Throughout my experiences over the last 18 or so months, the system has worked bloody well for me without a doubt.
All the medical systems, etc have been spot on, I've been blessed with the support crew I've had around me and I'm now a better person for my journey.
Let's admit it, for all those dark times and experiences, the end result is I'm still alive and for me that is the best outcome. Sure there are some residual side effects that can be a tad annoying, but in the overall scheme of things, when balanced against the alternative they are minor.
The pessimist in me was always waiting for something to deliver a "gotcha" moment, but it never happened. Was I just lucky, or is this the norm? There are sadly too many stories of the unlucky ones for me to even remotely consider buying into the argument it is the norm, so I was happy to accept it as my good fortune.
Today, however, the gotcha was delivered.
I've just got home from my follow-up appointment with Mr Morrissey as he tries to address my hearing issues. I had another hearing test first, and the results are pretty much in line with the last one, which means things haven't gotten any worse. Good start. Then the fun begins.
Seems he still hasn't managed to get a copy of the tests done by Wellington Hospital, but did manage to find a note in my file that said the test was normal. I told him the baseline test wasn't taken until after treatment had actually started, and the effects had already appeared by the time the test was done. "We might have a problem then" was not what I really wanted to hear. Firstly, my hearing loss is not what he would expect in someone of my age, and it is highly likely that I would indeed benefit from hearing aids. The issue is who will end up paying for them.
With the hospital having been tardy with doing the baseline test, there is no proof that my hearing was actually OK before the treatment started. Couple that with a change in ACC policy and it seems the system has found a way to give me a not too gentle nudge.
ACC used to fund treatment related side effects, but it seems it was costing them buckets of money, so they changed the rules so that they now only pay for rare and abnormal post-treatment "ailments" (terminology might not be right, but you get the idea). Suffering hearing loss from Cisplatin treatment is neither rare or abnormal, so I'm out on a limb now. Without a pre-treatment test, we can't prove it is treatment related.
Sure, I have the option of just grinning and bearing it, but honestly, it does irritate me at times when I can't hear properly in certain situations/environments, and as such it holds me back, so if there is something that can overcome that, then bring it on.
Mr Morrissey has given me a referral to a hearing clinic and I'll now see where that takes me, but it seems if the decision is that hearing aids will benefit me, I could be facing 100% of the approx $6,000 bill. Merry Christmas. On the plus side, there will be a trial period where I can actually assess if they are beneficial, so it isn't as if the money gets spent and I might not get any benefit.
At this point, in my "previous life", I'd be pretty annoyed (note the careful restraint) that the system had screwed me over like this. I've paid my taxes, etc, etc. But quite honestly, I'm sitting here with a more philosophical outlook on it (and those that have known me for many years may will struggle to believe it).
Given I'm still breathing, in reality this is a pretty small price to pay for the life I've now got and plan to enjoy for many years to come. If the hearing aids last say 5 years, that is only $100 per month and that is one hell of a small price to pay to still be breathing.
Life is too precious to me to worry about the cost of something like this if it improves my quality of life. I'll worry about the money when the time comes, just means the weekly lotto ticket takes on added meaning.
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