What the fuck do I do?

[Bakewellisntjustacake]

I have suspected lymphoma but they can't rule out breast cancer because after my MRI which showed 3 big lymph nodes in my neck and chest, I did a breast exam and found a sizeable lump that I hadn't noticed previously . My issue is my referral to the breast clinic has been cancelled because the hospital I have been referred to has been inundated with covid patients and they've moved staff from out patients to covid wards.

They have cancelled my Wednesday appointment and rebooked me for November, all the rapid access appointments have been cancelled and my county won't allow my GP to refer out of area. My Gp is beside herself because she's so angry, but says there is nothing she can do other than write me a letter I can take to other hospitals. I have 4 hospitals near me but none can accept a direct referral from my GP because they're not in the same area.

I've written to my MP to complain but it just feels like an absolute death sentence

@forinborin

OP, if you set up a gofundme, I will contribute. I went private during the pandemic, with a mole that started changing / bleeding, due to a similar story (but it was a long wait at the GP stage already). Thankfully all was OK in my case.

I will help too with the go fund me donation, get a friend to start it as you have enough to deal with right now, sending you hugs, prayers and best wishes.

I am 2.5 weeks into a now possible 10 week wait for a urgent breast clinic appointment due to a lump. The breast clinics are overrun with covid backlogs as normal screening has returned and they have to deal with paitents with concerns from those screenings aswell as us from gp referrals.
It should normally be 2 weeks.

Just a little update, I messaged another ex colleague and I've been given an appointment for Thursday this week, I used to work in oncology theatres and ex colleague pulled some strings. I have to pay but my mil and fil are helping us pay. There will be no go fund me, but I will be creating a petition to get cancer care back on to the agenda.

If I didn't have access to funds I'd be having to wait. That is just appalling. It is a death sentence to many. I have a heavy family history of breast cancer so this needs checking. I'm so angry.

If I share the petition will you sign it?

Yes

Absolutely

So sorry to see you've had to go private. Its a shambles.

100% will sign the petition.

OP - I’m glad you have an appt.
covid isadick - keep going. You can have surgery requiring general anaesthetic privately - but may need specific private hospital with anaesthetists and wards. Ask your specialist what the options are. If no luck, try GP, try another specialist in a private hospital (that does knee ops etc - as they will have theatres with private facilities), try nhs, out of area.

I hope you can get a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Yes. Absolutely will sign petition. This is disgraceful. What about patients who can't afford to pay and who have no relatives who can help

I will sign it .
I had breast cancer pre-covid and was treated properly and very promptly . What they are putting you through is inhumane .

I'll sign it too; it could be anyone of us next.

I will definitely sign it too. So glad you have an appointment. As you say though it now comes down to who you know and how much money you can access. So wrong. Wishing you every good wish for your appointment.

@FlorenceNightshade

Are you a nurse in the same trust *@Bakewellisntjustacake*? If so here is what I’d do. I would look up the consultant on the email directory and email him/her directly. I would ask them if they are aware that their clinic has been cancelled and just what they intend to do about! I’d also include a copy of the letter from your GP. Hopefully the consultant will be so horrified they will kick up a stink too! Next I’d refer myself urgently to occupational health and explain that the stress of the situation is ridiculous and you can’t work until it’s sorted. I would call the waiting list secretary every few hours looking for gaps, if I knew for definite a clinic was on I’d be tempted to go down and stage some sort of sit in. I’d also as others have said involve MPs, local councillors and anyone who’ll listen. How awful for you I hope you get an appointment soon

The fact OP is a nurse, who has presumably worked this pandemic, really rubs salt into the wound.

I hope you get some good news soon.

I will sign and share your petition.

I’ll sign!

@FlorenceNightshade that's actually really helpful thank you!

This is definitely one for the Daily Mail
SHOUT IT FOM THE ROOFTOPS! :)

@Bakewellisntjustacake I hope it helps! In my limited experience of working in clinics the consultants aren’t always fully aware of what’s going on they just turn up on the day and are given a list. The day to day stuff may well be out of their hands and handled by clerical staff and if you shine a light on the problem you may well get a solution.

@m0therofdragons

I’m horrified! I work in a hospital and we are doing all we can to continue urgent cancer care. We’ve continued throughout. The hospital should be asking for “mutual aid” from other hospitals including private healthcare settings!

If you lived here you'd spend most of your working day being horrified at the (lack of) urgent care and the way staff treat patients in hospital.

There will be no go fund me, but I will be creating a petition to get cancer care back on to the agenda.

I'm pleased.to her that you have enough family help and support and the help from colleagues and their contacts to get things moving for you and getting to the front of the queue for diagnosis - or at least into the system ready for diagnosis.

My offer of help appears to have been taken badly and I'm not sure why. It was a genuine heartfelt offer to spend time organising something that could make a huge difference to someone's stress levels, or even life of someone who sounded distressed, lost in the system and didn't know which way to turn. I was trying to be kind, helpful and sincere so I'm genuinely sorry if I did or said something that triggered an abrupt 'there will be no go fund me' response. I feel well and truly told off by the headmistress.

I hope all goes well for you, that you get a timely and appropriate diagnosis and, if needed, a good care pathway and that the lumps turn out to be lypomas or something equally uncomplicated. Best wishes, from someone who wanted to offer a helping hand.

@TILFA I really didn't mean to cause offence, I'm so grateful for your offer. I just feel awkward about money I always have and my amazing in-laws and a good discount have made it affordable but thank you so much. I really didn't mean to upset you.

@TILFA I thought your offer re Go Fund Me was incredibly kind. When my father was dying of cancer over last winter and into the second Lockdown I felt incredibly isolated and not one of my local friends enquired how he was or how I was doing despite knowing him and the situation, which was very much to do with the distraction of Covid, so it was to Mumsnet thatI came for my support and what an amazing help it was. It’s people like you that make a real difference without you ever knowing it. I understand OP’s awkwardness about donations of unknown but generous donations when she has some resources to call upon. I hope you @Bakewellisntjustacake and you @TILFA both stay well and get the medical treatment you deserve to have.

Unknown and generous *donators

You get yourself a loan, or several, or credit cards, or many and you get yourself sorted privately.

Whilst I think it's appalling situation, this is your life and I'd rather be bankrupt than dead.

I should probably name change after this but I don't really care. I'll name change in a bit

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/596474/sponsors/new?token=DXfuch79nIzQAxXVyKrX

Signed and bumping x