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20/3/2000

Okay I'm putting this up here - it's not something I've written for this web diary thing, its just a rant I posted to usenet aus.culture.gothic quite some time ago. I wouldn't mind hearing responces on this one.

(rant)

I'm angry. I'm very angry. Its just been conclusively proven to me, that adequate health care is beyond the reach of those people in the low income bracket.

I believe quite firmly that in a good working democratic society, there are several rights any citizen should have. Those rights are, the right to a free education, health care, protection (police/army etc), and welfare benefits for those in need.

We do not live in a society that provides adequate health care for the low income earner.

My story
I've just been diagnosed with seru-negative poly arthritis. It has taken me nearly 10 years of dealing with the public health system to get this diagnosis. Apparently its very similar in the way it behaves to rhuematoid arthritis, however, the rhuematoid factor does not show up in a blood test.

I first went to see a doctor when I was 15 (I'm 24 now), with painful unexplained swelling of the knee. He said, take some painkillers and if its still sore in a week come back.

My knees and ankle would swell up on irregular occasions, usually only a few days at a time, and then go back to normal, everytime I went to see a doctor, I was told to take ordinary painkillers (asprin etc) and 'see doctor if pain persists') The problem started to get worse, and the swelling and pain more frequent, I was first tested for possible arthritis when I was 19, the blood test came back negative for rhuematoid arthritis, so the doctor shrugged and said take some painkillers.

I was blood tested again when I was 22 and twice last year (23), both tests coming back negative. Dealing with doctors in public health clinics, community medical centres, that sort of thing. Doctors that had no real interest in me, or my problem, or helping me discuss my problem, or find a solution that didn't involve painkillers, even when I directly confronted one, disturbed by my dependance on Ibuprofen to get out of bed in the morning. One doctor offered to arrange an appointment with a specialist, prolly about 6 months down the track in outpatients at St Vincents.

The public health system failed me. These doctors were not concerned with helping solve the problem, they wanted me in and out of their practice as soon as possible with the easiest placebo they could hand me. None of them showed the slightest interest in helping me deal with my pain or preventing a drug dependancy on Ibuprofen.

My pain can be quite severe. To the point of me sleeping downstairs on occasion because I cant make the trip upstairs to my bedroom. To the point were I burst into tears, having taken 25 mins to walk to the 7/11 (5mins walk away round the corner) Thats on a bad day, or a day I decide not to take painkillers.

I've finally found a nice doctor - she is costing me, but is a good helpful friendly doctor, (the only bloodtest that hasn't bruised me really badly too :). She has suggested that instead of going through the public health system, I go see this specialist, I complain I have no money, being unemployed (however, likely to get a job again soon). She arranges for me to see a private specialist friend of hers, who will arrange a deal were they bill me and cut me some slack til I get a job.

9 years after first going to see a doctor with this problem I have a diagnoses. 9 years. It cost me $144 for a half hour visit, but I have a diagnoses. I also now have a fair idea of what decent treatment is going to cost.

I've just been web browsing, looking for info on arthritis and what I have in store. Two things have struck me immediately - 1 - there is a lot of info out there and easily availible - and 2 - this gets so much easier to treat if its picked up early, in the first year or two of developing. Given those two facts, I want to know, why the fuck this wasn't picked up earlier!

I can only think of one explanation for this. And that is the public health system, is to understaffed, underfunded, and too busy to care. Dental appointments can take up to 6 -12months to get, Specialist appointments can take up to 6 months or more to get, and when you get them, they tend to be with some junior medic in training in a drafty understaffed public hospital, were they don't have the time or funding to look at problems properly. And you wait 4 hrs in the waiting room to see your doctor.

So the answer is easy. I pay a specialist $144 per half hour to talk to me and 'work on a solution' together. Talking to this specialist, my condition is rather advanced, because it wasn't picked up earlier, so we are going to have to work fairly intensively in the next few months, to try and slow the progression of my condition. I'm also going to have to see a dietitian (more cost) plus go on a strange diet with expensive supplements. I should also buy a few books (you can order these from amazon.com, you need to understand this disease)In the first month I can easily see this costing over $500, thats more than I pay in rent a month.

Can you put in price on good health? What's it worth to you to be able to get up in the morning and walk down the stairs without pain? Whats it worth to be able to run half a block and catch a tram? Whats it worth to be able to dance to an entire Sisters of Mercy track at a club?

Lots and lots of money. I'll prolly pay it as well. There go the dreams of having a decent income and buying a dvd player, and some nice clothes, and badly needed furniture and bookcases. I'll be spending my money on healthcare.

I'm glad I have a job. I'm glad I'm getting paid a reasonable wage, its not much, but it should cover medical expences. I'm glad I don't have to make the decision between walking and eating. I'm glad I have a net connection and access to online resources. I'm glad I can afford to be able to walk.

Because I live in a country that can not provide me with adequate health care. Because the system has failed me. Because the education system failed my younger sister, because everyday people have to choose between the weekly bills and groceries and adequate medical care for there children, because I look around at my social group, and can see the obvious advantages that those kids with rich parents had. A private school education is better than a public school education, despite what is said.

Because Australia is no longer a first world country.

(/rant)

I guess I'll be wandering off to investigate Private Health Insurance, because i can't afford not to have it.