The difference between cancer life as a royal and as a "lesser mortal"

[sixtyandsomething]

not to derail other threads..

I have nothing against the Princess of Wales, I am sure she is a lovely person and I wish her well. however, let's not pretend she is facing the same struggles as the rest of us.

I bet you £10 she hasn't had to deal with any of these! (feel free to add your own)

-40+ calls to DWP, often being left on hold for 2 hours or more
-many months delay in benefits being processed, leaving you without any income at all
-DWP advising you to "find a food bank"
-struggle up the hill on crutches to get a bus to chemo
-appointments delayed and cancelled, blood tests lost and repeated, regular system "crashes" leaving medical staff with no access to your notes.
-never seeing the same medical professionals twice.
-consultant appointments cancelled when you have already travelled several hours to the hospital
-telephone appointments you have to sit and wait by the phone for, for the whole day
-worry on crammed full bus when you are CEV
-getting off bus because it is too full
-getting of bus because you are vomiting
-sitting on the pavement for 3-4 hours after chemo in the dark and rain, because you are CEV and don't want to get back on a crammed bus in the rush hour
-commuters swearing at you because you move too slowly
-commuter kicking you out of the way because you move to slowly, and doing it with an air of indignation, like they feel seriously injured by having to touch something so disgusting with their foot
-minimum 18 hour wait in A and E before being admitted with infection - once it was 28 hours
-further many hour wait in ER before being admitted to wards.
-spending night on chair in corridor, after being admitted to a ward
-being asked to vacate chair in corridor so doctor can perform ECG on patient who is currently standing up with nowhere to sit
-being warned by hospital staff to sleep in your glasses so they are not stolen
-having to buy a constant stream of new clothes, and having to go to charity shops - on steroids? go up two sizes, no chemo? go down 3- surgery? get front opening everything, in a range of sizes.
-not being able have a clean the house, wash up, open the window even, without calling a friend to come and help.
-council refusing to empty your bins because you are not capable of moving them to the right place at the right time
-giving away your pets because you can't take care of them, or afford them
-being told the waiting list to see a physiotherapist is around a year

I could go on

I am so grateful for the treatment I have had, and I hope the Princess of Wales does well and recovers, but the two situations are not the same, even slightly, even if the disease is.

I feel for you I really can’t begin to imagine that and I really hope your well now. The whole country is a joke not just the nhs & we are still sending out billions to other countries when we are in desperate need of help ourselves it’s a disgrace

OP, you are quite, quite correct…. but I do wonder at what cruelties a woman might have suffered from her circle when a commoner who married a royal, and who has a reputation for being lazy, finally turns up in public dressed as….. Eliza Doolittle.

What are we meant to read into that?

But yes, I do hope things pick up for you x

I'm very uncomfortable with any comparing of cancer journeys and treatments and who is suffering the most. Yes, Catherine is very privileged in having access to the best medical care and home help that money can buy but she'll still have had sleepless nights worrying about the outcome and her young children. The middle of the night is a shitty scary place when you have cancer - I know from my current experience. She looked lovely yesterday, quiet and composed, and I liked the way Claire Balding kept mention of her to a minimum - do you think the media got the 'back-off memo'?

I'm sorry the OP is having such a dreadful time and hope things get better for her, it's unacceptable treatment for anyone.

He's also been working throughout his treatment, so we've seen him more often. For some reason, the Wales' get the deifying treatment more than any others, despite the rubbish they come out with so often. I think they must just have better PR, or just because they are not Meghan and Harry.

Well, eventually we will all die. You are right there.

Otherwise your post shows true ignorance, I am sorry to say. Early diagnosis and early treatment, and availability of the best treatment by the best specialist, can make a MASSIVE difference. A life saving one indeed. Deends on the type of cancer too, it may make only a small difference with pancreatic cancer for instance. But for most IT WILL in the vast majority of cases.

You clearly don't live in wales where labour have absolutely destroyed our NHS

This. What a sad and worrying decline of the NHS for us all. We can choose to change it.

One of the biggest problems our local cancer centre deals with is poverty due to cancer. Employers who don't want to allow the time off, get rid of staff, the problem if it's too advanced to carry on working, they have a financial advisor come in each week to help people cope with the poverty that often goes along with cancer, you have to go on a waiting list for the appointments as so many people are in the shit financially.

It’s all about money, not being a royal.

And to further clarify, we live in Scotland and the NHS is slightly better because the government isn’t run by a millionaire.

OP, I'm so sorry you've had to cope with that. That's awful and I'm furious for you. 🙁

I have had chemo and I'd just like to say North Hampshire Hospitals have been bloody brilliant. Regular staff, no cancelled appts, calm, patient, professional, fast ❤

Regardless of whether rich or poor, though, I think the fear will be the same. The desperation to be around for your children. There's no escaping that.

And there are some things I did not have to deal with. Chemo made my feet swell and none of my shoes fit. But even if they had, hell would have frozen over before I wore spike heels while I was feeling that ill.

