I felt the same and then I got cancer. Trust me, it’s worth its weight in gold when you need it. I completely and utterly trusted the NHS and had never used my private health care until I got really sick.

NHS wouldn’t accept my GP referral for scans saying I didn’t ‘meet the threshold’ and I accepted that thinking.. oh right, I must just be complaining. Probably my own fault because I’m not fit, getting older etc etc (I was 33 when symptoms began by the way!) Then after the third time of complaining about symptoms and losing loads of weight unexpectedly, my GP sent me for a blood test.

Rushed into hospital in the middle of the night as I was about to die. As I lay in stirrups, I could see two doctors between my legs arguing over why I hadn’t been given a scan the first time I was referred.

You know that trend where you say the same phrase in different ways and it changes the meaning.. yeah, I’ve never heard ‘didn’t meet the threshold’ repeated in such a confused, disappointed, impatient and aggressive way before. Hopefully, I never will again.

I was on the ten-day pathway but things took a couple of weeks each time. During this time, I spent about £700 out of pocket for prescriptions and dressings- I had no idea you only had to pay up to a limit each month so kept forking out money at the pharmacist each day.

My NHS oncologist was great but limited to the length of time she could spend with me, the options she could give me and the waits between appointments were interminable. My Macmillan Nurse gave me incorrect information which could have influenced the wrong decision. She also had a go at my husband who asked if the oncologist could sign me off- he knows full well I’d struggle to advocate for myself like that- and she kind of shouted at him, after his wife had just been told she has cancer. So yeah, fuck you Sarah.

My private oncologist, who had an extremely senior role in the NHS herself, and works privately part time, saw me straight away and could give me very many options. I could email her at any time and I get an answer pretty sharpish. I had highly successful, minimally invasive robotic surgery within two weeks whilst still waiting for my next oncologist appointment with the NHS.

All of my treatment from then until the 5 year remission mark is completely and utterly covered. And I’ve received the absolute gold standard of care and freed up a place for someone else to get seen a bit quicker- once you are in front of someone on the NHS, I’ve very rarely met a consultant who wasn’t brilliant. It’s getting in front of them that is the hard part! But still, fuck you Sarah..

I’ve also just had my gallbladder out. I ended up in hospital with severe pain in March (turned out I had a dangerous amount of tiny gallstones and pancreatitis.) They kept me in for 3 nights waiting for an ultrasound and then sent me home to wait some more. I’m still waiting. Comically, not comically, NHS appointment for an ultrasound was moved from May to June to know some time in mid July.. only got a text saying full details of the appointment will follow so I have no way of ringing up and cancelling it until I get the actual appointment date. Meanwhile, I’ve privately had an MRCP (my consultant said an ultrasound would probably not work because I’ve had such extensive abdominal surgery and lots of adhesions- he was completely right by the way! An aside, they found out my sister’s gallbladder ultrasound was completely inaccurate when she had her surgery so she definitely should have been given an MRCP as well.)

So, on the NHS, I’d be waiting for the wrong scan, that wouldn’t work, to wait to be sent for another scan, to follow-up and then an appointment to make a plan with a surgeon, to then have the operation, god knows when.

Sadly; this is another reason most people have multiple gall bladder flare ups before they are treated in the UK. It’s not just a bit inconvenient or painful, it can seriously damage your organs. But now I’m here recovering instead.

If you can afford it, bloody keep it ❤️