She listened to health messages, advising women to check their breasts regularly. So when Pam Turner found a pea-sized lump in her breast, she knew she had to act.

She was referred to Castle Hill Hospital for tests after going to see her GP but, within days, her life was turned upside down when she discovered she had breast cancer.

Now, four years later, Pam is supporting Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and give hope to other women facing the same situation.

She said: “I don’t feel I can ever say it’s gone. That anxiety will always be with me.

“But, in some respects, I am really grateful to cancer because I live every single day to the full and it’s given me confidence to do things I never thought I would do.”

Pam, a high-level teaching assistant at Lockington Primary in the East Riding, discovered the lump in her breast in June 2014, waited a couple of weeks to see if it would disappear and then went to her GP.

Referred to the Breast Care Unit at Castle Hill Hospital, she underwent a biopsy and was called back into the unit to be told the lump was cancerous.

“Your mind goes blank and your world turns upside down in that split moment,” she said.

After an MRI scan, Pam was introduced to Macmillan Nurses who supported her throughout her journey.

“Everyone at the unit is just amazing,” she said. “The Macmillan Nurses are fantastic for anyone in that situation.

“You come out of the consulting room with all this information and it’s so overwhelming but with them, you have the opportunity to be taken to one side and think through your options.”

Pam underwent two lumpectomies but the surgeries revealed further tumours so she had to have a bilateral mastectomy followed by chemotherapy.

She was helped staff and counsellors at the Oncology Health Centre at the Queen’s Centre, who helped her cope with what she described as the “massive trauma” of losing both her breasts at the age of 47.

“You get your last chemotherapy and everyone says how fantastic it is and it’s over but it felt to me almost liked I had been rushed through a massive whirlwind where my life had been turned upside down.”

As well as the support of the Oncology Health Centre, Pam joined Positive Note, the choir formed by the Living With and Beyond Cancer team to support those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

She said: “The choir has been an absolute lifeline for me. I’ve met such wonderful people, people affected by cancer in different ways.

“Some people have lost relatives through cancer, some have been on a similar journey as me and some have a terminal diagnosis but we all support each other. The lift you get from singing is just amazing.”

Pam underwent reconstructive surgery in October 2015 and is still on medication to reduce the risk of cancer returning.

She said: “While I don’t feel I’ll say it’s gone, I do feel like I’m in remission. Next year, I will be having a party to mark five years.

“I just try to live to the full every day and do things I never did before.

“I’ve been hang-gliding, I’ve been on the longest zip wire in the world, I’ve been rock-climbing – none of these things I had ever imagined I would do before I had cancer.”

A bus driver has raised more than £2,000 to thank hospital physiotherapists for helping his wife recover from a massive stroke.

Dave Gray, who works for East Yorkshire Motor Services (EYMS), walked more than 20 miles from the firm’s Anlaby Road depot to Hornsea bus depot with his friends and workmates Graham Franklin and Andy Cope to thank staff for saving his wife Denise.

Dave and Denise Gray

The couple’s daughter Danielle said: “We just can’t thank staff enough for all they’ve done, not just for my Mum but for all of us.

“From the emergency staff to the nurses on ICU and the staff on both wards, we are in their debt. We couldn’t have asked for better support.”

Danielle found Denise, 50, unconscious in bed when she went round to their home one morning in April after her mother failed to answer the telephone.

Denise, who worked as a cook in a care home and had been at work just two days before, was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary where emergency doctors discovered she had suffered a massive stroke. Dave, Danielle and her brother Martin were told to prepare for the worst.

Within an hour of arriving at hospital, Denise was undergoing brain surgery and then spent 10 days in Intensive Care.

She was taken to the Hyper Acute Stroke Unit on Ward 110 and then Ward 11 to continue her recovery.

Danielle said: “Right from the start, her physio Dan Pearce was amazing and we are just so grateful to him.

“He would come and find us to tell us even the smallest bit of positive news because he knew what it would mean to us. He was so understanding.”

With Dan’s support and the care of the nursing team, Denise relearned some of the skills she had lost when she had the stroke, learning how to support herself, sit up and hold things during her 15 weeks in hospital.

(left to right) Graham Franklin, Dave Gray and Andy Cope

She has now been discharged and is continuing her rehabilitation at Rossmore Nursing Home in Sunnybank, going from strength to strength.

Dave and his friends carried out the sponsored walk between the two depots to raise money for the physiotherapy team as a way of thanking them for their help. They have now returned to the stroke unit to hand over the donation.

Danielle said: “It was just something my Dad wanted to do because of all the support and help our family has received.”

