There one minute, gone the next
Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 9:01 pm
It's all my own stupid, silly fault.....
So, I wrote to a VIP at a VIP hospital in London. I won't use names or what treatment was open to me, but will give a run down on what happened.
In my initial email to the VIP I asked about a trail he had pioneered and asked if it would be possible to be part of the trial and please could it be on the NHS. I didn't really receive an answer to this, but the VIP asked for my case notes, so my Oncol's secretary sent them to the hospital. Next he asked for my latest CT scan results and again my Oncol's secretary sent them for me - she's such a love. The VIP asked for the CT image scans on disc, so I bought them from my hospital, sent them signed for post and waited with bated breath.
Last Friday - 2nd August I received an email from the VIP and I quote :
"Hi, The results are good and it looks suitable for the treatment. Please liaise with my secretary coming to clinic if you want to discuss treatment"
I was ecstatic, over the moon, shaking with anticipation, so I rang the clinic that very minute.
I seem to have a bit of a rap ore with the VIP's secretary through our emails and she was so happy for me when I rang to make an appointment, the conversation went as so......
(HS)= His Secretary
HS "So happy for you Linda, so how soon would you like to be seen?"
ME "As soon as I can"
HS "Okay, what about August 14th at 2.30?"
ME "Brilliant, how do I find the hospital as we will probably be coming to London on the train?"
HS ....explained how to find the hospital.
HS "Linda, I have to ask, how will you be paying?"
ME "Erm, I asked VIP if I could have the treatment on the NHS and because he asked for my notes etc, I presumed it would be okay, thinking there is some kind of contingency for NHS patients?"
HS "What kind of cancer do you have Linda?"
ME "Pancreatic"
HS "Oh my goodness Linda, I'm so sorry, he doesn't do Pancreatic cancer on the NHS"
Okay, by now my head was whirling, I was shaking with fear I was going to lose the treatment. Right, hubby's mum and dad will help us out, it'll cost about £2000 or £3000.
HS "Linda are you still there?"
ME "Sorry, I was just thinking, so how much will the treatment cost?"
HS "It's £400 for the consultation and £13,000 for one course of treatment"
I nearly passed out. How the hell can we find £13,400? It just isn't possible.
ME "Oh my goodness, I can't possibly afford that amount of money, could it be paid in instalments?"
HS "So sorry Linda, no, the hospital will want the money right away and so will the treatment team"
ME "I'm going to have to think about it and get back to you on Monday"
HS "Okay Linda, take your time and if I win the Lottery this weekend, I will pay for your treatment"
Bless that lovely, lovely girl.
Friends and family have talked about fund raising and we looked into a second mortgage, but it would cripple us and then my daughter said "Mum, what if you need more than one treatment, it could run into thousand and if anything happened to you, dad wouldn't be able to cope".....She's right.
So, Pancreatic cancer misses the boat yet again. I've had to cancel.
I just cried and cried, but I've got to carry on believing as one door closes another door will open for me.....I have to be positive I just have to.
Thanks for listening
Linda
So, I wrote to a VIP at a VIP hospital in London. I won't use names or what treatment was open to me, but will give a run down on what happened.
In my initial email to the VIP I asked about a trail he had pioneered and asked if it would be possible to be part of the trial and please could it be on the NHS. I didn't really receive an answer to this, but the VIP asked for my case notes, so my Oncol's secretary sent them to the hospital. Next he asked for my latest CT scan results and again my Oncol's secretary sent them for me - she's such a love. The VIP asked for the CT image scans on disc, so I bought them from my hospital, sent them signed for post and waited with bated breath.
Last Friday - 2nd August I received an email from the VIP and I quote :
"Hi, The results are good and it looks suitable for the treatment. Please liaise with my secretary coming to clinic if you want to discuss treatment"
I was ecstatic, over the moon, shaking with anticipation, so I rang the clinic that very minute.
I seem to have a bit of a rap ore with the VIP's secretary through our emails and she was so happy for me when I rang to make an appointment, the conversation went as so......
(HS)= His Secretary
HS "So happy for you Linda, so how soon would you like to be seen?"
ME "As soon as I can"
HS "Okay, what about August 14th at 2.30?"
ME "Brilliant, how do I find the hospital as we will probably be coming to London on the train?"
HS ....explained how to find the hospital.
HS "Linda, I have to ask, how will you be paying?"
ME "Erm, I asked VIP if I could have the treatment on the NHS and because he asked for my notes etc, I presumed it would be okay, thinking there is some kind of contingency for NHS patients?"
HS "What kind of cancer do you have Linda?"
ME "Pancreatic"
HS "Oh my goodness Linda, I'm so sorry, he doesn't do Pancreatic cancer on the NHS"
Okay, by now my head was whirling, I was shaking with fear I was going to lose the treatment. Right, hubby's mum and dad will help us out, it'll cost about £2000 or £3000.
HS "Linda are you still there?"
ME "Sorry, I was just thinking, so how much will the treatment cost?"
HS "It's £400 for the consultation and £13,000 for one course of treatment"
I nearly passed out. How the hell can we find £13,400? It just isn't possible.
ME "Oh my goodness, I can't possibly afford that amount of money, could it be paid in instalments?"
HS "So sorry Linda, no, the hospital will want the money right away and so will the treatment team"
ME "I'm going to have to think about it and get back to you on Monday"
HS "Okay Linda, take your time and if I win the Lottery this weekend, I will pay for your treatment"
Bless that lovely, lovely girl.
Friends and family have talked about fund raising and we looked into a second mortgage, but it would cripple us and then my daughter said "Mum, what if you need more than one treatment, it could run into thousand and if anything happened to you, dad wouldn't be able to cope".....She's right.
So, Pancreatic cancer misses the boat yet again. I've had to cancel.
I just cried and cried, but I've got to carry on believing as one door closes another door will open for me.....I have to be positive I just have to.
Thanks for listening
Linda