Update: 10 March 2004Alan has now had a new MRI scan done and we have sent copies to The Netherlands (Professor Michael Jacobs, associated with Dr Joseph Coselli in Houston) and to University Hospital Chicago (Dr Jeevanandam). Professor Jacobs said the scans didn’t give him enough information and that other scans and information were necessary. He did say, though, that he has operated on patients from the UK and that the NHS had paid for it. Hmmm … really?
Dr Jeevanandam, however, informed us that Alan needed to have his previous surgery site repaired as the aorta was completely blocked (can you believe that?) and that his aneurysm could be repaired with an 80% chance of success. Just like that!
It would seem that for the past four years, Alan has survived with not only one kidney and one lung, but with a completely blocked aorta and the blood has been flowing through the original dissection! It seems to me he’s a walking miracle and deserves the chance of life – and who doesn’t? – except our NHS was quite prepared to send this 53-year-old man home to die. It also seems to me that the previous surgery wasn’t carried out correctly, which resulted in his subsequent aneurysm … I assume the strain of blood having to flow through the original dissection had to give way somewhere.
We are now in the process of trying to negotiate finances so that Alan can have this life-saving operation. We haven’t got any medical insurance and only limited savings, but at least we now know that he can be saved.
Time is of the essence and we need to do something fast. We are pursuing our National Health Service to help fund him, but we realise it could take many months to get a reaction from them.
If Alan should die during this process, then I am determined to carry on this sorry matter now because it may be that many people in this country could be in the same situation. Please keep your fingers crossed for us that we can do something in the nick of time.
