We're getting old  - The year of medical problems!

 

Jill 

Our return to the UK had us expediting medical services with regards to Jill's back. Our local GP is useless, but luckily Jill found a superb orthopaedic surgeon, a South African,  Kerry Allerton.  He appears to be the only back specialist in North Yorkshire. We don't have medical insurance since I stopped paying it 20 years ago when the costs started increasing at an alarming rate - I figured if we were in deep "Sierra Hotel 1 Tango" either the NHS would have to fix it or if I had to pay, it would still be cheaper than paying BUPA. (I actually disagree with health insurance since it increases waiting lists by using NHS trained consultants and nurses - Also having had to pay twice to guarantee my children the type of education that I got courtesy of earlier tax payers, I object to paying twice for my medical care!)  Anyway,  Jill was in bad pain and was told that there was a 6 month waiting list to see a specialist so we had to pay!

Toulouse University Hospital

Initially we paid for consultations and scans, etc in the UK, but when we were told Jill needed a spinal fusion (similar to the one that fixed me in '82), and that it would cost around £20,000 we balked and headed for France. Interestingly enough Danielle (who lives in Luxembourg) managed to organise an appointment with the Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Toulouse University Hospital within a week. Toulouse is just an hour away from our house in France. So to France we flew.

Even this trip wasn't without its traumas. Jill had developed an ear infection the day before we were leaving, so went to see our GP. She got a cursory examination and a some ear drops. By the time we arrived  in France her ear had grown to around twice its normal size, it was hideous, and it was giving her hell! The "drops" were having no effect and she had also developed a temperature. 

Purpan - Home of Toulouse University Hospital

The main entrance at Purpan

Anyway we duly rolled up to the Hospital in Toulouse. It was massive, but the gate man directed us roughly in the right direction. Parking was tricky but achievable since the French don't seem to care where you park. (And certainly don't charge!) Unlike the NHS, which has reception desks at every door, there were no receptionists whatsoever - you asked doctors and nurses for directions. Eventually one doctor/nurse, in her operating kit, led us to the department. Here we were met by the Professor's secretary/receptionist/clerk. Within 15 minutes Jill was being examined by the Professor and his assistant, was taken for X Rays, and was being briefed on her condition within an hour.Other patients were coming and going, but there were no scores of waiting patients or dozens of staff (medical or clerical) hanging around. (As I have since become accustomed to seeing in NHS hospitals.)

The upshot of the examination was that the professor recommended a "laminectomy' operation. (The same operation that I had in the RAF and that made me "a war  pensioner"- not a good result !)  He said he couldn't do it immediately because it was apparent that Jill had an infection of the ear. It would have to wait about a month until the infection had completely cleared her system.  However, in the meantime he said he would organise for Jill to be seen by an ENT specialist. He promptly called the ENT department. Arranged an immediate appointment. (No waiting list here!) And dispatched Jill and me to ENT with his assistant doctor as our guide.

We waited about a further 10 minutes to see the specialist. She proclaimed that Jill had a very rare ear infection - one that she had seen only a few times before. She prescribed a course of antibiotics and said that if there was no improvement in Jill's condition within 3 days Jill would have to be admitted to hospital. When she learnt that we lived an hours drive away she promise to telephone in 3 days (a Saturday) to see if the condition had stabilised. Sure enough she telephone Saturday morning to check up on Jill's condition. Things had stabilised, the ear started improving and a week or so later it returned to its normal size. We returned to England thinking how much better the French health service was compared to the NHS. It reminded us of how the NHS used to be before the influx of "managers".

Back to the NHS

Friarage Hospital Northallerton

Jill reported back to her UK specialist at Northallerton. He vehemently disagreed with the Professor's prognosis and suggested a 3rd opinion. This proved expensive, but recommended the spinal fusion. This was also born out by my experience since I have had both operations. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it?) Mr Allerton soon realised that Jill was in a bad way and with a bit of persuasion was able to arrange an early NHS operation to fix her back his way. (I think the idea of competition from France helped). Jill eventually had her spinal fusion operation in learly May and was out and about by the end of May.

The operation proved to be a success and all Jill's back and leg pains subsided. However, towards the middle of July she started experiencing pains in her knee which she put down to arthritis. These pains increased and moved to the opposite hip. She has seen even more specialists, had scans and X-rays and is now schedule for an operation on her knee in early March. She was hoping to be back playing tennis by now  - she'll be lucky to be playing next year at this rate!

Les

Since my spinal fusion back in '82 I have been very healthy and reasonably fit. So much so that, after a 35 year gap, I managed to get a medical to fly again. I regained my PPL medical in 2001 and until this year have passed my annual medical ever since. (Although not without a scare last year when they thought I had a heart problem - turned out to be an ectopic heart beat!)

This year has seen things change. I reluctantly had to report sick with a "trigger finger" at the end of last year, and whilst I was seeing the quack I thought I'd go for a job lot, and mention a couple more problems that were beginning to annoy me. One was a very large (grapefruit sized) part of my male anatomy. It had been spotted in it's infancy a few years earlier during my routine aircrew medical. I had been told that it was no real health problem but could get uncomfortable if it continued to grow. It did and it did!  I duly went to see a specialist who duly pronounced that I would have to have it removed.  No worries since the Av Med Doc had said that the operation was no big deal. 