Wishing every one enduring chemo, an easier time xx

The NHS is not underfunded just horrendously badly managed! Soooo much waste.
Case in point....not being able to return crutches...used for 1 week perfect, clean undamaged but they dont want them back.
The demand is ever greater, population growth, new drugs, poor lifestyle choices.

Managers make jobs for Managers & PA'S & Under Managers etc etc and sooooo the gravy train rolls on.

Given we have those greedy "mis"management arseholes sitting in their lofty towers being paid in excess of £100k....there is a LOT of dead wood to cut out.

And I'm looking at YOU....those of you who do office hours and slide off home or down tools for the weekends. The staff at the sharp end can't do that and they're paid a LOT less and contribute more in blood and tears.

Diversity being just ONE of the many many superfluous management teams to cull.

Only when the NHS model changes and we have a HUGE clearout will things get better.
But I'm sorry you are suffering. We didn't used to treat people so abysmally. I hoped my ward was a place of refuge in a time of desperate need.
And yes Katharine will have a less onerous time of it.

I like the royals and think the Princess of Wales is lovely so I have no axe to grind.

Yes! She has it easier. Everybody faces the same fears but her access to treatment is better and she has more support to recover from the effects of it. She also has more support looking after children, not worrying about housework and I’m sure the financial aspects don’t even cross her mind. She is also able to dictate her own sick leave and return to work without worrying about shitty employers and being replaced.

I don’t buy that the world is watching. The media is mum on her health which makes me think there is an agreement with ‘the palace’. We have barely seen her since Christmas and only one lot of social media photos made the press. In six months she’s only made one public appearance and it was her choice to do it.

It blows my mind that people always assume that rich people must always have it easier.

Same
(and no, I'm not rich)

It’s not even about being “rich”. It’s the lack of respect. I’ve felt fobbed off and dismissed throughout much of my cancer treatment. It adds an enormous level of stress to the already considerable burden. Your mental health is basically ignored.

That’s not how it works in France for example. Private ( top up) insurance is managed and sold through private companies. The state health part of appointments is covered so say you see a specialist and it costs 70 euros, for example 50 is covered by state insurance you pay 20 yourself or your health insurance covers it and you are reimbursed. Mine takes about 48 hours to go into my account .So really i can’t see how it would add 10 percent to the NHS budget.

Well it's just a case of having money and not isn't it?
Having money makes life so much easier in every single respect. It's not your fault you don't have much and she came from an affluent family anyway and married v well to say the least. I expect when she's sitting there with the chemicals draining into her body she feels pretty equal to anyone in the same boat. It was ever thus. The haves and have nots of this world..no answer.

I am currently receiving treatment at a wonderful (NHS) hospital on the SC.We are in a brand new unit ,comfy recliners and teas /coffees brought by lovely ladies from WRVS,Sandwiches and cakes as well.Nurses are very kind .I am lucky that DH is retired, and can drive me to Chemo and stay with me as well.I only wish everyones experience was the same .If anything this has shown up the inequalities in the NHS for ordinary people all over the UK.Kate has her own struggles and is not "lucky" in any way! Hopefully a new govt will iron out some of these inequalties and make life more bearable for Cancer patients ,heart patients anyone in hospital really,Lets hope we all get well soon .

OP, from your username you appear to be in your sixties. Is that right? If so you need to wind your neck in.

Partly because it's really distasteful to whinge about someone who may not reach the age that you have reached having a better time of it than you.

But mainly because you have absolutely no idea of the horror of being a parent of young children and having cancer. I was treated on the NHS, I know all about waiting rooms and public transport. None of that compared to the horror and devastation of wondering if I would live for long enough for my tiny children to even remember me.

If you want the general population to have a better cancer experience then encourage people to get critical illness insurance so they have financial support. Don't tear down young cancer patients.

It’s one thing having a hereditary monarchy, but it’s the media led fawning and cheerleading that rubs many people the wrong way, and understandably so. I mostly couldn’t care less about the royals but when I hear the media trying to deify them or pretend that they’re facing struggles and situations akin to ordinary families, that’s when I get annoyed. Personally I’d do away with the whole thing. Dressing up little kids in Victorian sailor outfits to be oooh and aahed at and fawned over by millions of strangers is not a healthy way for children to be raised.

So sorry that has been your experience but that really ain't the case for all, royal or not, iv had a solid organ transplant and cancer twice now with all that comes with it ( I'm 36) and can hand on heart say I haven't had any of these issues at all, maybe that is just luck, area I live or something else but I have had nothing but quick and professional service from the NHS, I haven't had to deal with public transport or DWP etc so maybe that's the difference?

Yes, I can see that facing death at 40 is having it easier.

The current situation for NHS patients is terrible and it’s disgusting that the OP has had those experiences with the benefits office, transport to the hospital etc. However I would take no notice of the press. Ordinary sensible people are not making comparisons and although the Princess of Wales is spared a lot of the practical problems and poor treatment she is still faced with a very difficult illness and will be feeling unwell and be concerned about her children.