The health-care situation in the U.S. is terrible. But I can’t stand people who act like health care in other nations is sheer perfection. I’ve been following the sad story of a U.K. reality-TV personality named Jade Goody who is only 27 and has advanced cervical cancer. She suffered from symptoms for THREE YEARS and went undiagnosed despite multiple emergency visits to the hospital for pain. Three years! I would sue a bitch’s ass for a three-year-long misdiagnosis even if it was (literally) the last thing I did. This poor chick has already had a hysterectomy and is now facing a year of chemo because the cancer is so widespread.
Poor Jade Goody
Our health service isn’t perfect and if you aren’t particulary persistent with some doctors then you can get a bad deal. In fairness Jade probably went private given her circumstances and there are a whole heap of other issues around her due to her life being played out in public. That said there is no excuse for such shitty behaviour by others – she derserves nothing less than kindness and hope as a fellow human being.
Truly atrocious. A friend of my family, in her early thirties, had a painful lump on her knee which went undiagnosed as the cancer it was for a long period of time until, out of frustration, she went private.
The NHS is useful, but it can be a bit of a gamble sometimes.
That website is sick sick sick. But it doesn’t surprise me.
That really, really sucks. And that’s the understatement of the century.
With thing like this we can all say that money doesn’t matter that much
I was sitting here blankly trying to think of something to say. I don’t know… it’s all going to come out wrong or something.
I’d like to say I’m surprised but the capability that people have for mean petty behavior can have no bounds. So I’m not surprised… but then again, I’m always surprised.
Poochie
Another reminder to all of us women to get those regular smear tests.
What a mess. I hope she gets proper care now, anyway.
Sad.
In Germany, they’ve just passed a law that requires EVERYONE to pay 15.5% of their income to fund their “universal healthcare” system. And they’ve already decided that 15.5% won’t be enough, so they’ll increase it next year.
It always pisses me off when people gripe about healthcare here. No, it ain’t perfect. But then they’d complain if we have to pay extra taxes… it’s a lose-lose situation.
I can’t believe three years passed and the doctors screwed up that bad. I hate to hear stories like that but think they are so important for people to know.
poor girl.
sick bastards!
Hi there-Jade does not deserve to be treated like this. I sincerely hope and pray she gets through this and can make a full recovery.
According to one interview I read poor Jade repeatedly didnt attend for follow up of abnormal smear tests so I dont think her current situation can be completely put down to medical negligence. Lets hope for her and her family’s sake that it isnt too late.
Health insurance is way less cool than all the other stuff I could spend hundreds per month on, so I don’t have it, and I don’t go to the doctor as a result. So I can’t be misdiagnosed, but that’s only because I won’t be initially diagnosed. Whiskey and thread can fix most injuries, right?
Who can afford health insurance? I haven’t been to a doctor in years, or had insurance for about as long. Thank God I’m invincible and can never be hurt.
awful story, the poor girl. and if she’s talking about it she’s putting the fear into other women’s heads and they’ll hopefully update their tests.
In the Netherlands you also NEED to have a health insurance, but indeed, that doesn’t mean you always get the best help. Before a doctor finally believed my mother DID have a tumor, there were doctors that even told her there wasn’t anything wrong with her physically, but mentally (it took her 20 years before someone believed her). They told her to visit a shrink! And yes, she’s dead now. If someone had believed her sooner, she would probably be still alive.
Health care isn’t perfect anywhere. Plain and simple. You can be misdiagnosed right here in the good old United States. My Uncle complained of stomach issues for a solid year and a half before his doctors diagnosed him with stage 3 colon cancer which took his life. He paid for health care diligently and got the shaft. (And when you’re dying, dealing with lawsuits is the last thing you want to do). The difference is, Jade can now get the help she needs without going absolutely broke. Unlike my godsister who had a heart transplant and now her parents we be in debt for the rest of their natural lives unless they can come up with seven digits worth of cash. Sorry but I still give the NHS a leg up in comparison to our system.
And let’s not talk about insurance companies which drop patients once they find out how truly sick/expensive you are. That’s happened to people I know too.
Bottom line, I think the system here SUCKS.