NHS Sterotyping...at your service?

An ambulance attending an emergency during the winter snow of 2009-2010

National Health Service (NHS) was established in 1948 on the 5th July.Since then it has evolved significantly in service, in staff and in clientèle. I am in my 11th year of living in the United Kingdom and prior to the last year I have only needed the services provided by the NHS ten years ago. When I became unwell in the summer of 2009 I thought I had swine flu and that I would do my two weeks of illness and be done with it, back to business as usual. A few people in my company had been victims to this virus so it would not have been a surprise to me especially as I had most of the symptoms. Unfortunately it was not swine flu, and I say this because a year and three days later they are not any the wiser of what is the exact cause though the front runner is something called Sarcoidosis, an autoimmune condition. This article is thankfully not about my health but about the treatment I received from some (not all) of the doctors and nurses in the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust. 

Now after months of my 'inflammatory markers' being high with no sign of infection in my stomach etc, my consultant at the time ordered a CT Scan which is a really high radiation scan  (they actually inject radioactive dye into your body!!!) This scan showed that I have multitudes of nodules on both my lungs, the showed them to me, there are hundreds everywhere! It clear scared me to death! The doctor I was referred to to interpret my CT Scan was a chest physician I have nick named Dr Death. When I met with Dr Death to review my scans, (4months after I became unwell), he initially examined me and asked me a lot of questions about my health and past and he seemed particularly interested in the fact that my records show I am from Zimbabwe. 

At the time I had gone through a period of nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and loss of appetite...I had lost half a stone but had not become unwell enough to be hospitalised over night of which he was aware. After his examination Dr Death announced that he thought I had TB secondary to HIV though I did not have consistent symptoms or any prior chest related complaints, not even a cough and in spite of my assurance that there was not sexual history to raise concern so I just could not see how that was a like diagnosis. He ignored this and came out with it and said that BECAUSE I am from Zimbabwe in my late 20's he felt that his initial 'gut' prognosis was right. He then went on to assure me that there have been great breakthrough's in HIV medication and one could live a long life with treatment. When I asked what else it could be, not convinced that there was a medical reasoning to his initial diagnosis, he said that he was sure and in fact he refused to treat me at all unless I have an HIV test or produce proof of a recent test.

With my agreement to do the HIV test he also scheduled a bronchoscopy to prove his TB theory with no consideration of any other possible cause. If the doctor's prejudicial behaviour was not bad enough, when I went to the sexual health clinic for the test, the nurse who took my blood sample double gloved (because of course a needle cant go through two pairs of gloves!!!) and seemed rather nervous to be taking my blood! By this point I had completely lost my temper as I felt like I was on trial and so far without evidence my only crime was being sick and Zimbabwean! Which in the Berkshire PCT seems to mean that I must have HIV or Aids! Unbelievable!!! I sarcastically asked the nurse about the the test making a point to mention how ridiculous I thought it was that this was the only test I was having when a multitude of things could be wrong with me and I'm not even sexually active! Nor have I been near a drug needle or needed a blood transfusion like ever!!! To drag out her obvious discomfort I said to her that I wanted the works! Every STD test she had on the books I wanted done to her dismay...as her face fell i turned away to hide my smile, I must admit it made me feel better to put her out after she treated me like a leper.

When I arrived for my bronchoscopy I advised Dr Death that my test results had not returned and he was talking about doing a biopsy and possibly puncturing a lung! So there I was thinking to myself, you have me here because you have decided that every sick Zimbabwean is an HIV patient and I'm playing along because you have literally withheld all other medical treatment from me unless I do, and now you want to do an unnecessary procedure that could puncture my lung because of TB which I don't have!?!?!?!?! It was one step too far so I said no! he did his bronchoscopy and l left, lungs intact. Needless to say when my test results came back I had a clean bill of health, HIV negative and not even a trace of any other type of STD infection (which is the result you would expect when you aint getting any!) By this time my bronchoscopy test results had come back clear, no TB either as you would expect from someone with no symptoms or any other indicator to suggest it other than the fact that I am Zimbabwean!!!!

 I immediately relieved this doctor of his duties and engaged a new respiratory specialist who surprisingly actually did treat me like a person and patient first rather than a Zimbabwean HIV statistic!  I honestly did feel like a victim of stereotyping throughout that entire ordeal and powerless to insist on other tests and investigations be carried out at the same time. Furthermore if I had tested positive I would not have felt comfortable returning to these people for treatment or help which creates an even greater problem and cause of concern than my sense of injustice.

Now I do appreciate that Zimbabweans have developed a bit of a reputation with good reason when it comes to HIV / Aids. Therefore it is reasonable to expect doctors to want to rule it out as a potential cause of illness when a patient presents with the relevant symptoms and history. However being Zimbabwean is not a symptom and I don't feel it alone is sufficient for a doctor to refuse much needed treatment, let alone refuse to explore other probably causes of illness, if an HIV test is not taken, is that even legal?

Image courtesy of the internet

According to http://www.avert.org/aids-uk.htm -- The UK AIDS statistics show that at the end of 2008 there were an estimated 83,000 people living with HIV in the UK, of whom approximately 22,400 were unaware of their infection.

Although HIV is often perceived to be a ‘gay’ problem, infections acquired through heterosexual sex account for the largest number of HIV diagnoses in the UK.

Gay men (and other men who have sex with men) accounted for two thirds of new cases.

Of all diagnoses to the end of June 2009, 44% resulted from sex between men, 44% from heterosexual sex, 5% from injecting drug use, 2% from mother-to-child transmission, 2% from blood/tissue transfer or blood factor, and 4% from other or undetermined routes.