 

The second problem was more worrying since I guessed that it stemmed from my back/neck - I was beginning to get pins and needles and pain in my hands whilst I was driving. I'd kept quiet about this because I never got it when flying and didn't want to be grounded again! 

Anyway again I was duly sent to see a specialist in Leeds. He diagnosed a dodgy neck and said I would probably have to have a neck fusion, however, I would have to have a scan first and the waiting list for a scan was 6 months!

Things straightened out & things taken out!

York District Hospital

My next visits were to York. The trigger finger was fixed within the month by a simple injection. (Thereby reducing the Government's average waiting list figures).

 

 The operation to solve by grapefruit (now melon) problem was carried out 9 months later. (Thereby bringing the average waiting list figures to just below 6 months). This operation was anything but easy! - It took place on Dick Shuster's birthday and I had mistakenly promised Dick I would be round to his place for a party on leaving hospital. When I eventually did come round from the anesthetic after some 2 hours I felt lousy, and some hour or 2 later I was in severe pain and unable to walk. 

I had to be wheeled out to a waiting car feeling that I was about to throw up. I never made Dick's party!  

What's more it took over a month to stop bleeding. (I wasn't, however, going to complain and go back for more of the same!)  I got little sympathy, especially from Danielle who, incorrectly, would whistle "Colonel Bogey" every time she telephone me!  Since then the thought of riding a bike terrifies me!

Right - These two were seen being taken down to the kitchens shortly after my op!

A & E

The 'pins & needles' in my hands were getting worse as the year progressed, but I ignored them so that I could keep flying, however, during mid June when I was doing some mountain flying in the Pyrenees with Danielle I realised I was experiencing some difficulty operating switches with my left hand. (I was flying an old French club aircraft which has rather odd switches). By the time I returned to the UK I noticed that my hand was dropping i.e. I couldn't straighten it. This gradually got worse so I reported to my (useless) GP. His answer was - "I'll see if I can get your scan progressed!" (This was almost exactly 6 months since I went on the 6 month waiting list - which incidently does not show on the governments statistics since you are not waiting for an operation!!! What a farce!)  Within a few weeks of this my hand got progressively worse becoming something of a hook!  I had had enough, so I marched into A & E in Northallerton Hospital (which is part military) and presented my hand to them to fix!

This proved interesting - within 15 minutes I saw a nurse. She asked what was the problem? I dangled my hand and said - "That's the problem!" and then explained the history whilst she filled in lots of paperwork - after another 10 minutes a po faced middle aged duty doctor appeared. Again she asked what was the problem? Again I dangled my hand and said - "That's the problem!" and again recounted the history. She examined the offending hand. After doing so she asked me "What do you expect us to do Mr Quigley?" I replied - "Expedite matters and fix it!" To this she said "Oh!" Excused herself and disappeared 

My hand in its fully raised extended position!

(When I raise my wrist, my hand automatically closes into a fist!)

Several minutes later she reappeared with another doctor of short stature - a junior registrar. He rather aggressively exclaimed "Well Mr Quigley, I see it's your first visit yet we already have a large file on you - what's the problem?"  Again I dangled my hand and said - "That's the problem!" He commenced examining it and me and was obviously becoming more interested and friendly. After a thorough examination. He excused himself and disappeared with the duty doctor. - Several minutes later he reappeared with another doctor, the senior registrar, who again examined me with interest.  He again excused himself and the junior registrar, saying that they would try to get the Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon to have a look at me. - Sure enough they soon re-appeared with Kerry Allerton the consultant who had recently operated on Jill. He examined me with great interest explaining to his two juniors the technicalities of what was happening.

On completion he immediately sent me for an X-Ray and by the time I had returned he had organised a scan of my brain and neck to be done within 2 days under the supervision of another consultant at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough. (Amazing what can be done when the NHS managers are bypassed!)  The good news was that they found I had a brain and that there was nothing nasty growing in it. The bad news was that my upper spine was a mess!

The scanner - that Jill and I have now visited 3 times

Apparently my symptoms did not make medical sense  so Kerry Allerton organised a session with another Consultant a specialist in Neurosciences. This session consisted mainly of me having electrodes attached to, and stuck in, various parts of my upper body and arms and then being electrocuted whilst the consultant called out various readings to his assistant!!  (If this had been some form of interrogation I would have told all ! I will never again criticise someone for succumbing to torture!) The result of this was that he found that I had 2 identifiable problems but that the main one, the left hand, was not immediately identifiable. I was then referred to a consultant neurosurgeon and was admitted to James Cook Hospital for detailed examination.

ADMITTED IN TO HOSPITAL!

