Recently, my daughter has faced something of a health scare. The issue relates to her thyroid gland, which is a sort of butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck. She experienced swelling on the left side of her neck, and discomfort from it, so my wife got her an appointment at the local GP, and from there, we were quickly referred to the local hospital for scans and tests. Following these tests, further tests were arranged at a hospital in London, specialising a little more in this sort of thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the conclusion of those tests, the doctors decided the best course of action was to remove the left part of the thyroid. She was duly given a date, along with a requirement to stay overnight at the hospital for observations and checks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There’s a few things that I take away from all of this. Firstly, my daughter took every examination, blood test and scan without so much as a whimper, even though it must have been uncomfortable for her. She was understandably nervous about the surgery, but she faced it with dignity and resolve. I am very proud of her for how she has conducted herself in the wake of what must have been a scary time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I also take away the fact that my family and I have not faced any upfront costs or expensive medical bills, not for one single moment. The minimum<\/strong> cost of this surgery would be $4,000 if we lived in the USA. I am once again grateful for the NHS, which has its detractors, but from the first GP visit at the very end of February, to the surgery at the end of April, they have moved quickly and decisively, and offered nothing but support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, it is this that I want to write about. Who deserves the credit for all the help my daughter has received? That’s easy. It is every single doctor, nurse and surgeon who has helped her. They have been fantastic, from start to finish, managing not only my daughter, but the jangled nerves and frayed brains of her parents. I also want to add that many of those who devoted themselves to caring for my daughter (and other patients) are either immigrants, or descended from immigrants. I know some people who will greatly resent this detail, but it is a fact. People from all walks of life have worked together for my daughter’ benefit and health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of this also underscores another important detail. If not for the pursuit of knowledge, who knows what the outcome of all of this would be? Without intelligent, curious and at various points in history brave minds, we would not have developed the skills and understanding to even consider what might have been wrong. Illnesses and conditions that are now treatable would not be so if we clung to ignorance. There are people who foolishly and stupidly scorn science (whilst availing themselves of its progress on a daily basis), but only a complete idiot would look at the work of medical science and conclude it should<\/strong> be scorned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can already hear some of the rebuttals. ‘You can’t cheat death!’ No, but that’s not the point. ‘Diseases still exist!’ Yes, but many have got treatments to minimise their effects. People are surviving conditions, accidents and illnesses that would have been fatal a hundred years ago. Some people foolishly suggest that if something is not one hundred percent effective, it’s not worthwhile, as though somehow reducing a fatality rate of one in five to one in a hundred isn’t praise-worthy or worth the effort. These people aren’t worth wasting time listening to, for they know nothing of science or evidence. They don’t understand how basic numbers work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thank those who have studied, learned, and made the effort to understand. I thank those who developed the skills to perform delicate surgery, and I thank those who work incredibly hard to help people recover and heal. They have all been instrumental in helping my daughter, and I will be eternally grateful to all of them for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n