If you are / have been sexually active, Get tested...

Its always better to know...

Image courtesy of the internet

The rule of the second chance...

Whenever we see the break of dawn we are assured of a new day, a second chance if you will, not to erase the mistakes of yesterday or change it in any way but to right some of the wrongs and get us back on track. Sunrise signifies a new opportunity to make different choices that will alter our paths, if we choose well, for the good. A second chance works in a similar way. It does not discount the failures and successes of days gone by but gives us a new opportunity to revisit an element of our past in hopes that we will make better choices the second time around.


There is a school of thought that diligence in preparation, attention to detail and devotion in relationships are not as important as they used to be. We live in times where the media encourages us to be self-indulged and absorbed. If we like it, we should 'just do it'. If we fail its because of our childhood so we don't have to take responsibility we can blame our parents. If we don't do well in education we can blame our teachers and the government will make exams easier so we don't really have to try. If we fail to meet our targets at work, we get paid anyway and in performance reviews managers are expected to be sensitive to under achievers and the lost goes on! We live in a time when more and more people find themselves looking for a second chance because society permits failure as common place in all aspects of life. So much so that it is sugar coated and sold as 'non-viable efforts'. People who fit into this category go through half their lives before they realise they have been fed a lie and they try to find a way to change their life and make more positive choices...second chances at life...


What many people do not appreciate is that an opportunity once gone, is gone forever...you cant be 16 again or take back spoken words or regain lost time. A second chance is often viewed as a means for going back over what is done and 'un-spilling spilt milk' if you like. This is particularly so in relationships between people, whether it be parent and child, siblings, relatives, friends, or lovers. There is a tendency in these relationships to speak too rashly to a point where familiarity breads contempt, to act thoughtlessly where the impact on other people is not considered and the result is always a breakdown in the relationship. In these situations of betrayal, hurt and sometimes heartbreak, ties can be severed and damage, sometimes irreversible damage results. In times like these, when we realise out failings, we wish for, even pray for a second chance...


The reality is that all of these actions, inactions, failures, mistakes, words all have an effect on those who commit them and those at the receiving end. No experience in life leaves us unscathed...On way or another there is an impact, we are somehow altered, even slightly but what we hear and experience and the result is that put in the same circumstances / relationship again, we will be different people and therefore the second chance if you like is not the same opportunity that was once lost. The changes in other people and in us have such an impact upon is that if we fail to recognise these changes and attempt to navigate the second opportunity based on the 'old rules' if you like, we may find ourselves back at the point of failure simply because the fail to realise that second chances are new opportunities not re-runs of the opportunities lost...


When I think of the things in my life I would like a second chance at, those I had a second chance at and ruined and those I will never have the opportunity to revisit in my lifetime, I realise the the first rule of the second chance is that it is not a guarantee nor is it promised to anyone and it is never a second chance at the first opportunity but a whole different opportunity with a different set of circumstances altogether. So whenever we sabotage ourselves through our pride, ignorance or sheer laziness and procrastination or our words... we need to understand that the thing with second chances is that you don't get one...

A picture of farm life...

A local farm to the village where I live grows maze I discovered recently to my delight!

On that farm I saw something else that I found fascinating, it was a scene of a horse and chickens hanging out in the farm yard. They seemed to be looking for food on the ground and literally just chilling out. It did look weird and I did wonder if the horse would end up stepping on the chickens but in the time I was there they seemed to be quite comfortable in each other's company. 
Its amazing how animals that are so different can come together and live in peace without fear or threat from one another...something we as people could definitely learn form! So here I have put together a display of the images I captured, I hope you are as inspired as I was (and a little amused too!)

Frock & Roll...a blast from the past!

The picture below shows an original National Cash Register Company machine created around 1884 alongside a modern credit card reader (the black one to the right, didn't really give it enough attention as it's so everyday when the cash register is a first for me!) In any case what a sight! One I never thought I would see in a shop in Reading in 2010).

I happened across a new vintage clothing store in Reading called Frock & Roll which specialises in ladies clothes and accessories. Instantly it cheered me up and I wondered in to have a quick look. My friend Pam is a vintage junkie and  has got me hooked on vintage too! As I type elaborate plans are being made for a 50's & 60's 'new' wardrobe for me at the end of my LoseUrself4Charity challenge in December so Frock & Roll turned up in good time! As I looked around squealing and gasping in awe of the beautiful designs to the lovely shop owners delight!  

As my eyes wondered around the room I saw the most amazing thing...an 'old skool' cash register (pictured here). I did a little digging and found that it was an original from the National Cash Register Company. The inventor of the first working version of a mechanical cash register was James Jacob Ritty of Dayton, Ohio. He later sold his patent and eventually the National Cash Register Company acquired it and developed the design to produce more sophisticated cash registers of the time like this one. 

The company is still operating and is now trading as the NRC Corporation which is a technology company specializing in products for the retail, financial, travel, healthcare, food service, entertainment, gaming and public sector industries. 

Now here is a little info about the fabulous new vintage store, Frock and Roll, Reading


"A new independent store that is passionate,  maybe even a little obsessed, about all things vintage.  We specialise in ladies clothing and accessories from 1950s through to the 1980s and our shop is packed full of hundreds of one-of-a-kind original vintage gems, all handpicked by us.

So, whether you want to glam up for a night out or just go about your everyday errands in style, drop by soon at Frock&Roll you're guaranteed to find a fabulous bargain that will leave your friends green with envy!"

http://www.frockandroll.com/page4.htm