An NHS worth fighting for?
A little over a year ago I was successfully diagnosed and underwent surgery for bowel cancer, due to the location of my cancer my eight and a half hour operation involved removal of my rectum some re routing of pipe work and a new hole being created in my tummy in the name of a stoma.
From the age of 16 I have worked and, like most seen some of my wages disappear through National Insurance contributions, and that subtle 20% vat added to most purchases.
Until my diagnosis I considered myself to be Independant, and to live a fairly healthy life working on our family farm and eating our own lamb, pork, free range eggs and a lot of fruit and veg grown on our farm.
Not a smoker, I haven’t contributed as much as some in the from of taxes. Through my journey however, I know my recovery chances would have been significantly reduced and hindered.
My life going forward is different, I spend an hour each day irrigating my colon, this is a trade off to give me greater independence through the day, so I do not have to wear a colostomy bag, all of the time.
At this point I need to say how grateful I am to “Those People Coming Over Here and Taking our Jobs”, my Consultant was from Nepal, he saved my life, the night staff who looked after me post op were from Malaysia, Portugal, India, and England. My ward was clean, and the food was outstandingly good, my stoma team all worked tirelessly to ensure my recovery and for the first time in my life I had a personal trainer to help me to walk again post op. Embracing diversity? An NHS to be Proud of? I think so.
So a little of my independence I had to cash in, I now order on line, the medical supplies I need, to allow me to lead my new not so normal life, back on the farm.
On the 28th of May 2017, I married Sue the love of my life who always has my back even in the toughest of times.
You never know the true value of something, till having it is no longer an option.
Fight for, and be so Very Proud of our NHS, it is rightly, the envy of the world and is worth every last penny.
A farmer and cancer survivor.
