In the last 24 hours I have watched my daughter endure pain that no human should have to. As a mother it is incredibly challenging thing to watch. The feelings of helplessness cannot be described. My absolute loss of faith in the health system knows no bounds now and I am very grateful for my training in complimentary care.
We had a very unfruitful visit to the doctor's rooms yesterday afternoon. When she spoke to her in the morning, the doctor insisted that she had to see her which caused her a huge amount of extra pain to get to the surgery. She could not sit down and had to stand against the wall in reception, waiting. She had tears running down her face. Every step she took was agony.
The doctor merely felt her back, said that the muscle was in a huge spasm and then told us that there was nothing that she could do. She wrote out more prescriptions for pain killers we already have, that are having little effect except to cause nausea and vomiting. She told us GPs cannot recommend the treatment that she needs as this has to be done by a surgeon. So, If there is nothing she can do, why tell us to come to the surgery in the first place and cause more pain?
The appointment for the surgeon is for 8 May and nothing can be done until then. She saw us out of her office telling us she would write to the surgeon again but the appointment would probably not be changed.
What was the point of this visit at all? I am still completely stunned and confused by the whole incident. As a result of having to move around, my daughter was in more pain than before. She was angry and felt helpless, that no-one wanted to help her. It broke my heart.
Sitting with her when we got home, we were able to alleviate some of her pain practising Jin Shin Jyutsu. We were able to get her pain levels to ease to a place where she could fall asleep and get a little rest. It lasted 2 hours which I am sure felt like a life time for her and made the evening easier to bare. She has had a better night too. I am grateful for that.
I still cannot help being really angry even though I know that it serves no purpose. I also have absolutely no faith left in the GPs at our surgery. When my husband had this same pain in South Africa, our GP there gave him an injection that broke the spasm and eased the pain. This was over 20 years ago. Why is this kind of medication not available for the general public here?
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Possibly because the health service here is free and we paid a bomb for it in SA... Our taxes are spread so thin as it that the Government can't see the wood for the trees!
ReplyDeleteNo Health System is perfect.
ReplyDeleteI grew up using the State hospital system in South Africa and everything was available through it. I had both my children at State hospitals. We did not pay and it was only in the '90 that we found our medical aid sky rocketed. Borneo's mom is still a state patient and gets all the treatment she needs as a pensioner. It means waiting at hospitals but she does get treated on the same day. If there is another treatment which is more effective and costs money, she has the option to pay for the treatment there and then.
The blog was not about what is free and what is not. It was about being called to a senseless painful visit to the doctor's rooms which was completely unnecessary because it was already known that nothing more could be done.
It was a complete waste of resources.