This initially turned out to be a fiasco. I was told that there was a bed available Monday morning,  but to telephone in to check in case there had been any emergencies over the weekend. This I did only to be told that they weren't sure and would call me back by 11.00 hrs. I had not received a call by 12.00 Hrs so I tried calling them. Lines engaged. I eventually made contact about 15.00 hrs to be told that they still weren't sure. I suggested that it was probably a waste of time at that hour of the day. they agreed and said they would call me the next morning. 

Next morning - no call! So I called them! Once more they weren't sure if they had a bed, but would call me back before 11.00 hrs again. By the time the afternoon had arrived and I still hadn't received a call I had given up the idea, however, at around 15.00 hrs the ward clerk rang me up to say that they had a bed for me. As on the previous day I suggested that it was probably a waste of time why not leave it until the next morning? At this she got quite stroppy saying if I didn't attend the bed would not be available! Reluctantly I grabbed my kit and drove the hour to Middlesborough. (There are about 40 beds on the ward of which more than half would be occupied by long to medium term patients - it's hardly brain surgery to work up a simple computer system for calculating bed availability!)

James Cook University Hospital - Middlesborough

I spent the rest of the evening sat next to a bed in a ward of 6. It was a neuro surgical ward occupied by people who had had brain surgery - they weren't well! Frankly I felt as though I'd been put in a ward with a load of nutters. Has the wife "sectioned" me I thought? The only guy who seemed with it, was the chap next to me with two wounds to the head so that it looked as though he'd had a pair of horns cut off.  He turned out to be an 83 year old ex-REME Sergeant Major with some interesting war stories. Mind he didn't last long, at around 21.00 hrs an ambulance crew turned up to take him away - to a hospital nearer home in Durham!  That night I got virtually no sleep - it was like Piccadilly Circus after a football international!

 The next day, Wednesday,  I again sat next to my bed working away at my laptop - all day. By 18.00 Hrs I was getting a little miffed. Even the daily ward round of around 10 UN members had ignored me. I hadn't seen anyone except the ward nurses, the tea lady and the duty quack the previous evening. I decided to enquire at "reception" if anything was going to happen? They expressed their concern and promised to find out! They did.

 The consultant who was to see me was operating and would not finish until late, when, quite understandably, he would not wish to commence examining me! Furthermore they had not yet managed to contact another consultant who was to examine me. On enquiring if they would they be likely to see me before lunchtime the following day? I was told - No! I explained that I had to be on my way my 12.00 hrs as I had a plane to catch to Luxembourg, so if no one was going to see me before then I may as well go home for a decent nights sleep! No one had a better suggestion so, whilst expressing my regret at having wasted a valuable NHS bed for last 26 hours,  I left promising to return to haunt them the following week!

Partying in Luxembourg, even with a useless hand,beat wasting time in hospital - hands down!

On my return from Luxembourg I contacted the consultant. We set up a meeting on the ward at lunch time. He explained that I had to be an inpatient otherwise I would have to join a six month outpatient waiting list. (Priorities being sorted by clerks on a "who has waited the longest" not by doctors on "who needs urgent treatment"!)  Anyway he examined me. (In the patients day room since I was officially an inpatient but didn't have a bed!) Explained that my symptons were odd and that he would arrange for me to see another neuroscientist in the next few days. (Again as an inpatient who slept out - otherwise it would be back to the waiting list!). Sure enough I was soon back having the electric shock treatment - not as bad as the first time - but for twice as long - around 2 hours or more. After this it was back to the ward (The patients day room) for a debrief. The good news was that I didn't have 'multi focal motor neuropathy' that had been originally suspected, but the bad news was that what I did have was extremely complicated and would need a further opinion. In addition they confirmed that I had carpel tunnel syndrome in my right hand. This is what  causes the pins & needles and numbness. (They are carrying out a simple operation on this hand in early December which should solve the problem!) In the meantime I was fixed up with a "bionic" hand device to help me use my fingers.

My NHS Heath Robinson bionic hand

I was referred for yet another opinion to a professor specialising in lower limb surgery. He was very interested in my hand, arranged more X-Rays of my arm and brought in several of his students to view it. He couldn't make head nor tail of my hand, so he suggested that he take a look inside my arm to see what the nerves were doing and possibly fix my hand.  The alternative seemed to be to slit my throat and take a look at my neck from the front! - I didn't like the sound of that so I went for the arm job!  I had the operation at the end of November. Unfortunately he didn't find anything unduly out of place, so not only is my hand still knackered, but my arm ached like hell for week or so whilst it recovered from the operation!

12th Dec - I 've now seen the Professor he's recommend that I have my throat cut! (He isn't the first!)

Furthermore, he's now carried out another operation on my reight hand to fix my "carpel tunnel syndrome" - another minor op! - but it has left me a bit short on hands for a while!  Still, we're at last getting some return out of the NHS - 4 operations this year ( 1 major and 3 minor) with 2 major ones to come in the Spring! 

I must say that despite all my criticisms of the NHS system - It's not all bad, and  I have nothing but praise for the medical and support staff who have gone out of their way to accommodate Jill and myself! In particular all the consultants have been superb!

 

Right - An armless LWQ about to go out to a dinner party - 11th Dec 2004! 

 

 

Last Page                                                                                                                                                 Next Page