dreaded letter saying they wanted to do more tests. Turns out that I had three primary cancers. Treatment was removal on a lump in my breast and major surgery in my abdomen followed by Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy. I still have a growth within my kidney but luckily that has not grown. This was followed by an operation for 4 hernias resulting from a rather bad cough contracted when my immune system was at its lowest after Chemotherapy.

After attending my Doctors surgery where I was offered physiotherapy for a problem with my hip I chose to attend a private Osteopath. He diagnosed that I had a trapped femoral nerve caused by the hernias. I also attended a Chiropractor who gave a similar diagnosis. My ability to walk by now was very limited. Needless to say, what the Osteopath and Chiropractor did made very little difference.

I then visited my Doctors surgery to obtain more pain relief and my Doctor, not a locum I had previously seen, said he felt it was my hip and booked an MRI Scan which I had done in February this year. I was then referred by the Community Musculoskeletal service to Hani. I met with Hani late February and he was so considerate and understanding. I cannot tell you how kind he was. He immediately saw the distress I was under. Then saw him again a month later and he promised me that I would have my surgery in May. He went the great lengths to explain all about the procedure. Nothing was too much trouble. He insisted I had a bone scan to ensure that my bones could handle the new hip. Hani put me totally at ease and I just knew that he would come up trumps and he did.

After the op I remained in bed for the first couple of days but on the Friday, I was up, obviously there was pain, but I managed to walk easily, and I found the stairs so simple. Getting in and out of bed was difficult especially as I have very few stomach muscles due to the hernias. On Saturday I went home and there has been no looking back. After two week, I was on no pain relief at all. It is still a bit sore from time to time but that is only to be expected. I can walk freely, doing all the exercises set by the Physiotherapy team. I saw the x-ray of my hip and it is totally aligned with my other hip and the difference in the length of my legs is a thing of the past.It was all down to Arthritis and not linked in any way to my cancers. I feel Hani has given me back my life. I have not felt this good since before I was first diagnosed back in May 2016

I owe him so much for what he has done. He is such a lovely person and has been so supportive.

All the treatment I am receiving for my cancer is with Imperial College Healthcare and I am attending at St Mary’s, Charring Cross, Hammersmith, and Queen Charlotte Hospitals and everyone is great - far too many people to thank for this - my saga continues.

The NHS is so wonderful and we are all so lucky to have this service.