Any survivors on here, cardiac arrest, heart attack, cancer....

[Yorksman]

I remember the considerable opposition Obama faced with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Healthcare in the USA is a complete mystery to most europeans. The National Health Service in the UK which Colin referred to extends to most european countries too. Reciprocal agreements are in place. Last week I accidently cut a vein in my hotel in Germany and, being on blood thinners, free of charge like all other medicines for the over 60s in the UK, the blood came out in a thin jet. Within 5 mins an ambulance arrived, they applied a compression bandage and took me to the local hospital. There a doctor inspected and sewed the wound, gave me a letter to give to my doctor in the UK, protected the stiches with further dressings and called me a taxi to take me back to the hotel. The only thing I had to pay for was the taxi.

Showing the E111 card reminded me of the older American Express adverts, "that'll do nicely".

 

[Woodn88s]

Here's a US website that tells the story...The Healthcare Blue Book.
https://healthcarebluebook.com/
I spent ten days in hospital in 2012 for an entirely uncomplicated cardiac bypass graft. Prior to that I had had about half a dozen tests lasting about half an hour each. There were another half dozen brief consultations post-op to check progress before I was let loose on the bike again. The Blue Book showed that I would have been very approximately eighty or a hundred thousand pounds poorer if I had those procedures in the US. I mentioned this to my cardiologist at our last meeting three years ago. She said that the US health system was nothing short of an absolute scandal.

Yes it definitely is a scandal. Here's another example. Just a month ago I decided to have 2 metal fillings in my teeth removed and replaced with nonmetal fillings. while I was in the chair the dentist recommended that I have 2 crowns. Now I have Dental health insurance........the total cost of this work was $4000, my insurance paid $1000......I was stuck with the balance of $3000..........................They scare the public here every time someone brings up Canada's or England's govt. run healthcare with stories of people dieing as they wait months for an emergency procedure, it's all hogwash but somehow nothing gets done. We have a very scary election coming up. God help us.

 

[Woodn88s]

I remember the considerable opposition Obama faced with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Healthcare in the USA is a complete mystery to most europeans. The National Health Service in the UK which Colin referred to extends to most european countries too. Reciprocal agreements are in place. Last week I accidently cut a vein in my hotel in Germany and, being on blood thinners, free of charge like all other medicines for the over 60s in the UK, the blood came out in a thin jet. Within 5 mins an ambulance arrived, they applied a compression bandage and took me to the local hospital. There a doctor inspected and sewed the wound, gave me a letter to give to my doctor in the UK, protected the stiches with further dressings and called me a taxi to take me back to the hotel. The only thing I had to pay for was the taxi.

Showing the E111 card reminded me of the older American Express adverts, "that'll do nicely".

that is incredible, that bill would have been thousands here in the states.

 

[Yorksman]

They scare the public here every time someone brings up Canada's or England's govt. run healthcare with stories of people dieing as they wait months for an emergency procedure, it's all hogwash but somehow nothing gets done. We have a very scary election coming up. God help us.

There are waiting lists for certain procedures, say a hip replacement, but for emergency care, anyone has the right the turn up at the Accident and Emergency Dept of a hospital and get immediate treatment. The problem is, a lot of people abuse this and go there with minor ailments because they don't want to wait for an appointment to see their local general practitioner.

Last summer though, whilst waiting for cardioversion of an arrhythmia, I was on a turbo trainer and went into a ventricular tachycardia. My wife drove me to the local A&E where an ECG showed that I was in VT and I was cardioverted out of it under anaesthetic within 30 mins. They stuck me in a coronary ward, where I had to wait three days for an angiogram, which showed nothing and then another few days before they stuck an implantable cardiovertor defibrillator in me. When I was discharged after a few days observation, they gave me a home monitor which connects my ICD via bluetooth and then to the hospital computer via the cellular network. This is all free of charge but some people do complain about those days waiting for the procedure. They expect everything there and then with no waiting.

We also have private health insurers and private health hospitals and if you don't want to wait at all, you can use those. Even our local NHS hospital sends some patients, eg for piles, to the local private hospital and pays their bill. It's cheaper than them setting up to do it. However, no political party would win an election if they proposed abolishing the current system. In fact, it is often claimed during election campaigns that the other side 'has secret plans' as a crude slur.

I agree with you about the benefits of cycling. I have noticed what a big difference it makes. I'd like to go swimming regularly but that has recently become quite an expensive pastime if say, my wife and I wanted to go three or four times a week.

 

[ColinJ]

I agree with you about the benefits of cycling. I have noticed what a big difference it makes. I'd like to go swimming regularly but that has recently become quite an expensive pastime if say, my wife and I wanted to go three or four times a week.

It might be worth checking if you could get an annual pass to your sports centre/pool. The single adult pass here in Calderdale would cost me £236.50 per year with my over-60 'passport to leisure'. I thought about getting one but I calculated that I would have to average 3+ visits a week over the year and didn't think I would, given my preference for cycling.

