Nice People Thread Number 10 -the official residence of Nice People

silvercar

Glad you got good results.

Generali wrote: »

I've been told it might be up to several weeks for the next available appointment.

Privately? How long would you have had to wait if you had not chosen the private option?

silvercar

vivatifosi wrote: »

I had to wait 18 months for one of my diagnoses on a very nasty tumour. In the end, the only way to resolve it was to work with DH and track down the best specialist in the world and ask for it to be sent to them as nobody in the UK could resolve things, including the UK's leading specialist, who in his own right is no slouch.

I had made the mistake of asking them how I would know if I had it without a diagnosis. They told me that if I was still alive in 15 years, then I'd know then that I didn't. I did get a "benign" in the end, but it is still such a difficult diagnosis that I celebrate every year towards the 15. I'm about half way currently. It also explains why I freak out periodically when something else is found. While it is treated as a primary (then generally eliminated as benign anyway), I always worry that it is a secondary.

Having said all that, Gen's will be much more straightforward, I have faith in that.

I thought there is a general 5 year survival rate deemed to be a cure?

In any case, even with that condition, I'm sure people have a progressing spreading of nastys and worsening of health rather than dropping dead in the street after 14.99 years.

vivatifosi

silvercar wrote: »

I thought there is a general 5 year survival rate deemed to be a cure?

In any case, even with that condition, I'm sure people have a progressing spreading of nastys and worsening of health rather than dropping dead in the street after 14.99 years.

That's absolutely right. I lost a relative to secondary brain cancer that came on very quickly though. That was about 10 years after their melanoma primary. Hence wary.

You are 'cured' over 5 but can still get secondaries/other primaries.

Good news is that research progresses greatly meantime. It's not just the cures and treatments either. The digital imaging and gene sequencing for detection and diagnosis is moving on in leaps and bounds too.

neverdespairgirl

Generali wrote: »

I've been told it might be up to several weeks for the next available appointment.

That really does suggest they don't think it's malignant - even the NHS clears the appointment decks pretty sharpish if they suspect malignancy (going by my mother's experience last year).

Lots of love to all the Gens.

vivatifosi

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

That really does suggest they don't think it's malignant - even the NHS clears the appointment decks pretty sharpish if they suspect malignancy (going by my mother's experience last year).

Lots of love to all the Gens.

Exactly.... this (can't do an up arrow).

Generali

chucknorris wrote: »

Please excuse my ignorance but I know nothing of the Aussie tax system (and NI if levied separately). How do you think our tax system compares against the Aussie system, and does your health insurance represent value? Or is it more of a necessity than a value option?

The Aussie system of taxes on income is a lot more like the British system for self employed people. I get to offset internet connection, stationery and similar against my tax bill.

Health insurance isn't required in the same way as it would be in the US but it's a normal part of middle class life. It buys you convenience and certainty in much the same way as buying a nice new car rather than an old banger does.

There's no NI over here. You pay at the following marginal rates:

Taxable income Tax on this income 0 – $18,200
Nil
$18,201 – $37,000
19c for each $1 over $18,200
$37,001 – $80,000
$3,572 plus 32.5c for each $1 over $37,000
$80,001 – $180,000
$17,547 plus 37c for each $1 over $80,000
$180,001 and over
$54,547 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000

To give you an idea, $50k is the national average income, $80k is a decent living wage in Sydney. $250k is where I would say 'rich' starts (can afford to live in pretty much any suburb, drive a flash car (albeit on tick) and pay for private schooling).

After that there is the Medicare levy: if you don't have health insurance then they add an extra 1% on your income tax.

Our VAT is 10%, petrol costs roughly in $ what you pay in £ due to the tax difference. No inheritance tax here.

I'd expect Mrs Generali and I to get a tax rebate of a little less than 5% of our gross annual income. In addition we get 10+% put into a pension fund by our employers.

Generali

silvercar wrote: »

Glad you got good results.

Me too!

silvercar wrote: »

Privately? How long would you have had to wait if you had not chosen the private option?

1. I suspect that 'several' weeks is 'managing expectations'. The reality is that there'll be an appointment within 10 days privately I suspect. We'll see.
2. I don't know about the state system really. I would guess in a month or so. I'll ask MiL as she's spent much of her life in health admin.

purch

Beaten up any Great Whites recently Gen ? :eek:


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-13/fisherman-fined-18k-for-bashing-great-white-shark-to-death/5257052

vivatifosi

I think someone may have slipped an hallucinogenic drug in my tea. Watching the ski slopestyle at the Winter Olympics. If I didn't know better, I'd swear I just saw a white Swedish bloke with dreadlocks do the whole course and all the tricks skiing backwards. Absolutely bonkers.

Generali

purch wrote: »

Beaten up any Great Whites recently Gen ? :eek:


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-13/fisherman-fined-18k-for-bashing-great-white-shark-to-death/5257052

WA is a bit of a trek to go shark baiting frankly. It would be like flying to Thailandto have sex with a man with breasts.