Miss Sascha Dua 2017-09-12 Person 5 5 0

It has taken me a long time to consider the most appropriate words to precisely convey my experience and to telescope the magnitude of it all into a few short paragraphs. Cancer is a wicked thing and when I first heard those words said to me by Miss Dua, my partner and I thought that our world was collapsing around us. However, the next few words said to me by Miss Dua are the words that have stayed with me throughout my experience and resonate even today some six months on. She looked at me and she told me in very clear words that she was going to 'get me through it' and that is what she and my breast nurse, Gemma Smith, did - they got me and my partner through it. And they did so by being brilliantly honest, by being genuinely interested in listening to me, by being amazingly patient in their explanation of EVERYTHING (!) and by being light and funny when needed (Yes its still okay to laugh when you have cancer !). I had a broad spectrum of support and critically for me in how best to tell my children, which was invaluable. I am now nearing the end of my treatment and my prognosis is positive. Notwithstanding, there felt like there was some dark moments and it was the support and compassion of Miss Dua that helped those moments seem less dark. I instantly had faith in her judgment and was reassured by the depth of her knowledge and expertise, the amalgam of which never felt overbearing. I felt very much like I was in complete control of everything and I was given the right amount of time to properly consider things. If I can give anyone advice in this situation is to ask as many questions as you can and read everything they give you - it's happening to you and by knowing all there is to know you are in the best position to make the decision that suits you. The second bit of advice came from Miss Dua - find a distraction. In my case it was a baby Westie called Duffy but it can be anything that helps you stop being consumed by it all ! Finally, I think the value set conveyed by Miss Dua and her team are what I always imagined the NHS to be about and it is reassuring to know that this IS the reality. Thank you Miss Dua - you got me through it !!!!