A nurse specialising in the care of patients with dementia has received “fidget bears” from Hull’s knitting community.

Lead dementia nurse Kay Brighton, who works in the Department of Elderly Medicine at Hull Royal Infirmary, appealed for help to create the bears.

The bears loop over the fingers of patients affected by memory loss, confusion or delirium, meaning they are less likely to pull out intravenous lines and drips delivering essential fluids and medication.

Kay said: “People often send us twiddle muffs which are brightly coloured knitted tubes fashioned with buttons, bows and ribbons to help us calm patients who need to keep their hands busy.

“However, these ‘fidget bears’ are also a great idea because our patients can hold them in their hands and they act as a distraction and source of comfort which can prevent the accidental removal of intravenous lines.”

From left: Kay Brighton, Sarah Rippingale, Sam Geal and Dr Yoghini Nagandran

Kay and her colleagues working in the Department of Elderly Medicine handed out around 100 patterns to knitters as part of the “knit one purl one” campaign during the Health Expo in Hull, marking the 70^th anniversary of the NHS in July.

She said: “People were very kind, asking how they could help. Our knitters are always so supportive and we’re very grateful for their help.

“With the weather turning colder, people are picking up their knitting needles again so we’re starting to receive fidget bears in the post from those who took a pattern home with them.

“On behalf of our patients, we’d just like to thank everyone for all their support.”

Midwives and child care experts will stage a special event at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital on Tuesday to mark the start of Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is supporting the 60 charities raising awareness of miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss in the UK.

Stalls will be set up next to the Orchard Café on the ground floor of the hospital to educate families on the dangers of smoking in pregnancy or around babies, safer sleeping techniques and how to monitor babies’ movement during pregnancy.

Information will also be given out on child safety such as fire safety, how to fit a car seat correctly and how to help your baby if they are choking at the event, running from 10am to 4pm.

Head of Midwifery Janet Cairns said: “We are working hard to reduce stillbirths, miscarriages and baby deaths in the UK in line with the Government ambition to halve rates by 2025 but we understand how devastating the loss of one baby is to their family.

“We want parents to have practical advice so they know how to keep their baby safe during pregnancy and after their babies are born.

“The vast majority of women have healthy pregnancies and births so no one should feel unduly alarmed. However, understanding how to keep your baby safe and taking steps to reduce risks are essential parts of the journey to parenthood.”

According to Tommy’s charity, one in four women will experience a miscarriage in their lifetime and nine babies are stillborn every day in the UK. In 2016, there were 3,430 stillbirths and 2,136 neonatal deaths.

Baby Loss Awareness Week culminates in the “Wave of Light” global event on Monday, October 15, to coincide with International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Candles will be lit across Hull and the East Riding at 7pm and will burn for one hour in homes, groups and communal spaces to remember all the babies who have died.

People can take part in the virtual Wave of Light by posting a photo of their lit candle on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #WaveOfLight at 7pm.

More women with breast cancer are surviving without the need for major surgery compared to 30 years ago, a consultant oncologist has revealed.

Breast cancer specialist Dr Sunil Upadhyay, who works at the Queen’s Centre in Cottingham, said medical advances used by the team mean the majority of women no longer require mastectomies.

Instead, most women from Hull, East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire undergo lumpectomies to remove the tumour or therapies such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy without having their breasts removed.

The team, based at Castle Hill Hospital, are also able to harvest eggs and save ovaries to protect younger women’s chances of motherhood. They can also use special “cold caps” to try to prevent a woman losing her hair during chemotherapy.

At the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr Upadhyay sent out a positive message to women diagnosed with the condition.

“I’m not just saying we’ve got better at treating breast cancer – we’ve got miles better,” he said.

“Since the 1990s, survival rates, not just for five or 10 years but the ‘cured for good’ rate, have been going up and up and up.

“Not only are more women surviving, we’re also providing people with better support before, during and after treatment.”

The Queen’s Centre, regarded as a UK centre of excellence in oncology care, sees around 600 women with breast cancer each year.

Dr Upadhyay is part a multi-disciplinary team of consultants, breast surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, breast care nurses and support staff who meet every week to discuss the best course of treatment for each patient.

With vast experience after more than 27 years at the trust, Dr Upadhyay said more women are coming forward than ever before thanks to the national breast cancer screening programme. Campaigns such as encouraging women to check their own breasts regularly have also seen earlier diagnosis, allowing more women to survive.

“The treatment has become better with the number of mastectomies going down significantly,” Dr Upadhyay said. “Local excision of the tumour (lumpectomy) is now much more common.

