HealthCare

I have more opportunity than most to worry about healthcare; not because I am particularly accident prone or sickly, but because I suffer from a chronic immune disease.  This is not a "wah wah, poor me" blog post, I have no room for sympathy in my relationship with my unruly immune system.  If I'm having a shitty day and all I want to do is curl up and feel sorry for myself, chances are that what I actually need is a large glass of wine and some cheerful company, or failing that an early night and a snuggle with the cat; what I really don't need is to sit down and think/discuss how shitty my day is.   I am not really one to revel in my misfortune and dwell on all the misery it may cause.  To borrow someone else's favourite turn of phrase: I prefer to "man up" and get on with it.

Anyway, what got me started worrying on the healthcare issue today, was a visit to a new physiotherapist.  The occupational health department at my work decided to trial a visiting physiotherapist over the next few weeks, and as I have some mobility issues I thought I'd sign myself up.  Several months ago (like, May) I started getting some really nasty back pain.  Floored me for a week or two, I could barely move.  My rheumatologist, and rheumatology physiotherapist agreed that it was down to inflammation in the small joints at the base of the spine, and irritation to the nerves caused by a disc prolapse (not the first time).  I saw a second rheumatology physiotherapist after several months of waiting, who agreed with the above and arranged to carry out a spinal epidural to ease the pain and swelling and get me back on my feet, so to speak.  I had waited 3 months to get to this stage and the epidural was booked for next week.
So I went to see this new physio through work and he announed (after 2 mins of looking at me and a quick prod) that its not the disc, its not the joints, its just muscular; he proceeded to acupuncture me in several places and declare that I "probably won't be needing that epidural after all".
WT actual F?  I will have waited the best part of four months for something I don't need, when your two little needle pricks could have fixed this months ago? Obviously I didn't say that, I politely agreed that I hoped the acupuncture would make a difference and would be pleased if the pain eased. 

Sadly, the pain hasn't eased much and I will still be having the epidural as planned.  But it worries me that healthcare professionals can come to such hugely varying diagnoses of the same set of symptoms.  Would it be cynical of me to suggest that the first person agreed with the second's diagnosis because it meant the problem would not be their's to solve?  Or that the third person based their's on the notes of the second, rather than on a thorough investigation of their own? And did the new physio, who clearly is a acupuncture enthusiast, tweak his diagnosis in favour of something that could be helped with acupuncture, as opposed to the disc prolapse, which couldn't.

I am often accused of being too cynical for my own good, but I can't help but wonder who is right and who is wrong in this story - because they can't all be right! And just imagine if this was the American insurance system, and my treatment was based on what my non-medically qualified insurance broker would agree to allow me to have?  Thank goodness that the grand old NHS is in safe hands, or who know's where I'd be going to next....

K x

Disability

I have been a little quiet of late - I can assure you this does not mean I have not had anything to worry about.  Anybody who has any kind of contact with current affairs can see that there are plenty of things to be worrying about: questionable cabinet re-shuffles; continuing desecration of our social welfare system; the appalling choices of presidential candidate in the US (more on this to follow, I am currently unable to put into words my concern over some of the men chosen by one of the most powerful nations in the world to represent them on an international level).

This week, however, I have been basking in the most glorious after-glow of a day at the London Paralypic Games.  Not only is the Olympic Park awesome and the venues well designed and attractive, but the atmosphere of the athletics stadium was one of the most intensely exciting and indescribable experiences I have ever had.  We sung the National Anthem patriotically (and politely stood to all the other nations' anthems too), we cheered on every race and every throw and every jump, and we yelled and screamed and jumped about as David Weir came storming home to win gold in the final race of the night.  It was an absolutely unforgettable experience, and one which I am very glad to have been able to share with someone very special to me.

In the lead-up to the Games I was excited to discover that there would be athletes taking part that suffer from the same chronic immune disease as I do - specifically Leigh Walmsey for Team GB archery.  I started to realise that although suffering from RA does not make me look different to other people - I have all my limbs and my mental faculties (most of the time) -  as a sufferer myself I didn't truly consider it a disability - I had never before truly considered myself disabled.

The Paralympics has shown Great Britain and the world that people with disabilities can be superhuman, showing incredible strength, courage, grit and determination to achieve their goals.  I hope that one legacy of London 2012 will be greater understanding and compassion towards people with disabilities, and I am proud to stand up (gently) and be counted as one of them.  I may not be comparable to the stars of the Paralympics, but in my own small way I hope that I might be part of the legacy and help keep the spirit and overwhelming positivity of the last ten days alive in myself and those around me.

K x