The Practice and District Nurses are playing hard to get. They really don’t want to be involved in flushing this central line and I really don’t want to go to the General Hospital with its multiplicity of infections before I am admitted. Ray is at the surgery as I write this trying to get some sense out of them. We hear all about the wonders of the NHS and Macmillan Nurses but no one is ever available when you need them. Their dispute has been going on for three days. First a district nurse may do it, then it’s a doctor, now we’re back to the district nurse provided of course we can get the heparin from the pharmacy. Do it yourself medicine.
However, the word from the Marsden – and they’ve tried contacting the GP surgery too – is that Monday is definite for admission. It is going to be a busy time before then. Ray has a course at the end of next week so I must get out all the props he is going to need. In addition, I am finalising the amendments to the Affidavit which the Canadian lawyers are organizing regarding the case another donor offspring is bringing in British Columbia regarding the denial of access to our genetic records.
I hope they are going to be successful but they are up against a massive wall of secrecy and some very powerful and influential groups. When I think of my efforts and how they have been blocked at every turn. I am convinced that even though many of the paper records may well have been destroyed, some remain on microfiche etc. or may be buried in medical/university libraries. I understand that some of this data has been used in doctoral research so it must exist but this is anecdotal evidence however accurate.
The Canadian lawyers are now working against the clock because I will be hooked up to the chemo drips from next week and my ability to think and concentrate could be affected. If there is some success in other areas of the world, inevitably it will reach these shores and the authorities will be shamed into acknowledging the right of all people not to have their genetic heritage deliberately taken from them.
Although I am getting a dongle today or tomorrow and hope to get connected to the internet as soon as possible, inevitably there will be some delay. There will be a break in transmission but when I am allowed to get out of bed I hope to continue with my blog.
Hello Alison,
ReplyDeleteI've just been reading your blog that I found through a link to your Daily Telegraph article sent to me a few days ago. Just out of interest, I'm another donor offspring who is about the same age as you--I'm 62 and was conceived in London at Mary Barton's clinic via DI. I just wanted to say I was very much moved by what you've been writing. I'm glad that a compatible donor has been found for you. All the best to you these next weeks as you go through your upcoming procedure that should hopefully give you more time. Through a lot of research, the magic of the Internet, as well as happenstance I myself discovered the identity of my own donor; a whole new world has opened up to me since then. Perhaps now that your story has been revealed and is being spread wide, this will be your path as well. I hope so.
from Janice