The Diary Room

[Beate]

We made it to Germany with only an hour delay which was probably good going looking at the weather. Will talk more later but dinner is waiting! Thanks everyone for their PM's!

[Beate]

Right, so I have had problems with my eyes for ages, wearing glasses since I was little. When I was a teenager, I had to have an operation due to a large tear in my retina. You can go blind if left unnoticed. So from then on my eye doctor checked me every half year, later every year. One time I had to have a hole in my retina lasered and walked around with an eye patch for days. Then I moved to the UK and the NHS don't think much of preventative checks. Moorfield Eye Hospital very reluctantly checked me over twice then told me that was it and only to come back if I thought something was wrong. There are however no early warning signs for this kind of thing so I started going to my former German practice again every year, p*ying privately. This year I went again, he checked me thoroughly (glass thing on eye, yeuch), and suddenly said "There's a small hole, that needs lasering." Now picture the situation in a UK practice, 23 December, 12.30, the doctor is half an hour away from knocking off for his well-deserved Christmas break. I'd say he would tell me to come back in the new year and we would then try to get me an appointment for in 4 months. What did my lovely German doctor do? Said "I am going to laser that now." "NOW???" "Yes, well, you aren't here for long, are you?" Err, quite. 5 minutes later I was lasered and sent home. No eye patch, no pain. Bless him.

[jpeg]

Right, so I have had problems with my eyes for ages, wearing glasses since I was little. When I was a teenager, I had to have an operation due to a large tear in my retina. You can go blind if left unnoticed. So from then on my eye doctor checked me every half year, later every year. One time I had to have a hole in my retina lasered and walked around with an eye patch for days. Then I moved to the UK and the NHS don't think much of preventative checks. Moorfield Eye Hospital very reluctantly checked me over twice then told me that was it and only to come back if I thought something was wrong. There are however no early warning signs for this kind of thing so I started going to my former German practice again every year, p*ying privately. This year I went again, he checked me thoroughly (glass thing on eye, yeuch), and suddenly said "There's a small hole, that needs lasering." Now picture the situation in a UK practice, 23 December, 12.30, the doctor is half an hour away from knocking off for his well-deserved Christmas break. I'd say he would tell me to come back in the new year and we would then try to get me an appointment for in 4 months. What did my lovely German doctor do? Said "I am going to laser that now." "NOW???" "Yes, well, you aren't here for long, are you?" Err, quite. 5 minutes later I was lasered and sent home. No eye patch, no pain. Bless him.

You are right Beate, the health care in the UK isnt great....glad to hear you have prevented any serious issues with your sight by having yourself checked out in Germany though! pheww

[jmd1983]

Well anakin if you're alone in your office, you can play some Christmas music and turn the heating up to tropical :)

[jmd1983]

Glad you made it home beate, and then got your eye sorted. Agree with you that it would never have happened in the UK.

[ejwrank]

I'm also very glad that Beate has had her eye treated and hope it is now fine and she will be viewing
many nice new films in the New Year.

However, I do take exception to the adverse remarks about the NHS. That may be other people's experience but I think it's great -- maybe not perfect but as an American who has lived in the UK since 1977 it is absolutely a life saver. Soon after arriving here I saw just that and can honestly say that I owe my life to the NHS. And just a few weeks ago after a routine check I have seen the NHS in action again. I've had a biopsy, ultrasound and just yesterday an MRI and the idea that such things could not be done because of Christmas never came into it. I've got surgery ahead but I do feel confident so I hope others will take heart that the NHS does do an incredible job and long may it reign.

Happy Christmas everyone!

[Diane65]

So pleased you've had your eye sorted Beate and hope you have fun in Germany (I love the country).
I too owe my daughters life to the NHS she was in over Christmas a few years ago (the only child in the hospital on Christmas day) she had to be resucitated after an anaphalactic shock which without A and E would have been catastrophic and everyone was fabulous.
I do agree that the German Healthcare system is good I had one daughter in Munich and one in Manchester and my experience for both was almost identical.
I hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas

[Beate]

I am very happy about everyone's positive experiences with the NHS, but I am seeing it from my German point of view where the NHS was a bit of a shock to be honest, and I am still not used to it.They may be good in a crisis but they could be so much better if they agreed that preventative checks are a good thing and not just a waste of money! ejwrank, I wish you all the best for your surgery, I am sure you will be fine!

[Diane65]

I too wish you ejwrank all the best in your forthcoming surgery.

[ejwrank]

Thanks Beate and Diane 65 for your good wishes. Can't deny it's been a worrying Christmas for us here but hoping for the best in the the New Year.