Cookey - As a former Brit (I was born in the UK, came over to the US as a very young girl with my family) and someone who has experienced this second hand talking to my relatives still in the UK, I know it's very different there. Perhaps if patients like you begin demanding to be seen as an equal partner in their health care, it will start to change. I know that the higher-ups in the UK proclaim that this should be the way things are - there is a large technology project going on there called "Connecting for Health" and one of the benefits is supposed to be for patients, "Easier, secure access to their own NHS Summary Care Record via the Internet, so they can be more informed and involved in decisions about their care and treatment." (if interested in learning more about this project, here's the URL http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/)

Sharlee - I know exactly what you mean. Now that I am 9 months out from my surgery, I think most of my friends and even family think I am "cured" and never have to think about this again. And, I think it is a little different when the husband is the caregiver - not that my husband and all the rest of you out there did not rise to the occasion and excel, but emotionally men and women are different, and the fact is that women are more naturally caregivers - that's why over 90% of nurses are women, etc. I also find myself not telling my husband all my fears and scares as I don't want to worry him....