Welcome to the club that no-one wants to join
“Welcome to the club that no-one wants to join,” said a fellow patient on the seventh floor at St Bartholomew’s hospital. Hardly the most encouraging start to a life-changing course of chemotherapy. Especially when you are coming to terms with having breast cancer at the age of 28.
Zoë Schnegg (left) got the news shortly after graduating from the RCA with a Masters degree and starting a new job. Within a month she was caught up in an intensive regime of biopsies, bone scans, PET, CT and ultra-sound tests, egg collection, surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and physiotherapy as well as chemo.
One year later – almost to the day of diagnosis – and she was telling her story to the Trust board. The chair and members were mesmerised by her vivid and poignant description, and praised her bravery, eloquence, and candour.
“The hospital became a second home. I was in three days a week for months on end. I slipped into this parallel world where I was half living in a hospital,” Zoë said. “I took for granted having a close relationship with my clinical team who knew me, were with me as I lived for each new appointment and ensured that my treatment happened as I needed it.
“I didn’t know how lucky I was until joining a WhatsApp group of other young breast cancer patients. How can anyone possibly deal with this experience without all the support I have had, without a clinical team they know and trust? But so many young women do.
“I also had strong family support advocating for me, and was lucky that I ended up in a hospital where everything was in one place; my surgeon, medical oncologist and clinical specialist nurses worked closely together. I knew from day one who to contact and who was going to carry out the life-changing and life-saving surgical procedure. Yet so many women are left in limbo - they don’t even know the name of their surgeon, not to mention never having met them in person even a week before surgery.”
Flanked by her consultant, breast oncologist Melissa Phillips (right), Zoë added: “Barts feels so special in its treatment and care.”
As she recovers and comes to terms with the long-term side effects, Zoë, from Hoxton, is now an ambassador for the Barts Charity. Her only complaint was about a four-month delay to her genetic consultation– which Prof Sir Mark Caulfield promised to investigate on behalf of the board.
Zoë said: “Basically I feel guilty, and I really shouldn’t, that I have such incredibly good care. This is such a traumatic experience, and my treatment plan is so well thought-through, well supported and smooth - helping me to cope. I’m no different to any other patient, everyone with breast cancer should have this kind of care.”