A parent's dilemma

I have been following the Sally & Neon Roberts case with interest. As a parent, I wonder what I would do in a similar position. Thankfully my son is blessed with good health. There is a higher than normal chance of him developing diabetes as I have it, but this makes us extra cautious regarding his diet.
We live in a world nowadays where information is available at our fingertips. Medical reviews, studies and encyclopedias on medication and medical conditions is available for anyone to view on a computer. Nothing it seems is out of reach. With this in mind, it is no wonder that we carry out our own research into things that are wrong with us and the effects of treatment. We do it for ourselves and we do it for our family members. If , God forbid, anything was wrong with my son, I would insist on finding out all that I could. I would question any diagnosis and investigate any recommended treatment. I wouldn't go as far as refusing it, but I would want to formulate my own opinion based on solid research.

One of Sally Roberts' objections is to her son receiving radiotherapy, a process that targets an area of the brain where a tumour is present with radiation. The fact that a doctor had referred previously to this as 'scrambling the brain' probably didn't help one little bit. She is understandably concerned, as I would be. It is a natural parent's instinct to be concerned for one's child. Having said this, I have no doubt whatsoever that the medical advice given is correct and given the urgency of Neon's condition, it is right that the treatment is given. Still, I do understand Sally's concerns for her son.
I do wonder if she has left things a little late. The time for seeking second opinions and alternative diagnosis is early on when the tumour is first discovered. It is possible we know only part of the story and there is very likely to be more to this than has been reported in the media. There often is. The emphasis is most likely to be on making Sally appear to be a mother who takes risks with her son's health and is anti established forms of medical treatment. This of course is wrong.
Sometimes, we simply have to leave it to the experts. I say this in the full knowledge that sometimes it is right to question the opinion and diagnosis of a professional. I've done it myself, and been proved right. I have commented before now on situations where I appear to know more than my GP having resorted to the Internet. It does happen. We assume GP's are constantly connected to the Internet for the latest news in all things medical and health, but they are not. Sometimes, they are very lacking.
I'm certainly 'on the fence' with this one. I have enormous sympathy for the mother, but can't help feeling she has left things a little too late. This has necessitated the legal action we have seen for her son to receive urgent treatment and in effect overrule her wishes. After all, it is the life of Neon that is at stake here and everything should be done to provide him with the best possible treatment.

Photo of the Day 21, A Light Dusting & Other Stuff

The first snow of the winter overnight and we're being warned of more to come this weekend. Brrrrggghh!

I don't really know what to make of my appointment earlier today. I probably expected to hear something different. For the first time, I was seen by the top guy there. He was sympathetic as I supposed he has to be but seemed to imply that I could control the amount of stress I expose myself to and in a similar way control how I deal with it. The only thing of any real use was a suggestion that my medication could be adjusted. The only problem with this is the fact that I'm either going to be more tired and sedated than normal or not be sedated enough to sleep properly.
I'm pretty certain that diagnosis can vary tremendously from doctor to doctor. I never seem to hear the same thing - it always varies in some way. It's simply impossible to tell someone being treated for depression to 'cheer up' and 'get on with things'. But I suppose that's how I felt about the advice I received this morning. My wife accompanied me this time as she saw first hand how bad things were last week and as normal, she had to endure me in such a terrible state. I'm sure she felt frustrated too at not quite being able to get across the seriousness of my most recent episode. There is I think always a communication issue between patient and doctor. This may be contentious but it's something we're all aware of. When doctors and specialists are of a different ethnicity, this can be a particular problem. The language isn't so much the issue - often their use of English is better than most people I know. It's the nuances and common phrases that aren't often interpreted fully. This can lead to a lack of full understanding and it's exactly that which contributed to my feeling of disappointment with this morning's session.

I applied for another job today. It's for an ICT technician based locally to service schools and businesses in the area. I've heard nothing from the others I've applied for recently, par for the course I'm afraid. It's hugely demoralising and really does begin to get you down after a while. But I'm determined to find something so I'll just carry on until my luck changes. It's pretty obvious to any followers by now that my driving ambition is temporarily on hold while I try to save us from homelessness and possible bankruptcy.

I haven't yet mentioned the outcome of the 'to do' in Sutton St James the other night. Sadly it isn't good and a once peaceful village is now traumatised and shocked. The guy involved in an armed stand-off with police decided to take his own life. A very sad ending and a loss to his family friends and neighbours who knew him.

I'm hoping to get some nice wintry photos over the coming days. It is clear at the moment though we have had the odd flake or two of snow today. It is though very cold and we're expecting a sharp frost overnight. Thankfully we have ample wood and coal.