Neuroboob: a neuropsychologist's experience of being a patient (breast cancer and brain tumours).: Public vs private

Background and overview

I learnt more about the health system from being an inpatient than I had in 20 years of working as a neuropsychologist. I was unexpectedly diagnosed with two brain tumours on 4/9/13. They turned out to be grade IV Gliomas (glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)). After removal of the right parietal and left occipital tumours, I received the standard treatment under the Stupp protocol (combined Temozolamide (TMZ) and conformal radiotherapy 5 days/week for 6 weeks), but the TMZ had to be ceased after 5 weeks because I had started to develop pancytopenia, where more than one of my blood counts had begun to drop. By Christmas 2013, I had become anaemic and needed a couple of blood transfusions. I ended up in hospital for 3 weeks of the 2014 new year after experiencing my first seizure (suggestive of a right temporal lobe focus) on 31/12/13). They were so worried about my bone marrow, they did a biopsy. Luckily, it was all clear of any nasty disorders. It had just been suppressed by the TMZ My blood counts slowly returned to normal with daily injections of GCSF, which stimulate bone marrow function, for several months. For 17 months I was doing better each day, without any physical impairments or major cognitive problems A third brain tumour was found in the right temporal lobe on 2/1/15, and removed 6/1/15, only to reappear on 17/2/15 after I started to feel vague symptoms at the end of 2014. I had my 4th round of brain surgery on 1/3/15, followed by stereotaxic radio surgery of a residual, inoperable, tumour, on 17/4/15. I've been feeling like my old self again since that highly precise form of radiotherapy, and it feels fabulous.

My way of coping.

I choose to live in hope that everything will work out for the best. I've learnt that even though things are sometimes unpleasant, life and love go on forever. I put my faith in the life force that created and unites us all in love, across all time, space, and dimensions. I refuse to succumb to fear, which is an invention of our imaginations. There are an infinite number of things to fear, both in this world an in our imaginations, and most of them never eventuate. I choose not to dwell on them, and to focus instead on counting my many blessings, current and past, and to have faith and hope that if I look after the present moment, the future will look after itself.

If you're reading, and haven't been in touch, please don't be shy, send me a brief private message using the contact form on the right. It's nice to know who's out there. Blogging can leave me feeling a little isolated at times (I used to have recurrent dreams of being out on a limb over a canyon, or of starting to strip off in a crowded waiting room). Your emails are appreciated, although I can't necessarily answer all of them.

Tuesday, 27 May 2014

Public vs private

Pooh! Literally.

I declined the laparoscopy this morning because I was feeling better,all the surgeons seemed dubious about the chance of it detecting anything, it's more invasive and has a longer recovery time than the other scopes, and I figured I could always come back if the pain, nausea, and vomiting returned.

I was all packed and ready to go home this evening when my bowels suddenly started working, my tummy started cramping, and the nausea returned. I've decided to spend another night in here rather than risk going home and have to come back in via emergency again, which would mean waiting for a bed. If things don't improve overnight, I'll have the laparoscopy tomorrow.

I feel very disappointed and sooky. I want to go home, I don't want to stay here, but I don't want to go through the pain, nausea, vomiting admission again, and the waiting in emergency for a bed.

Soneone made a comment on Facebook last week that they chose to be treated in the private health system because they "didn't want to hog a public hospital bed." I've been puzzled by that comment all week. We all pay for public hospitals through our taxes, and they're here for us to access when we get sick. How is it "hogging" a bed to use one when you need it? I always elect to be admitted as a private patient when I come here because it means the hospital gets money from my private insurer for my admission. (And it gets me a paper each day and free tv- it doesn't guarantee a private room, as they're allocated on clinical need). I've never had to make a copayment due to an arrangement between my hospital and insurer. And while I can choose my admitting doctor, I have also been seen by several other members of the medical and surgical teams - something that wouldn't be as available in the private hospital.

I think it is misinformed and rather insensitive to imply that someone with private health insurance who goes to a public hospital is hogging a public hospital bed.

Elective surgery is the only exception I can think of right now, where private insurance helps take the weight off the overburdened public system by diverting joint replacements and other non-urgent procedures to the private system. That's why i have private insurance, to help get non urgent things done quickly, to cover dental expenses and new glasses, not so I can have a fancy room and menu when I'm truly ill. Private hospitals often don't deal well with serious or complicated health issues, and we all have the right to be treated in the public system through being part of a tax-paying society. To disagree is akin to saying that those who can afford to pay should have to send their children to private schools, this depriving excellent state schools of funding and diversity, and further entrenching a class-system in Australia. I regret sending my kids to a private school for primary school, I think they have missed out on a more diverse and enriching experience than they would have received at the local state school.