EXCLUSIVE: Lanarkshire woman battles for a month with doctors to get cancer diagnosis for mum
Clare Broadley claims she pleaded with medics for weeks for her mum's diagnosis.
Last updated 7th Sep 2021
A Lanarkshire woman is exclusively telling Clyde 1 about her month-long fight to get her mum diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Clare Broadley from Coatbridge claims she had started to notice some changes in 55-year-old, Elaine, over the last few months because she stopped going out as much.
She said: "We noticed she wasn't eating properly and we called a doctor who said she needed her bloods taken.
"The results came back and showed her iron levels were a bit high, but she was prescribed folic acid and sent home."
Clare, who lives with her mum, noticed there was still something not right about her and took her back to the doctors as it was sore for her to eat anything.
"I had a concern my mum wasn't telling the doctor everything because she doesn't like to worry anyone.
"Her bloods were taken again and we were told they were fine.
"I have the greatest amount of respect for health workers but to be told that they couldn't do anything for her was patronising."
"I had to beg them to take her"
Elaine's family later took her to A&E and she was prescribed some tablets for a chest infection after waiting more than 12 hours.
However, Clare had been keeping an eye on her mum's weight and noticed last week she had lost 12lbs in just 8 days.
"My mum's breathing had become heavy and so I dialled 999 and when the two paramedics arrived they told her that she needs to eat more to gain the weight back even though she was in pain.
"They were reluctant to take her into hospital and I had to beg them to take her."
"Medical professionals were telling us it was nothing"
Elaine's family were eventually told on Saturday that she has stomach cancer and a blood clot on her lung.
Such was the emergency of the situation, doctors at Monklands Hospital unusually gave them the diagnosis at the weekend and told them the cancer has spread.
Clare added: "It is heart-breaking to know she is going to die when she is just 55-years-old and the fear of the unknown is awful.
"When I spoke to her on Saturday she said she is just happy that it is not all in her head like she was made to believe.
"Medical professionals were telling us it was nothing and we started to believe them and I cannot believe my mum won't see her grandchildren grow up.
"We could have known this weeks ago."
"They seem to think every other illness has disappeared because of covid"
Elaine has been told by doctors she may be too ill for her body to respond to treatment for the cancer.
Clare said: "Somebody should have listened to us.
"They seem to think every other illness has disappeared because of covid and it has not."
"She may never be well enough for treatment"
It follows the death of Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding at the weekend to breast cancer after she delayed seeing her doctor because of the pandemic.
Clare is urging anyone who notices a change in their body to get checked out by medics.
"You need to fight to be seen.
"My mum didn't want to bother anyone by it, but we as a family were going to bother someone.
"She may never be well enough for treatment and she is now dying."
Karen Goudie, University Hospital Monklands chief of nursing services, said: “Due to patient confidentiality, we cannot discuss individual cases.
“We regret any instance where someone feels we have failed to provide the highest standard of care.
"We have a complaints process via our patient affairs team and we would always encourage anyone to contact us in this way if they wish to raise any concerns to allow them to be fully investigated.”