My Wednesday phone call from the powers that be never happened, apparently, the secretary is now off sick and with the surgeon on holiday I wasn't sure where to go next, then out of the blue I received a phone call from the Hospital in Leicester..... "We have you booked in for a pre-surgery assessment on Friday 15th July 2011 but do not have any paperwork for your procedure",............. Why did that not surprise me....... not wishing to lose this spot, I contacted the health care scheme paying for this (I hope) and spoke to the the clinical care manager Julia Poxon RGN. Julia was extremely helpful and after phone calls and phoning back (bonus!!) I have been assured that I will have my order numbers to go ahead and should be able to keep to the 15th. Ahhhhhhhhhh. I'm sorry but at this point I have to draw comparisons with my experiences of the private health care system in Australia. No comparison !!!!
In Oz once diagnosed with bowel cancer, literally, my feet never touched the ground, the Surgeon actually telephoned me at home, personally, with plans on what was going to happen, offer advice etc. In a little under three weeks I went from Colonoscopy to Colorectal Surgeon to home, with the offending article removed. Well done you guys. Purely as comparison my CT scan of 13th May 2011 in the UK is the reason I'm now writing this blog and the start of my second battle ..... I'm still not sure when or where the procedure will take place, whether NHS or private, but maybe I've been unlucky with the system on this occasion. I have had some very good experiences with the NHS and as recently as last month when my father was taken to Worthing hospital for a short stay. From paramedics to ambulance to hospital staff were brilliant.
I didn't really use the health care system during my years in South Africa apart from eye care and the birth of my youngest son Jarrod. Jarrod was born at Westville Hospital near Durban, both experiences were via private medical and both pretty good, I have however witnessed some horrific scenes whilst managing security guards at Kwa-Mashu township clinic and other Durban hospitals.
Wendy
Driving to Colchester this morning I began to get really angry at the situation that John is having to go through, that we all are having to go through. Why? Yes I know that there is always someone worse off than yourself, but Why? Why do we have to go through these range of emotions, shock, sadness, anger I do not want to get to the stage of resigning to the fact, at the moment I am angry! I have known John for a long time, been married for almost 13 years, got a wonderful daughter and he has got three fantastic boys. Over the next few weeks I am sure that we are going to really go on a roller coaster ride of emotions. But most of all I really don't like the feeling of being vulnerable...and at the moment that is what I am feeling, and that is also what is making me feel angry. I am a strong person, and can normally face any situation, but I am scared that I won't be able to stay strong for John, because I am breaking as well.
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