Take Your Own Responsibility,not Rely On Others

[ickihun]

I think the OP does a disservice to the medical profession. To say they 'don't give a hoot' is simply wrong. Most people who go into health care, and I count myself amongst them, went into it because they genuinely want to help people and don't like to see them suffer. The times I spent talking to unconscious and often dying patients in the middle of the night, hoping in some small way that a part of them knew they were not alone, was not because I was being paid to do it or because it was easy but because I sincerely wanted to do the best I could for them - even if that best was simply holding their hand while they died.

Of course there is often a degree of professional detachment in health care professionals but that serves two purposes - it helps that person make the best, logical and reasonable decision about the way to treat a patient and it also protects the health professional from suffering too much and too often from the inevitable emotional pain they feel after day after day, week after week and year after year of seeing people suffer and die.

The Samaritans do the same. They are there in your hours of need. They don't cost as much as medical personnel thou.
The annual diabetic review is too basic for the vunerable. More is needed for them.
I hugely appreciate any nhs staff, including the porters and cleaners. Without them I'd be dead. Some feel the same way about the Samaritans. Although hugely mental illness cases, mainly. Shame they cannot amalgamate to benefit the mentally vunerable in a fast tick box system.

 

[Triffo]

Time and time again i read on this forum people becoming depressed and even disillusioned with their diabetes.

They feel no one is helping them , they feel like they’ re at times climbing a mountain.

Now this could be because of a number of reasons,they feel the nurse ,hospital or doctor doesnt care or they feel they are not receiving good treatment etc

But the point is ,no one really cares. Yes you heard it right ,no one but yourself gives a hoot about your health
You have to keep your own health recird,make sure you eat the right foods,make sure you exercise,make sure you check your feet ,make sure you take your medicatiins becUse sadly no one else will.....not unless your married i guess which im not

You have to do your own research ,do your own study thru this forum and youtube

I didnt know we get discounts in my State of NSW on diabetes equipment thru the Govt both State and Federal ,i had to research this ,i had to ring the NSW STate diabetes association etc and ask

I had to ask questions on this forum and im slowly learnt more about diabetes in one week than i did in a lifetime,im no expert but im getting there and yes sure i have put others things on the backburner for my health.

I no longer work a lot of overtime consuming energy drinks etc ,some things have suffered but i prefer my health than money
And i know some of you get sick of having this disease and the lengths sometimes u have to go to.

Now i felt the same way earlier, but i took responsibility with my own treatment and health .

As soon as i was disgnosed type 2 i rang around many specialists, diabetes organisations and clinics,some didnt even to return my call ,some said they are too busy etc

Ironically my GP when referring me to a Diabetes specialist (endocrinologist) asked me if i wanted one who i could pay or wait on the public hospital system.

Now i thought even though the Public hospital system is free ,with the stories I hear I could be waiting months with all the stories i have heard about with the Public hospital system,AND i pay $220 a month in private health insurance anyway
so i said to my GP, yes refer me to a private practice Endocrinologist,so he wrote the letter and then faxed ny blood results to Professir blah blah’s office.

I rang the number of the good professor and the receptionist told me yes Professor blah blah can see me at a cost of $480 !
And they dont accept private health insurance rebates but can claim back $120 on the Federal Govt medicare.

Thinking of my health and its urgency i said yes to the receptionist to give professor Blah blah half my weekly pay packet for the 20 or so minutes he will see me before he pushes me out the door and rubs his hands in glee thinking of his new Porsche.

She kept repeating you have the cash right? I said yes im willing to give Professor blah blah my $480 to save my life, i begged
She said ok,can you give me your Credit Card details as we like you to pay a 50% deposit first and you must cancel 14 days beforehand to get a full refund

Of course !!!! i said anxiously,thinking of my health and the fact i could go blind and have no feet if i dont give Professor blah blah half my weekly wage of $480 for his miracle 20 minutes of time

“ but when can i see the good Professor I asked before I gave the receptionist my CC details

Well, she started looking ..””..ummmmm i have to give the distinguished Professor your referral letter and he reads it first ...and he will then tell me “ she says
“ well ok but i would like a date first before i give you my CC details, i said to her

Well she wasnt happy before slamming down the phone so i didnt think i would hear from her again so i felt geez what have i done ! Now im going to die without the good professor ,i need to ring back even offer him double the money , apologise ,beg to her,im sorry ,im sorry ,im sorry ,i will be nice and give you my Cc details immediately

But ....lo and behold the nasty receptionist rang back, its Professor blah blah’s office she said on me answering the phone.
I thought the moment they came to their senses and will give me a urgent appointment because im paying.

