An Inverurie woman diagnosed with breast cancer during the Covid pandemic is sharing her “relief” at receiving confidence-boosting surgery to rebuild her breast following a wait of almost four years on the NHS.
Denise Rothnie was the first woman to share her story with the P&J after being told she was at the bottom of an NHS list despite waiting years for a breast reconstruction.
The 34-year-old was just 29 when she was hit with a breast cancer diagnosis in December 2020 as the country grappled with the Covid lockdown.
She required a mastectomy to remove one of her breasts but was told the reconstruction surgery could not be carried out at the same time.
It later emerged more than 30 women across the NHS Grampian health board area were languishing at the bottom of the list.
‘Relieved and happy’
Speaking to the P&J after finally getting her surgery, Ms Rothnie said: “When I got the call it was such a relief. I was so relieved and happy.
“The recovery’s not been as bad as I thought. I’m getting there.
“I couldn’t drive for six weeks or pick up heavy stuff. To begin with, I couldn’t stand up as it was really sore.
“But as time has gone on, I’m getting a lot better and I’m able to move about.
“They said it went really well. I got to go home after five days.”
What caused the delays?
During the pandemic, some breast cancer patients had mastectomies but were unable to get reconstruction at the same time.
In January, the P&J revealed NHS Grampian had finally started to carry out the delayed operations for women left waiting.
Since we uncovered the delays, 13 women have had their operation and two more are booked in for the surgery.
Ms Rothnie was called by the health board earlier this year offering her a last minute cancellation.
She went into hospital about a week and a half later to undergo the complex operation which saw surgeons rebuild her breast with tissue from her stomach, known as a free flap reconstruction.
The surgery, which usually takes about 12 hours, was a success and she has been recovering well over the past six weeks.
Ms Rothnie, who works as a sheltered housing officer, said she feels better mentally and physically.
She has been able to wear clothes that she avoided wearing over the past few years.
She said: “My friend’s birthday is coming up and I can look at dresses I couldn’t wear before. Things I could wear without having to wear a sports bra.
“Mentally, its just been a lot better for me. When I think back, I really hated looking in the mirror. It was horrible. Now I look in in it and my boyfriend says ‘you’ve had a big smile on your face for weeks’. I’ve just been really happy.
“Just mentally and physically, I feel so much better.”
But the delays took a mental toll on the 34-year-old.
Reflecting on her experience, she wants to advocate for women to get seen quicker.
“Everyone has waited too long,” she said.
“It’s such good news that they’ve started doing them and I’m so grateful to get it done.
“But at the same time that was too long to wait.”
She added: “I’d like to thank all the staff because the nurses and everyone were just fantastic. The team were just amazing.”
‘Significant operation’
An NHS Grampian spokeswoman said: “We are pleased to hear Ms Rothnie is recovering well and feeling the benefits, both physically and mentally, of her procedure.
“We absolutely acknowledge she – and other individuals – have waited far longer than we, or they, would have liked for their reconstructive surgery and the impact this has on their day-to-day lives.
“It is a significant operation, requiring double the amount of time normally scheduled in theatre. This takes a lot of planning and resource and ongoing pressure on our surgical capacity led to these delays.
“We are committed to arranging surgery for all those waiting for breast reconstruction; to date thirteen procedures have been completed and a further two are booked.
“This would not have been possible without an incredibly hard-working surgical team and additional funding from Scottish Government.”
Conversation