Meeting Kathleen from Thurrock

Kathleen, a previous smoker, aged 70, was invited for a free lung health check. As a smoker, who had moved on to e-cigarettes four years ago, she felt sure she would have something found. She said: “I’ve always taken part in other screening programmes, including bowel and breast, but somehow I just felt that if I got my lungs checked, they would definitely find something and I didn’t want to know. As a long-term smoker and seeing other family members who have received cancer diagnosis and treatment and how hard it was for them, I thought I would just let fate take its course.

My family talked me into making the call to the lung health check team. That’s when I spoke to Debbie, she was so reassuring and once we went through the checks on the phone, she said I would need to have a CT Scan. I was scared, but Debbie even offered to be there on the day of my scan to reassure me, you can’t get better than that!

I went for the scan on the mobile unit, it was no problem at all, everyone was friendly and professional. I was told to expect my results in two weeks. I was concerned, but in just a week, I was given the all clear! I was so relieved and so glad that I took up my invitation.”

Kathleen wants to make a plea to all who are invited to come forward for a lung health check.