 

[MrPie]

Felt like I just dodged another bullet. Found a lump on my breast about a month ago....Mrs Pie is a doc, so showed her...the look on her face said it all. Another wee feel around and located potentially swollen lymph nodes under arm pit = suspected breast cancer. Feckity feck! 2nd opinion from my GP confirmed suspected breast cancer and a very rapid appointment set up to see the specialist.....NHS was going to take 6 weeks, so a phone call to AXA PPP was a no brainear. Spent a week waiting for the appointment to come round: was in absolute turmoil, stress and anxiety thinking I was on the road to pegging it. Anyway, ultrasound, biopsy, and consult and it turns out to be lipoma....simple fatty lumps. Talk about relief!

Sorry Vern, but you'll have to wait a bit longer until we go for a ride over the big Ventoux in the sky. Think I may change my avatar to Boris the bullet dodger.

Anyway, moral of the story....male or female, check your baps folks. Do it now. Really, do it now.

 

[Katherine]

Felt like I just dodged another bullet. Found a lump on my breast about a month ago....Mrs Pie is a doc, so showed her...the look on her face said it all. Another wee feel around and located potentially swollen lymph nodes under arm pit = suspected breast cancer. Feckity feck! 2nd opinion from my GP confirmed suspected breast cancer and a very rapid appointment set up to see the specialist.....NHS was going to take 6 weeks, so a phone call to AXA PPP was a no brainear. Spent a week waiting for the appointment to come round: was in absolute turmoil, stress and anxiety thinking I was on the road to pegging it. Anyway, ultrasound, biopsy, and consult and it turns out to be lipoma....simple fatty lumps. Talk about relief!

Sorry Vern, but you'll have to wait a bit longer until we go for a ride over the big Ventoux in the sky. Think I may change my avatar to Boris the bullet dodger.

Anyway, moral of the story....male or female, check your baps folks. Do it now. Really, do it now.

Good to read your story.

 

[MrPie]

Thanks Regs! In Scotchland, so 2 week treatment option not available. Was mystified with the 6 week wait just for a consultation tbh.....it's not like ya got a flipping common cold FFS. My mother in law was treated for stage 2 breast cancer tail end of last tear. There was a que for her consultation, surgery and radiotherapy.....the actual care was impressive, but the timing was poor.

On the plus side, I had the same consultant as the MIL, and he was absolutely wonderful.

 

[classic33]

Glad you're OK but (unless you're in Wales or Scotland) a suspected cancer means you'd be seen and have your first definitive treatment within two weeks by the NHS.

Over four months from first suspicion by GP to first being seen by specialist. Further five months before treatment.

 

[vickster]

Over four months from first suspicion by GP to first being seen by specialist. Further five months before treatment.

When was that?

 

[PaulSB]

I thought I would make a quick comment to follow up my previous posts following my heart attack in October. On Sunday it will be seven months to the day.

My target was always to return to my usual life. I've been back on the bike for a month. Last Saturday I did 66 miles with my club. The last six miles from our meet point to home were tough. Normally I would expect to ride 75 miles without much discomfort.

I feel better than I have for years and expect to be up to speed on my bike in two months.

I'd like to encourage everyone, and I do appreciate the very diverse range of illness people face, that with a good positive attitude and medical care very significant, even 100%, recoveries are achievable.

Good luck to all.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Felt like I just dodged another bullet. Found a lump on my breast about a month ago....Mrs Pie is a doc, so showed her...the look on her face said it all. Another wee feel around and located potentially swollen lymph nodes under arm pit = suspected breast cancer. Feckity feck! 2nd opinion from my GP confirmed suspected breast cancer and a very rapid appointment set up to see the specialist.....NHS was going to take 6 weeks, so a phone call to AXA PPP was a no brainear. Spent a week waiting for the appointment to come round: was in absolute turmoil, stress and anxiety thinking I was on the road to pegging it. Anyway, ultrasound, biopsy, and consult and it turns out to be lipoma....simple fatty lumps. Talk about relief!

Sorry Vern, but you'll have to wait a bit longer until we go for a ride over the big Ventoux in the sky. Think I may change my avatar to Boris the bullet dodger.

Anyway, moral of the story....male or female, check your baps folks. Do it now. Really, do it now.

The waiting is scary. I too was lucky that I paid for private. Rushed straight in and had a mastectomy.....I didn't know blokes could get it either.

 

[ColinJ]

The waiting is scary. I too was lucky that I paid for private. Rushed straight in and had a mastectomy.....I didn't know blokes could get it either.

I didn't know until you told me but then another man I know developed it. Apparently, the lifetime risk for males is about 1 in 1,000 so it is rare but not unheard of.

 

[MrPie]

Sounds like you are doing fine just_fixed.....having spent a bunch of time on google....which the best and worst thing in the world......I now know that the odds are good for early diagnosis and treatment. Buy yeah, the wait, not knowing....sheer torture. I only really checked because i saw an awareness video. Been checking the downstairs dept for years......never really thought of moobs.

 

[RichK]

Just back from the hospital. I'm now "officially" on the waiting list for a prostatectomy. Expect a letter with the date in the next few days but have previously been told the wait is around six weeks.