So.

In the last post I wrote 'sometimes I love Japan'. Of course, the flip-side is sometimes I fucking well don't love Japan. Like now.

I'm all about health, work, study right now. Nothing else seems to exist outside of this tiny little bubble.

The problem that was treated went away for a few days and then came back. On my arms this time.

I went back to the same hospital that treated it before yesterday, today and tomorrow. More tests. Different diagnoses. More ultra strong drips.

I googled. Their diagnoses don't sound like what I have. But I'm no doctor. Interestingly, one of my flatmates, who had one lesion, and absolutely nothing else in common with whatever I have - was diagnosed as having the same thing.

I don't trust them. I think they don't know what they are talking about. Other people think they don't know what they are talking about. My insurance company has recommended a good doctor for me to see. I've made an appointment to see him on Monday.

Quotes from the doctors included:

'I didn't expect this to come back'.
'It's life threatening'.
'It's much more serious than it looks'.
'It could spread to your whole body.'
'If you were Japanese we'd admit you into the hospital.'

The best one though involved something I'm not divulging on here for various reasons. I was given a certain result yesterday that said I had, let's call it 'x'. The test for x had been done two weeks ago. When they handed me the result the penny didn't drop. Once I got home the penny dropped.

Conversation this morning with the doctors (and now they're giving me their most senior docs):

'Can I just check this test was done two weeks ago?'
'Yes, that's right.'
'Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you treat this? In England x is an extremely serious condition.'
'In Japan we don't think x is serious'

[Side note, in Australia, Taiwan, America, etc x is seen as a serious condition. More evidence the doctors don't know what the hell they are on about.]

The doctor I saw one of the times before (I've seen a few docs there) said:

'It's normal for people with eczema to have x, so I didn't think it was important to tell you.'

I bloody well googled the connection of eczema to x. There's a known link. There's a good possibility in certain people. But there is no 'normal' about it. And it bloody well still needs treating.

Am fuming a little, as you can see.

And I miss the NHS. I really miss the NHS.