“ Hand on heart ” Pat says , “ there was no pain whatsoever . It was literally worse when I had dental treatment for a root canal a couple of years ago !”
A life-changing month for Pat
Within the space of just four weeks , Pat Welsh had been for her mammogram , been followed up with an ultrasound scan and biospy , been diagnosed with a lobular carcinoma , and undergone a mastectomy of the right breast . And her verdict ? “ Hand on heart ” she says , “ there was no pain whatsoever . It was literally worse when I had dental treatment for a root canal a couple of years ago !” Pat , 74 , who lives in Freshwater , has nothing but praise for “ that dear man ” Mr Babu . Within days of having her mastectomy at St Mary ’ s , Pat says she was up and about as if nothing had happened . “ I ’ m very , very lucky ” she says . Always regular with her mammogram checks , Pat noticed she hadn ’ t had one since 2013 and booked herself in for one on May 20th .
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When some irregularities showed up , she was sent straight next door for ultrasound and a biopsy and was then quickly referred to consultant Stephen Parker . By June 20th the surgery had been performed by Mr Babu . “ When I was under , he found three or four cancerous dots , so had he not removed the whole breast , I would have had to go in again for more surgery ”. Now she is receiving post-operative care and advice at Applegate with Breast care nurses- Alana Bell and Clare Hocknull , which includes bra-fitting , and says she can ’ t fault any part of the service she has received . “ It ’ s come and it ’ s gone – everything happened so fast between May 20 and June 20 , and even the drain coming out at the Brookside Clinic , which I ’ d worried about - I didn ’ t feel a thing . Everyone ’ s been shocked at how fast I was up and about again ”. Now Pat is passionate about telling other women to have their mammograms . She hadn ’ t felt ill in any way before she went for her check-up , so it might have gone undetected . Now she is concentrating on getting back to 100 % fitness , doing her recommended physiotherapy exercises , and swearing that her regular practice of yoga in recent years has helped in the healing process . Thanks to Mr Babu and the breast care team at St Mary ’ s , she says , she can hopefully now look forward to many more years of active healthy life with husband Les .