Second chance at life thanks to health screening

For most people, a trip to their GP is enough to diagnose or treat any health problems that they may have, but for some people, a second opinion can be a life saver. For Staffords employee and family man, Martin Wolfarth, 49, a Medicash health check proved to be critical. It identified dangerously high blood sugar levels that his doctor failed to warn him about. Martin tells how the health check saved him from further irreparable organ damage and how he has undertaken a lifestyle overhaul to deal with his condition…

"I joined Staffords about seven years ago as a team leader and as part of the benefits package, I was offered membership of Medicash. Staffords pay for the plan and right from the start I was keen to take advantage of the benefits available. I mainly claimed for my dental and optical treatments, such as check-ups with the dentist and eye exams, which was a great money saver. In March last year, we were told Medicash was going to deliver onsite health checks at our work place, so I thought I'd take advantage of it and went along with around 30 colleagues. The checks were run over three days, so everyone had the opportunity to fit the one-to-one session into their working day.

"Having not had a health screening before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but the consultant brought in by Medicash was really approachable. He explained that as part of my Medicash healthcare cash plan I was entitled to a full health check, which involves a blood test for diabetes and cholesterol, checking your blood pressure, calculating your BMI (Body Mass Index) and evaluating your risk of developing heart disease within the next ten years. The consultation felt more like an informal chat, which was great, and because I knew what to expect I felt really relaxed. I filled in a health and lifestyle questionnaire, which asked me about how much exercise I did, if I smoked - just easy questions about my daily activity. They then weighed and measured me and we also talked about how I felt my general health and wellbeing was. I mentioned that for some time I had been experiencing a problem with a pain in my arm and shoulder. My GP had run several tests and not been able to diagnose it, so had sent me to the Walton Neurology Centre for specialist testing. They tested for nerve damage, but couldn't find anything and the results came back inconclusive. This was quite stressful for me and my family as when you don't know what is causing a problem, you seem to imagine the worst. I also told the consultant that my eye sight had been deteriorating.

"I was then asked about my family and if there was a history of various diseases, such as cancer. I explained that my family has a history of high cholesterol and that because of this I have regular check-ups with my GP. The consultant then took the blood sample and ran some simple tests.

"I was amazed at the results. My blood sugar reading was 20, which is very high (for an average person this should be about 5/6). The consultant told me not to be alarmed, that the reading may have been triggered by eating shortly before and suggested that I come back for a fasting test after not eating for 12 hours. When the test was repeated, my blood sugar levels were still abnormally high, and the consultant told me that I was likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. He advised me to make an appointment with my GP that night for a blood test, so the diagnosis could be officially confirmed.

"My GP took a sample and confirmed that I was suffering Type II diabetes. He explained that my high sugar levels had been flagged up two years previously from one of my cholesterol checks. I couldn't believe that not only had no action been taken to control the high blood sugar levels, but that I had never actually been told about the problem; I was only ever told to control my diet and monitor my cholesterol. The diabetes diagnosis explained why my eyesight was deteriorating and why I was experiencing the pain in my arm and shoulder. On one hand it was a relief to finally know what was causing the problems, and to know that they were treatable, but on the other hand, I was angry that it had taken so long for me to be diagnosed correctly, and that I had suffered unnecessarily. If it had not have been for the Medicash health check, the likely result was that my condition would have continued to worsen as it was not being treated, which could have led to kidney failure, irreparable nerve damage, and more immediately a hyperglycaemic attack, or even death.

"As a result of the retina damage and increased risk of glaucoma, I attend regular optical check-ups. I also have regular chiropody sessions, as people with diabetes have to take extra care with their feet. I have changed my diet dramatically and attend a diabetes clinic to monitor my progress - my wife jokes I'm the model patient. I also have to take tablets to help control my blood sugar levels, which I will have to take for the rest of my life. The impact has not just been on me, but the rest of my family. My wife and three sons help me monitor my diet and also watch for signs that my blood sugar level may be excessively high or low, so I can take action before it worsens.

"A year on from my diagnosis, I'm still coming to terms with my condition, but thanks to Medicash's health screen I'm healthier than I've ever been and I know I can look forward to my future. I would urge anyone who has concerns about their health to seek help, and if they're not happy with the first opinion, get a second one - it could be a life saver."