I was sure the lump on my eyelid had been growing bigger recently, and not wanting to scare people on the bus, thought it best to seek out professional advice. I had decided against the SOS Clinic because of its £140 consultancy fee. Global Doctor, at £80, was a bit cheaper but still too expensive.
So I rang the International Dept of Benq hospital in the Oympic Stadium area – £50 – bit cheaper. They had operated on me a couple of years possibly saving my life – so I also trusted them.
I also like the fact that when you arrive there’s a chap playing the piano in the lobby – more akin to a hotel.
There is a metro stop right at the hospital so I got there 10 mins early and went up to the 2nd floor.
After an initial period of confusion (due to the staff not being able to find my appointment) the doctor was summoned from downstairs. Mr Liu appeared like lightening and ushered me into a little room.
“What wrong with you?”.
“I have this lump on my eyelid”
“Yes, I know, is that all?”
“Yes”
He had a very brief look at my eye…
“You need an operation to cut it out”.
“Can’t I try some medicine first?” (I had looked online of course before I arrived – medicine exists for this complaint)
“If you want to, but you’ll probably need to have it cut out eventually”
“Ok, I’ll try the medicine and then go for the operation if it doesn’t work”
Sensing that the session was drawing to an end, I decided to get my £50 worth of consultancy fee by asking all sorts of questions even questions the answers to which I already knew – just to keep him talking for a few more minutes and make him work a bit harder for his £50.
After taking a couple of mobile phone calls and doing a lot of typing, he thanked me for coming and was heading out of the door when he turned back to me and said “Do you have any other diseases?”
“Not as far as I know”.
Thinking of the operation I thought it wise to ask the price – I didn’t want to have a nasty surprise. I was unprepared therefore when he quoted a price for the operation – £10. “It’s a piece of cake” he explained.
I wonder whether, for £10, I also get some anesthetic! I am quite prepared to double the price of the operation to pay for a bit of anesthetic. Let’s hope the medicine works!