In Praise of the NHS

I’ve had a break from blogging for a couple of weeks and thought I’d return to it with a rather different post since the 70th anniversary of the NHS has coincided with my husband needing hospital treatment.

After being diagnosed with prostate cancer around two years ago, we were happy for husband to be monitored as it was a low enough level to hopefully remain static for many years. However, after biopsies, scans and regular PSA blood tests, it was evident the cancer was on the move.

Courtesy of Pixabay

Fast-forward to a few months ago, and a nail-biting wait for the results of a bone scan to confirm it had not spread outside the prostate. Thankfully, husband was given a date for the full operation which could go ahead. It is now almost four weeks since he went through the mill (a 4 to 5 hour operation) and lived to tell the tale! He’s not without discomfort and extra ‘baggage’ that he can’t wait to be rid of, but he is healing well as far as we can tell.

During these past couple of years, we have been full of praise for the care and attention he’s received from the health service, both where we used to live in the west of Scotland and the current hospital near Edinburgh. Nothing has been too much bother, from the regular blood tests, to the medical procedures, to the dedicated cancer nurse specialist at the end of the phone.

Some might think he escaped from hospital too soon after the operation, as we’ve had to attend to all his after-care ourselves, but most people tend to get on better in their own home and we had an emergency number to phone in case of any problems (not needed). He has two more scheduled hospital appointments and will no doubt receive regular checks in case any further treatment is required. Like me, he works from home so is able to resume his travel consultancy to some extent while I get back to writing.  

An unexpected side effect of this lengthy recuperation at home has been our closeness after forty plus years of marriage. For the first two weeks, I was curtailed from my usual gallivanting while helping with hubby’s care, but it’s been a pleasure. He keeps thanking me for being patient, but I’ve been relieved he’s still around! Of course, it’s frustrating at times and he’s still a little restricted but we’ll get there and can look forward to planning a short holiday eventually.

So, thank you NHS and all the dedicated staff who provide such free expert medical care and attention, allowing so many patients to look forward to a future.

Rosemary