Ireland: a Modern Country With a Third World Health Service
This is the story of “Rosie”, who had to wait seven months, since the terrible Irish Health Board, a consultant colon cancer.
This was the actual name of the brave ladies Susie Long, and he died in October 2007. . . They never had the opportunity, because they do not have health insurance. She left behind two teenage children.
Below is his letter to our national broadcaster RTE. . . Joe Duffy’s Live Line Program.
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Dear Joe,
Today I had my 12th Session chemotherapy. I need a partner a man who was always talking about chemistry. He told me that when her partner GP colonoscopy him, he was placed in the order of treatment is needed. Then the hospital called and told them that he had private health insurance, and he had seen three days later. He had colon cancer, which had been developed but not yet broken in the intestinal wall and spread to other organs. He said the tumor size of fist, and making him go to the doctor (apart from their nagging), he had begun to lose weight quickly. Thank God that they have the time, and he is back.
Then I came home, turned on TV and went to sleep. The first ad on television, said the government people that cancer can be fatal, but if caught in time. If Bertie Ahern or Mary Harney or Michael McDowell were within reach I would have killed him. Literally. I’m not kidding.
I do not have private health insurance. This is a long story, so I’ll start from the beginning.
I have suffered from indigestion years. It began with an inability to eat or in the morning when my stomach felt tense. I’m feeling queasy. Then I got heartburn after everything I just ate. I lived in Rennie. Then, in 2005, I got a lot of diahrea, and after a few months, and is continuing with some of my blood in stool. I went to the GP clinic in summer 2005. Probably about two months after the blood appeared. I look back and feel silly to me to delay for two months, but I was not sure whether the blood is caused by the piles, which was my late mother. I was 39 years old and was heard to say in books, reading and TV doctor that the cancer does not have any effect on people less than 50 In any case, my normal GP on vacation, but I saw his colleagues, and they immediately sent a local hospital by sonogram and colonoscopy. Within weeks I was called sonogram and diagnosed with gallstones. Shown that nausea and heartburn. I would soon be called colonoscopy. I waited until the fall, then winter. No word colonoscopy and no word when my gall bladder had been removed.
In November I started to get severe abdominal pain after eating. I called the secretary and the advisor asked me if I was on the waiting list. He assured me, and I was soon called. In December, as soon as I started to lose weight. It was certainly not like me! I love your food, Joe. I called the hospital again after Christmas. Again, I was told that I am still on the list, and certainly will be invited soon. (Later I learned that the consultants had left, and he just had a new set). Joe, from November to February, I was in agony. In addition, pain and diahrea was tired all the time. I literally rose out of bed to go to work on 4 30 in the afternoon. I came home around 10th 30pm, ate my dinner (I could not eat, because it would give me too sick to do my job), in the kitchen and went back to bed. I felt miserable.
Finally, the 28th February 2006, four days after I turned 40, I asked for colonoscopy.
I woke up in the middle of the proceedings and looked at the big screen, his testing of the blob in my colon. They took a biopsy. But I do not have to wait for the results. I knew what I had. Soon after I met my wonderful advisor, Dr. George Nassim. What a gem it is. Friendly, compassionate and funny at the beginning of a great surgeon. I felt like I was in good hands. I have no more than a few hours after the panic I was told I had cancer. This can be done to save loads of stuff in those days, of cancer. I was young and strong. I was a vegetarian since I was 16 I had. I ate mostly healthy foods, while eating the night was not great when it came to my weight. I went a few times a week. I felt I could beat them.
I had booked surgery to remove the tumor. I had a stoma, which I have a bag with the rest of my life and say poop. I found it really difficult to deal with. Sometimes harder than cancer. I was in St Lukes Hospital for more than 50 days in the previous year. (I had a second surgery because of complications) Recovery was difficult, but I did it. I shared a room with two beautiful women, also had cancer. They have since died. The second department was next to another woman who had cancer. She died. The staff of St. Lukes in Kilkenny is kind, hardworking people have met. In March, between the surgery, I was sent to the Mater in Dublin and Porto-Cath had to enforce the implementation of the chemical and the PET scan to see whether the cancer had spread. If he does, I’d like to live. If it had spread to other organs, I would be dead. It was disbanded in my lungs.
I felt bad enough to go to the doctor. He did what he should do. He told them I had diahrea and blood in my rectum. But can he do? So many people do. If I skipped a list of other people before they are the same symptoms? I do not think so. If there is a list so long that it threatened to die? Certainly not.
