"I had this thing on the back of my shoulder which, being where it was, I couldn't quite see. I could feel it though. A moley, warty thing. I'll spare you a fuller description. And so I embarked upon my tried-and-tested routine for dealing with vaguely troubling symptoms: 1. Pretend it's not there. 2. Acknowledge it is. 3. Convince myself it's growing. 4. Get a loved one to take a photo of it. 5. Examine photo, gagging slightly."
"Send to doctor friend, who says go to GP. 7. Forget about it. 8. Remember it. 9. Try and fail to get GP appointment. 10. Forget about it again. 11. Remember it again. 12. Try harder to get GP appointment and therefore succeed. All this time of course, I'm veering between two opposing convictions: one that it's fatal, two that it's nothing. And in the gap between those things, nothing happens."
"The GP said it was probably nothing but I should get it checked. She gave me a referral code to log in and secure my appointment. So far so good. She said not to worry about the words suspected, urgent and cancer on the form, as this was just to get the whole thing moving. Nice. Reassuring, I think. And the referral system seemed robust. Good use of IT, technology, the app etc. Well done, everybody."
I noticed a mole-like growth on the back of my shoulder that I could feel but not easily see. I followed a familiar avoidance and investigation routine that included photographing the lesion, seeking informal clinical input, and repeatedly attempting to book a GP appointment. I picked at the lesion and it regrew more inflamed. The GP recommended formal evaluation and issued a referral code, reassuring that urgent wording was procedural. I completed the online referral form and praised the digital system until a message indicated no available appointments at the referred hospital or elsewhere. The process ended in a frustrating digital dead end.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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