“ well Sir , she started, “ Professor blah blah can see you on 28th August at 1pm “
“28 August !!!! I said back gobsmacked ,thats 2 months away !!!

“ yes the Professor is very busy so if we could have your CC details please”

Now i decided in that split second to say nope,i will find someone else, she said back to me “well goodluck with that !,before she again slammed the phone down in my ear.

Now i dont know about you but if im paying $480 and getting only about $120 back from the Federal Governments Medicare program i expect to see a specialist quickly if im paying , not waiting 2 months away!

Now im not sure why the good professor couldnt see me earlier,maybe playing golf or holidaying in the Bahamas perhaps or whatever so i took my own responsibility,and yes i got depressed because i was newly diagnosed AND back to square one !!
So i thought i would call my GP and make a appointment for him to refer me to another specialist.
But he is sick for a few days says his young receptionist , I thought of going to another GP but they all charged a hefty fee but my GP bulk bills free using the Govt medicare program and i didnt want to ask another GP who didnt know about my case.

So... this is getting tough i thought , so i rang the State diabetes association,the call looks as though its referred to the Phillipines call centre
I rang again another person same accent before , so anyway , i told them i wanted to speak to a diabetes specialist,she said this is the call centre and will pass my message onto the Nurse

We will get Diabetes Nurse to call you back said the lady on the other end probaly answering from Manila city on the other side of the World

Yeah sure you will i thought ,not expecting a immediate phone call. In fact not expecting a call back.

Well 5 minutes later.....the phone rang from the State Diabetes Association

The lady on the other end had a Irish accent and i didnt have the nerve to ask her if she was calling from the UK but anyway she turned out to be a lovely lady telling me to fax my Professor blah blah referral into my local public hospitals diabetes clinic and it didnt matter it was addressed to him just put down I changed my mind about going to him and want to change to them,no need for the GP to confirm or approve it.

I did find it a bit hard in understanding her but she was very informative but for some reason she did dodge my question twice when i asked her if she was in Australia,i dont know if my State Diabetes Organisation use overseas nursing services to answer diabetes questions , not that i cared because she was more than helpful and knew the State health system well.

I told her of my concern about the long waiting list for public hospitals,and she said that wasnt in every case and to try to fax my referral immediately to my local public hospital diabetes clinic and wait their phone call

So.... not having a fax i trotted down to a internet cafe and paid them to fax it to the public hospital.....well lo and behold 30 minutes later i get a call from the public hospital diabetes clinic

She was a nursing triage there and she asked me a ton questions even though it was all written in the refferal letter, Whats your weight? Experiencing any diziness? Medications? Etc etc
,she didnt sound the nicest but she seemed firm and then she said your appointment at the public hospital health clinic is next Thursday and you will be there all day and you will arrive 10am and see a foot specialist,a diabetic nurse, a dietician and a Professor doctor .....and its all free under the public hospital system !!!!!!!!

Now i didnt ask if the Professor I was seeing on the day was Professor blah blah ,but i will laugh if it is saving myself $480

Now it goes to show you that sometimes you have to push yourself because others wont do it for you!!

It also goes to show that sometimes private treatment isnt any faster than the public hospital system and who kniws their Public hospital Professor maybe even better than Professor blah blah ! And lo and behold it even could be the good Professor himself !!!!!

I agree that we as individuals should take responsibility for our own health. How we do this, whether finding the support systems like this forum and the NHS or finding the right healthcare as in other countries, is really up to us. Since diagnosis I have had my ups and downs both with my health and various interactions with medical staff. There has been three constants since diagnosis, The NHS, this forum and me. All are important but the most important is me. It’s the work I’ve put in that has got me where I am. Could I have done without the other two, not on your life. It is the hard work and tenacity that we all employ that leads to our successes.