‘If I hadn’t seen doc I would not be here’
MUM-OF-FOUR Lynsey Ritchie was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago after she noticed a painful lump under her arm.
The 44-year-old from Denny, Stirlingshire, said: “I can totally understand that people might not want to go to their doctor because of Covid. I do worry that I probably would have done the same if I’d found a lump in the last year.
“That feels really scary because if I hadn’t gone to my GP when I did then I wouldn’t be here today.
“The cancer I was diagnosed with was aggressive and, although I went to my doctor as soon as I found a lump, it had already spread.
“If I had waited, wondering whether to bother the doctor, it could have been too late.
“I’m lucky because I responded well to treatment and so I’m in remission. I feel so very blessed to be here for my boys. If I hadn’t gone to the doctor, things might have been very different.”
Ms Ritchie, mother to Cailean, nine, Brodie, seven, Darragh, five, and Odhran, three, added: “A cancer diagnosis is life-changing but it doesn’t necessarily mean a death sentence. I’d say to anyone if you’re worried about something please take that step and go and see your doctor.”
Andy Glyde, of Cancer Research UK in Scotland, said: “Clearing the backlog of people waiting for tests will mean tackling staff shortages and investing in equipment to ensure cancer services are fit for the future. “The NHS in Scotland also needs the capacity to treat people when they do finally enter the system.
“It’s important that those with symptoms contact their GP and consider screening when invited. “Doctors want to hear from you. If you are finding it difficult to get an appointment, do keep trying.
“In most cases it won’t be cancer but it’s best to get it checked out because diagnosing cancer at an earlier stage means treatment is more likely to be successful.” Scottish Conservative public health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, said: “It is not just cancer that is suffering but all treatment times and we need more targeted resources to remobilise Scotland’s NHS if we are to catch missing [diagnoses].”