I know, My heart and soul, I feel really bad, have begun, especially in December and February of 2006, is when the cancer broke through the wall of my intestine. Of course, I can not prove it. But I do know. Since breaking the gut, I have a two to four years from the date of diagnosis to live. Chemistry is to extend the life rather than save it. I have three years, tops go. However, I will try my best, it is still a 5 til my youngest to 18th He needs me too much now. My husband has been known to me on the right side on his way to the woman he loves is suffering will soon be dead. My 18-year-old daughter has been told and has become quiet and do not want to talk about it. But I know that he is afraid. I have not spoken to my 13-year-old son, not yet. He is too young to deal with it. South East Cancer Foundation in Waterford were very helpful and will help us when it is time to do and say the “right” things.
I do not blame wonderful people who work in St Lukes in Kilkenny. You work for which they are issued. St. Luke’s is the best + E unit in the country. I had to use three times in 2006 and two times my son (nothing serious, fortunately). What does the government do? These risks are off the computer. It also threatened to close the maternity unit after she recovered millions for it! That would mean women would already overcrowded hospital in Carlow, Kilkenny, Dublin, and women would travel to Waterford, Grand, if you live in South Kilkenny. The rest would have to resign and the birth side of the road, if necessary.
Twice I had to listen to the two women beside me die in hospital because there is no place for people near death and their loved ones die, and grieve with dignity.
My time was terrible Mater. I was scared I pick up MRSA, because it was black. I was in a ward cardiac patients, mostly men, sit down, because of his illness was not able to aim well, when he went to the toilet. Once, when I use the toilet in my pajama pants soaked up urine up to my ankles. Even if I get sick and weak, I still tried to float above the toilet, so I do not need to touch it. I was not able to float and keep my feet pajamas, at the same time. I just had to take my brother’s wife, two sets of pj’s home and had nothing to wash and change. I washed in the sink, and it bore Grimey moist until it again the next day for clean ones. There was excrement on the side to connect to the shower the day at a time. Water flooded shower, and a clean towel soaked in my PJS, which were on the floor outside the shower and ran into the corridor. After it happened the first time I got a shower chair, put things in. At least I knew that the loss of soil water and soap Send it regularly. The man next to me in bed, who had a triple bi-pass was a hit man greasy fry the tea, when he ordered a particular fish, because it was healthier. On the third day, he refused to eat, if they did not give him what he had solicited, and went on eating without principle. I was a vegetarian and cheese, crackers and cheese sandwiches (fake cheese slices on white bread), served only two meals. They brought one of the two to eat better than I do on an empty stomach and not eat. My suspicion is that the Board had been privatized, although I would be wrong. Employees, with the exception of really nasty nurse, were beautiful.
Should I accuse someone of my bad luck? I have over the past year has been thinking and trying to be sensible about it. At least I waited to get this over with before Christmas, I called the hospital asking for a second time. But today, when I heard that a very nice man, who was equally if not worse shape than I when he has gone to live with his family doctor because he had private health insurance and I will die, because I did not, I had to bite my language . I’m glad he will live. He deserves to live. And so do I. Then I came home and saw that ad people are said to hurry up and get tested for colon cancer because they save their lives, and I fucking lost.
I finally reached the angry stage, I think. Who am I angry? I tell you, Joe. In the health sector is Fianna Fail and the PD’s have been doing for years, and I do not think that they, resources, led to the privatization. You do not have the ability to structure the public sector so that more resources would change in patient care. But it’s not just politicians. I’m also angry at each voter who voted for Fianna Fail and the PDS, because they thought they could a few shillings in his pocket, but were too greedy and stupid to understand that the money he had saved the tax to be with stealth taxes. We all knew before the last election what their health policies, and most people ignore it and voted for them anyway. Maybe they thought it would never happen to them. Or perhaps the fact that many private health insurance, they just do not have to worry about, because they were good, Jack.
I never dreamed I get cancer, much less die for it. But I was wrong. My message to all the symptoms of colorectal cancer is to go to your doctor immediately. If you, like me, no health insurance, nerves, and they hate you, go to your politicians and ask them for help, go to the media, threatening to become a lawyer to sue the government and the hospital where they did not ‘t you soon colonoscopy. Otherwise, you lose people and you can not reach all the things you love life planning.
I’m writing to you because, as the country draws me to believe that you are a contact of radio shows, the only way to try to change things like this. I hope that Mr. and Mrs. SUV Builder voting booth, they will think of me, my husband and especially my children. My husband is a decent man. He works full time I worked for the good work and I loved the job site that helped people to pay, but not good. It depends on government money to help women and children in crisis, as well, of course, could not understand. We know what Bertie, Michael, Michael, and Mary’s priorities.
Despite the parties’ incomes, we can not afford VHI or BUPA. But even if we could have, we can not, because we (and still believe) that all people receive good care regardless of their income. We thought jumping queues was wrong. We are socialists. . . as Bertie. Ha Ha. Now I feel like vomiting and it is not chemistry!
From a cancer patient in Kilkenny.
Article Resource: Insurance Articles