“Even when women present with large tumours, we’ve become very good at shrinking them with chemotherapy or hormone therapy so patients don’t need mastectomies.”

For the small number of women who still need a mastectomy, the team ensures she has reconstructive surgery while still on the operating theatre to minimise psychological trauma.

Dr Upadhyay said: “We can now offer immediate breast reconstruction with the help of our plastic surgeons so when the women wake up, they have a reconstructed breast already.

“That is definitely a good thing for the patients and their nearest and dearest but it’s also a good thing for other women with breast cancer to know.”

The team can also access latest drugs now available to NHS patients for tailor-made treatment plans.

Dr Upadhyay said: “Over the last 10 years, six or seven new drugs have become available to NHS patients allowing us to personalise treatment in a way that wasn’t possible before.

“One person might get Treatment A while the other gets Treatment B because we know every woman is different with different types of cancers.

“These drugs mean we can offer the treatment that is going to work best for them. Not only does this produce the best outcome, it also means fewer unnecessary side-effects.”

He said new methods of radiotherapy like the Deep Inspirational Breath-Hold (DIBH) technique and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) limit damage to other organs and bones and reduce scarring to breast tissue.

“The outcomes are brilliant and the side effects are minimal compared to what we used to see 30 years ago,” he said. “And the best thing is all of these techniques we are able to offer patients right here at Castle Hill.”

As well as better treatment, the emotional and psychological needs of patients and families are also looked after by the team at the Oncology Health Centre.

Dr Upadhyay said: “We not only aim to give people the best treatment, we want to make sure they are supported too.

“While no one wants to hear they have breast cancer. But what we can say now is that things have really improved.”

A choir helping people whose lives have been touched by cancer is looking for a new leader.

Positive Note was set up by the Living With and Beyond Cancer team at Castle Hill Hospital to help survivors, people currently undergoing treatment, those with terminal diagnoses and relatives.

Now, the choir, which meets every week, is looking for someone with musical ability to direct their singers.

Specialist oncology nurse Sarah Guest, who leads the Living With and Beyond Cancer team, said: “The choir is a fantastic way for people to make new friends with people who understand what they are going through and share experiences.

“We’re looking for someone who can give us great musical direction and mirror the energy and enthusiasm of our members.”

Between 20 to 30 singers meet every Tuesday night during term-time between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. They have already performed at charity events and been asked to sing at weddings for people undergoing treatment at the Queen’s Centre.

Anyone interested in the position of choir leader or who would like to join the choir should contact Sarah on 01482 461091.

Hundreds of patients awaiting the removal of cataracts are set to benefit after Hull partnered with US eye health giant Bausch and Lomb to trial new laser technology.

Hull Eye Hospital has just taken delivery of the Victus 3^rd Generation Femtosecond Laser Platform

Surgeons at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will use the technology to operate on patients undergoing cataract removal surgery for the next month.

The laser emits pulses lasting one quadrillionth of a second, allowing incisions to be made with increased precision. The ultra-short pulses also assist the surgeon by breaking down the cataract into small pieces before the procedure to remove it begins.

Ophthalmic surgeon Colin Vize, Medical Director of the Family and Women’s Health Group, said: “We see around 5,000 patients every year for the removal of cataracts and they already benefit from a great service where we correct any problems with their vision at the same time.

“This trial means our patients can now benefit further because our team can use the latest technology during surgery.

“It’s great news for Hull and further underlines our reputation in delivering great care to our patients.”

A mum has praised Hull’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after her son was born with a rare condition affecting just one in 5,000 babies.

Harry Smith was born with Hirschsprung’s disease, a rare and life-threatening disorder of the bowel.

He was rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital and underwent three biopsies, a barium x-ray and a colostomy by the time he was six weeks old.

Now seven months old, Harry is recovering after undergoing “pull-through” surgery to re-section his bowel.

Mum Vicki, 30, said:  “My view is he had this, he had to get it fixed or he would die. And that’s why he’s here, rolling around on the carpet.

“Babies born with Hirschsprung’s disease have a low chance of survival without intervention so, for me, it had to be done.”

Hirschsprung’s disease is a congenital disorder where nerve cells do not develop through the full length of the bowel. Babies with the condition are unable to push faeces through the bowel in the usual way.

The disease can cause severe constipation or enterocolitis, a serious bowel infection, if it is not identified and treated early enough.

Vicki and husband Mike, who live in Selby and have a three year-old daughter Lily, were overjoyed when Harry was born at York Hospital weighing 8lb 2oz in February.

Only able to manage small feeds, Harry was vomiting them back up again and was taken to the Special Care Baby Unit with a distended stomach.

