[Help] Girlfriend's Aunt was diagnosed with Cancer

Yes, I am sure all the physicians are just having a hard time feeding their family like Latrell Sprewell.

 

The question is, do you WANT to fly to the UK for their free treatment. Free healthcare has its ups and downs. First, let's not even start with the expensive round-trip airfare and the hospitality bills. Second, do you know how dirty and poor the healthcare system in UK is? Most people who can afford it, go to private healthcare. The free public system has a long waiting list and the facilities are extremely dirty and poorly managed. You might come out in worse condition than you did going in.

 

Have you lived in England? Do you have first hand experience?

 

I'd say the only option she's got left is to go back to Mexico. There are just too many odd against her at the moment. 1). citizenship 2). high bills and 3). insurance. Cancer is a thing that can't be taken lightly. Depending on what stage she's in at the moment, she can't afford to sit around until a solution is found. She's gotta start treatment ASAP. Doesn't matter if it's in Mexico or Colombia or Canada...find the the nearest hospital that takes her and is willing to give her "uninterrupted" treatment and get her hooked up on chemo fast. These things spread fast and so don't waste time trying to apply for foreign country citizenships or whatever.

 

Yes....I've lived in England for 1 year as an exchange student several years back. Leeds.

 

If what you say is true, I wonder why is England ranked higher than the US in this?

World Healthcare Ranking

 

liver cancer... not good

 

You need to do some research before talking out of your ass. For every high dollar private practice surgeon out there, there's general practitioners that are middle class at best working 60 hr weeks. This isn't the lucrative profession everyone wants to believe it to be. Maybe once, but not now.

As to the topic at hand, just the brief description strongly suggests that she may not have much of a chance (sorry). Also, it would be incredibly difficult to get her treatment given her situation. Beyond the financial and legal concerns, there's not a lot of options if this is a metastatic cancer in the liver/stomach. The prognosis in those cases is bleak.

Evan

 

if the cancer has already spread from the liver to the stomach it seems like its in an advanced stage already.

i think the only thing a doctor can do is improve the quality of life but as far as cure, it seems like the prognosis wont be good.



try looking into charity help from the hospitals in the med center.

good luck!

 

Please define middle class. is top 10% middle income? top 15%?

 

Listen, I'm not here to debate you on the quality of health care SYSTEM. I'm not first one to admit our system is messed up and needs a lot of work. But the general QUALITY of health care practice in the US, I think, should be in the top 5 of the world at least. Getting back to this thread, since the patient isn't an UK citizen, it's not in her best interest to seek cancer treatment there. The wait will take forever and IF she does get accepted, won't get the kind of proper treatment she needs.

 

http://www.payscale.com/research/US...ysicians_/_Doctors/Salary/by_Years_Experience

Don't forget to account for malpractice insurance and a paranoid culture of frivolous lawsuits.

Evan

 

Hmm..pretty good money...probably would only take someone making that much 10 years to pay off school.

 

Sign her for clinical trials and try you best to let her enjoy her life.
Spreaded liver cancer is pretty bad. Probably no effective current
therapy exists.

 

First, she cannot sign up for a clinical trial if she has not been a resident for at least 5 years.

Secondly, does she live in Harris County? Does she have a bill (i.e. utility bill, electricity, etc...) that has her name on it? If she has residency in Harris County, it does not matter if she is a citizen or not, she can still be treated at the county hospital. If she is a resident she needs to see a doctor who can refer her to Ben Taub (or LBJ) oncology clinic.

Third, if she becomes sick (i.e. vomits, has fever, etc...) she can go to any emergency room and be admitted regarded of financial or citizen status.

Also, if all else fails, look into charity care at methodist hospital and other big hospitals around town.

 

I think I heard that Minnesota hospital will treat you regardless if you are illegal or not. You might want to look into that.