The biopsy result is back!

The mystery deepens! Thankfully the biopsy results from the endoscopy have proved to be negative - so the original questions remain - what DID the PET scan pick up and what is that lump in my lung?

If you think it's fun to remain in a state of high anxiety for weeks at a time you would be wrong.

There is a momentary relief in news like this but as the implications sink in the questions just increase!

Sigh!

It's still a "wait and see" situation.

For those who are interested - I have had my endoscopy and the initial results are encouraging - there is some swelling and some inflammation, but no visually obvious cancer. Biopsies were taken and it will be at least a week or two before the results are back - so here is hoping.

Meanwhile with respect to the mass in the lung - the best way to see what that is will be to wait to have another CT scan and then see whether the mass has grown or not. If it has then getting some chemo therapy is really indicated as radiation treatment may not be possible for this area.

So we are no wiser today than we have been for the last few months.

Medicare on Line?

Went to have a look at the Medicare site today just to see if there was anything new there and lo and behold there was. Lots of new pages specially modified for an end of financial year launch by the look of them.

Some new services seem to be available on line. Following registration a person can actually access quite a few services on line.

I have no idea whether people will welcome this service or not. For someone in a situation where they would have to drive a fair distance to access a Medicare office and then actually spend loads of time waiting in a queue for some simple service, this will prove to be a boon.

I suspect that like Centrelink before it, Medicare Australia has learnt that the cost of an on line transaction is substantially cheaper than to use the post and other facilities.

So if you want to save the government money and have some convenience from your own home then sign up.

If you want to keep more public servants at work and actually spend less time on your computer then you may have some issues to consider.

The basic rule of 'caveat emptor' still applies - the government never seems to give anything away unless it can offset the costs somewhere else, so I suggest that before anyone signs up, they also consider what if any 'traps' the government has set for the unwary player.

If you currently get a service from Medicare through the post then I suspect you will have to give it up to get the on line service.

I will consider my options very carefully before I subscribe to any new "freebie."

Then again I used to work for government so I have a right to be suspicious!