Thank you, FOF

[DLTOOFIF]

To those for whom the following post is an irrelevance, sorry for the intrusion. Please scroll on by.

To those in the 'You-Know-Who-You-Are' category, the very least you deserve is an in-depth update. And our overdue sincere thanks.

My eldest daughter Ellen (18) has suffered from ear problems pretty much from birth. In her teens, this developed into an almost constant earache, nausea and balance problems. In the last 3-4 years, the situation has got progressively worse. It's been a truly miserable time for her, being unable to travel without a severe reaction and being susceptible to falls even when just walking around the house.

The NHS route has offered hope at times and we've met some good people along the way. However, a string of appalling admin cock-ups ('phantom' clinics, lost paperwork and non-referrals to name but a few) have delayed an already slow process inexcusably and have undoubtedly made things worse. Over that period, the time we've spent on the phone to various NHS secretaries and departments could probably be measured in weeks. Our frustration levels went off the scale.

During the last 2-3 years, Ellen has barely left the house save for sporadic hospital appointments. She's been unable to complete her A-levels ('Cruising to four A grades" according to her school beforehand). Her stoic spirit became more and more fragile. My brother-in-law Paul, who hadn't seen Ellen for a while, was so shocked by her deterioration that he sprang into action – contacting a Harley Street specialist for advice and organising a charity bash to help pay for treatment.

So (at last!) to the Fulham/FOF connection. Allan Gould, aka 'Greedy', posted about Ellen's condition on here. We were oblivious to this and it wasn't until I received a few 'odd' texts later in the week that I realised that something was going on! By this time the charity do had raised a tidy sum and further donations from numerous Fulham sources had taken the total raised to more than £1,500. We were staggered. A call to Harley Street suggested we'd need around £2,500 for a consultation plus various scans and tests in order for the specialist to decide on an appropriate course of action. The money raised made this feasible. Thank you.

Ellen was seen by the specialist almost right away. And almost right away he was on her wavelength, in terms of a sympathetic and authoritative approach. Two quickfire visits and a string of tests down the line we have a diagnosis. We are now awaiting advice as to how best to proceed – but there seems to be a credible shaft of light at the end of the tunnel.

[To be absolutely clear, this is not an overt pop at the NHS – we have had superb care and attention in other circumstances. This is purely a speak-as-you-find account and unfortunately they've been found sorely lacking in Ellen's case, which, as the Harley St specialist conceded, is far from straightforward.]

A sincere thank you to Allan G (and subsequently Bill Plummer, toofif.co.uk) and of course to all those who helped out in whatever way – the whole business has been an uplifting shot in the arm. Ellen truly couldn't believe the reaction on her behalf and the speed with which everything fell into place. THANK YOU.

[Scrumpy]

Great news David and thanks for the update. It's good to know that the Fulham family rallied round again.

It sounds like Ellen still has a 'fair way to travel', but here's hoping that it is all good news from here on in.  :clap_hands:

[ScalleysDad]

A nice midweek lift. Hope all continues to go well. Thumbs up thingy and applause

[LBNo11]

...excellent news, and hopefully a few more donations will add to the coffers for ongoing treatment to Ellen...

[domprague]

Lovely to hear that. Hope Ellen gets what she needs to get her life back again.

[Lighthouse]

It is great to hear peoples experiences and the fact that there can be hope when things look gloomy. Hospital departments and their lack of communication despite billions of pounds spent on computer systems that never work become very very frustrating. Especially when somebody tells a patient they can go home when the other department have them down for tests a day later.

Ellen will only be stronger for the experience and hope is always the best medicine. Best wishes for a less dizzying experience.

[NogoodBoyo]

A moving story that I missed first time round.  I hope she improves rapidly under the treatment offered.  Best of luck to all.
Nogood "uplifting, itis" Boyo

[cebu]

All the best to Ellen and the family. I hope the ray of hope is in fact the beginning of a complete recovery.