Me and the NHS a personnel experiance.

Some  20 years ago when living in London  I was taken into the Middlesex Hospital by ambulance  in a very series state.

It turned out that I had Type 1 Diabetes  and had almost entered a coma and that I was now insulin dependent and needed to inject myself twice a day

But that was not the half of it I was kept in hospital for tow weeks because the Diabetes was caused by Acromegaly and that I had a Tumour on my pituitary
gland that was causing it.




Acromegaly") is a syndrome that results when the anterior pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone (GH) after epiphyseal plate closure at puberty. A number of disorders may increase the pituitary's GH output, although most commonly it involves a GH-producing tumour called pituitary adenoma, derived from a distinct type of cell (somatotrophs).

Acromegaly most commonly affects adults in middle age] and can result in severe disfigurement, complicating conditions, and premature death if unchecked. Because of its pathogenesis and slow progression, the disease is hard to diagnose in the early stages and is frequently missed for years until changes in external features, especially of the face, become noticeable.
But in the end I needed a MRI scan so it could be confirmed and the Tumour located .

All the test were carried out whilst I was in hospital.

Within a few weeks I was admitted to the National Hospital for Neurosurgery operated on and almost immediately my condition improved to the extent that I ceased to be insulin dependent and within a month was free of Diabetes and the Acromegaly that caused it.

It is important for me to state now that the reason I was treated so swiftly is that the Doctors there wished to see what affect immediate surgery would have on some with the symptoms I had.

Now
last years later I began to experience acute pain in arm and saw my GP and he ordered Blood test and after a few appointments was diagnosed this time with type 2 diabetes  this time and given my history then saw the Endocrine specialist at the Royal Glamorgan (The Camilla)  who confirmed that it was likely  the Acromegaly had reoccurred.

I then had undergo an MRI scan which took a few months waiting and because it was inconclusive another one at 7:45 in the morning.

So I'm not surprised that the number of patients waiting longer than they should for diagnostic services like MRI scans and ultrasounds has trebled in the last two years.

Figures also show proportionately more patients in Wales face waits of over eight weeks than in England.
The Welsh government said health boards were working to address backlog issues.


I'm now on the waiting list for surgery in the Heath hospital hopefully in the next fewer months.

I First saw my GP in April last year so it has ben a long process compared with my previous experience . Though I was initially a  lot sicker then.

My experience is that the Doctors and Nurses here are doing a phenomenal job but they are being swamped  by the number of people attending surgeries and the outpatients is always full after 9:00 Am.

I'm not sure how much pouring more money into the system will improve the system maybe we should accept it as the price of progress in that we can diagnose and treat more ailments now.

One final story. As Acromegaly is rare I see a lot of junior Doctors who look at m, and  have to a visual diagnosis so I get to hear.

He's got a big Head and forehead
Big Nose
Protruding lower Jaw
Uneven paced teeth
Large Hands

This is often done with an embarrassed meant on their part, as they are virtually saying he's a Ugly Looking Bugger.

But as I say to them I wasn't a George Clooney lookalike when it all started.