"Brilliant treatment and care for Breast Cancer"

In October 2014 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and my world turned upside down, not just for me but for my close family and friends. My treatment took place at the Glenfield hospital and everyone has been fantastic. I was treated as the most important person despite being part of a busy hospital. No-one wants to be in hospital and hearing the word ‘cancer’ has an impact that I am still coming to terms with but for anyone facing treatment you are joining a highly skilled and fantastic team that work extremely hard and treat you with kindness and dignity. I’m conscious that a lot of people miss out on hearing the ‘thank you’ because of the areas they work in so this message is to say thank you to you all. My treatment started on 21 October 2014 in the Breast Care Centre, with operations on the afternoon of 19 November 2014 and morning of 19 February 2015, both times I stayed on Ward 23A. Please could you ensure this simple message of thanks gets through to all those involved and those in charge of these departments? To everyone at the brilliant Breast Care Centre where I continue to be cared for and where I had every step of this journey and every option explained to me. I never once felt alone and was always supported and included in my treatment plan. Important to me was the kindness and support shown to my family and friends. To all the staff on Ward 23A: your dedication and skill are amazing giving the ward such a positive atmosphere. How you do this is unbelievable when I’m sure all the patients are as scared as I was on arrival. I experienced such excellent treatment, care and attention that I was not at all concerned when I returned for a second time. My thanks to those in the Pre-Assessment clinic, Bloods, ECG and Nuclear Medicine. To the Anaesthetics team, the Theatre team and those in the Recovery Room, I could not have wished for more specialist and individual care. I was asleep when I met most of you so thank you for giving me a life to live. Last, but definitely not least, my Consultant who, at the worst time of my life, I trusted and respected from the moment you had to deliver my diagnosis. Your knowledge, skill and expertise made this journey possible. You patiently explained everything in stages that I could cope with and from the start you cared about how I would look and feel in the weeks, months and years ahead. My family and friends are amazed at the determination and support you have given me by helping me to learn about my condition and to understand the positive steps forward. Your dedication to all your patients and how you remember each of us as individuals is fantastic. Throughout my treatment I have experienced the most amazing skill, dedication, expertise, care and kindness and from the start I knew I was a lucky person to be treated at the Glenfield Hospital. Without these dedicated people and the NHS I would not have a future. Thank you. Julie