Time to complain

The hospital encourage me to attend consultations and to take notes on what is said. This is good advice that we follow, for example Jan is in such a turmoil that after our last visit she didn't know at which hospital her next appointment with an oncologist would be. We are now after all now planning going to our fifth NHS location for this treatment.

During the last consultation I took detailed notes on results that were available, timings etc. and documented 10 inconsistencies. On return home Jan read these notes, and we talked till 00:30 the next morning trying to understand how such inconsistencies arose.

We discussed for an hour with a wise christian friend. He said we should look at it from the oncologists point of view, in other words the viewpoint of the next doctor to treat us. What would she need to give Jan the best treatment, and push for that. He felt it was so urgent that we should ask the medical staff to check the accuracy of the results if the oncologist would be using these to plan follow on treatment. He would hate the next appointment to be wasted, and treatment delayed by two weeks because of incorrect hospital records that we had not asked them to check.

Armed with his carefully chosen words I phoned the consultant's secretary this morning, to ask for such a check. I suspect she labeled me as "insane", or in denial. A Google research documents testing problems in Newfoundland, so I am sure that I am not mad! http://www.nationalreviewofmedicine.com/issue/2007/06_15/4_patients_practice03_11.html

In considering this I listened to program on Premier radio by "Focus on the Family" yesterday. http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ Focus on the Family is not my normal fare, however today's broadcast spoke to this situation. It dealt with how to complain to schools if your child was being bullied, and again suggested that non aggressive open questioning was the best approach.

I also read in Exodus chapter 15 verse 28 how the Israelites "grumbled against Moses" who with God had earlier saved them from slavery in Egypt. I do not want to complain against a team whom we need to extend Jan's life, nor show lack of trust in God's over ruling provision.

It throws us back again onto Jesus, and the necessity of prayer to find peace whilst also using polite common sense with the medical staff.

Fortunately I was phoned back five and a half hours later by a nurse who understood exactly what concerned me, and said she would get accurate mamagrams available for the oncologist. Eventually I believe our concern was handled very well. I can wait another two weeks for test results, after all they make no difference until one is planning treatment.