Just need to vent.
My dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer Christmas 2024. His inital chemo and radiotherapy went well and was supposed to have a surgery in September 2025 after his radiotherapy treatment finished. Since the cancer was so close to his spine he needed specialists to do the surgery in London. However, he kept being delayed in getting an appointment. It wasn't scheduled until January 2026.
By that time, the cancer had spread to his liver, so now surgery is out of the question. The chemos he's been on since arent doing anything and now he's in hospital following an infection.
In this time my mother in law passed away from pancreatic cancer (diagnosed at the same time). It will be almost a year since she passed.
Can't help but feel angry and dejected at the lack of urgency in getting his inital surgery booked.
This was supposed to be over by now.
Why is this still happening?
Hello amcdg97
I can understand your frustration and know why you are angry. Stuff like this should not happen, but it's happening more and more on a regular basis. The NHS is under funded, over worked and top heavy with bureaucracy, and all the while people like your dad are suffering.
I am well over 4 years into my own cancer journey and at times I have had to take things into my own hands, chase up appointments, remind the hospital my surgery is urgent - it's a sad state of affairs when you have to advocate for yourself.
I can only offer sympathy and hope dad recovers from his infection and gets out of hospital as soon as he's fit enough.I personally took my complaints to the top via my MP (I found the normal complaints were just brushed aside) and as they were in the public domain they had to do something about it. It's too late to help me and if you contact your MP it's too late for dad but it may help others on their journey in the future.
It is hard trying to support someone when you can't physically help but I am sure dad will appreciate you being there for him at this time.
Best wishes - Brian.
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