Symptoms of Hirschsprung’s disease in a newborn include the failure to pass meconium, a swollen stomach and vomiting green fluid known as bile.

As Harry had passed a small amount of meconium, the disorder was initially discounted.  An x-ray showed free air in his bowel so he was transferred to Hull’s NICU when he was three days old.

Vicki said: “I was able to stay with Harry while he was in NICU and they were really good.

“It was difficult, living 40 miles away and having a three year-old at home, but I was able to stay with Harry and get home when I could.”

Consultant Paediatric Surgeon Sanja Besarovic, known to families as Miss B, suspected Harry had Hirschsprung’s disease despite him passing meconium.

“Miss B is definitely the person you want to look after your child when they are sick,” said Vicki.

Harry was allowed home after nine days after he managed to pass faeces and started tolerating feeds but his parents had to rush him back to NICU three days later when his bowel became blocked again.

Vicki and Mike travelled back and forward to Hull for weeks so Harry could be given enemas to clear his bowel.

None of the biopsies or the barium x-ray provided conclusive confirmation of the condition and, when he was six weeks old, Harry underwent a colostomy to create a temporary opening in his stomach to collect faeces.

It was only then, when cell samples were taken from his bowel during surgery, that a diagnosis of Hirschsprung’s disease could be confirmed.

Following the colostomy, Harry started to thrive.

When he was five months old, the affected part of the bowel was removed and the healthy section was connected directly to the anus to allow faeces to be passed, reversing the colostomy.

Harry spent two days in the paediatric high dependency unit at Hull Royal Infirmary before he was transferred to Acorn children’s ward for seven days.

Vicki said: “He’s doing really well now and we continue to receive support from Miss B when needed. I would just like to raise awareness of this condition through education and give a big thanks to Miss B and her team.”

Ophthalmology Consultant Colin Vize shares his top tips for healthy eyes as part of National Eye Health Week

• Make sure you go for an eye test every two years. This applies to children as well as adults and, if you’re over 40, you might need to go more often
• Know your history. Ask family members about their eye health as some conditions are hereditary. Problems experienced by older relatives may mean you’re at higher risk of developing problems so your optician needs to know
• Watch your diet. Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, especially green leafy veg like spinach, kale and spring greens, is good for eye health. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids such as fresh tuna and salmon are also ideal for healthy eyes
• Stick to a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of diabetes which can lead to vision loss through diabetic eye disease or glaucoma
• Wear protective safety glasses, goggles, safety shields and eye guards when playing sports or doing DIY and tasks around the house
• Stop smoking. It’s linked to age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and optic nerve damage, all of which can cause blindness
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays. Ensure they block out both UVA and UVB rays
• If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen, adopt the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain
• If you wear contact lenses, always wash your hands thoroughly before taking them out or putting them in. Make sure you follow your optician’s advice on insertion and removal.

People are risking blindness by drinking too much and continuing to smoke, a hospital eye surgeon has warned at the start of National Eye Health Week.

Consultant Ophthalmologist Colin Vize of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said changing unhealthy lifestyles now can help prevent sight loss as you grow older.

Mr Vize said smokers and heavy drinkers are more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of sight loss in the UK.

And smokers are also more likely to develop cataracts sooner than non-smokers.

Mr Vize, based at Hull and East Yorkshire Eye Hospital, said: “We tend to take our sight for granted, with little thought to how blindness or the deterioration in our sight would impact on us.

“But losing your sight is devastating. Taking sensible steps to improve your lifestyle now can mean you’ve got a far reduced chance of developing problems in the future.”

With National Eye Health Week running from September 24 to 30, Mr Vize is advising people to reduce their risk of developing eye disease by stopping smoking.

People should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread over three or more days. Having drink-free days in the week can also help cut your alcohol consumption.

The over 60s , people from Afro-Caribbean or South Asian backgrounds, people with a learning disability and those with a history of eye disease in their families are at greater risk of developing conditions such as glaucoma and diabetes.

Mr Vize said everyone should go for an eye test every two years although people over 40 and those from black or minority ethnic groups may require tests more often. Drivers should also get their eyes checked regularly to ensure they can fulfil the legal requirement to read a number plate from 20 metres or face losing their licence.

Eye tests not only alert your optician to your need for glasses or a change in an existing prescription, they can also detect early problems before you’re aware of any other symptoms.

Children should also get their vision checked every two years.

Mr Vize said: “People should visit their optician or GP if they have concerns about their vision at any time, even if they are not due an appointment.

“These are the simple steps people can take to protect their sight and ensure their eyes remain healthy throughout their lives.”