It Has Been A While

[nut17]

I was never warned in my younger days that as you aged you would need to expect to endure ever increasing levels of pain. Our health system in NZ is completely broken. Health insurance became unaffordable in retirement on a modest fixed income so reliance on the government funded health provision was going to be the only option. What a croc of shit. After three years of ever increasing debilitating hip pain and been kicked off the surgery list three times I gave in and paid the NZ$30,000 to finally have my total hip replacement. I am going to pay for the other one next winter. To add to my distress my supposed successful prostatectomy in 2017 has proven not a 100% success so once again at my cost $3000 I am off to have a PSMA Pet scan next week to try and pinpoint the cause of my sudden acceleration in my rising PSA level. The government health system will cover the cost of my subsequent radiation and hormone treatment.
I have just finished my six weeks imposed driving ban as a result of hip surgery and will take the Winnebago the 300 km each way for my scan next week. Roll on 2023 !!
Even so - I am bloody happy not to be a resident of Ukraine!!

Cheers Chris

[Dot]

Hi Chris, I have just been talking to my mate in Auckland and she was telling me she had to give uo her private insurance due to it going up and out of reach. She mentioned she saw a dentist for an extraction and it cost her over $500, apparently she went to the hosp clinic and was left in agony which made her go to a private one. When I was over there I was in Southern Cross Medical and luckily I worked in a private hosp and got my ops free Went back there 2 yrs ago and noticed the terrible costs of everything, what on earth has happened over there? Re your hip a trick is getting admitted to a hosp first. Chest pain will get you in the door then you mention the pain in your hip, they usually will admit you for the orthopods to look at you and if they are in a good mood you might get it done. PSA tests are a must for every 12 months weather you were given an all clear or not. Where about do you live? Good luck with your PET. Get back into travel asap.

[Dot]

Hi Chris, I have just been talking to my mate in Auckland and she was telling me she had to give uo her private insurance due to it going up and out of reach. She mentioned she saw a dentist for an extraction and it cost her over $500, apparently she went to the hosp clinic and was left in agony which made her go to a private one. When I was over there I was in Southern Cross Medical and luckily I worked in a private hosp and got my ops free Went back there 2 yrs ago and noticed the terrible costs of everything, what on earth has happened over there? Re your hip a trick is getting admitted to a hosp first. Chest pain will get you in the door then you mention the pain in your hip, they usually will admit you for the orthopods to look at you and if they are in a good mood you might get it done. PSA tests are a must for every 12 months weather you were given an all clear or not. Where about do you live? Good luck with your PET. Get back into travel asap. Just remembered you are at Hastings, if uo Nth I could of given you a couple of names for you

[Shirley]

Chris Zoladex implant hormone treatment is good for controlling advanced prostate cancer, check it out on google.

[Eddy]

my cost $3000 I am off to have a PSMA Pet scan

Chris - my goodness I thought my last one at $975 with no rebates what so ever was expensive. I hope they can find where those cells are lurking

[T1 Terry]

Wow, Chris, and I thought I was falling to bits waiting for elective surgery to recommence.
My kids are all to old to fetch a good price so no value in attempting to get the money that way to afford a private op in a private hospital, so I'll just have to wait and hope the list of repairs needed doesn't keep growing

Hope all goes well with the tests etc and you get back on the road to enjoying the life of a retiree .....

T1 Terry

[nut17]

Scan results came back all clear, so now my urologist has handed me over to the radiology / oncology division in the hospital to further investigate my elevated PSA and possible treatment.
However it was definitely a relief to establish that I did not have cancer lurking in all my lymph nodes and other unsuspecting places.
It is great to be behind the wheel of the Winnebago Iluka again and enjoying the freedom.

[RobertNotBob]

Good news enjoy your journey, Robert.

[Shirley]

Sounds like Advanced Prostate cancer, must be lurking somewhere for your PSA level to be rising, good luck with treatment from oncology department.

[Dot]

Kick it in the guts Mate and enjoy.