They told her it was the end. No more treatment, no more options, just a chair in a cold, fluorescent-lit room where the doctor delivered the news with the same detached tone someone might use to read out a weather report. She had cancer, and according to the system, that was that. No more resources would be wasted on her. Her job now was to go home and wait for the inevitable.

But what do you do when the state gives up on you? Do you just sit there, counting down the days, accepting that your life has been neatly boxed up and labelled as a lost cause? Or do you fight? Not for them, not for statistics or survival rates, but for yourself.

She refused to accept that her body was beyond saving. She started researching, not just scrolling through hopeless forums, but really digging. She learned about the effects of environment, the mind, and diet on health. Not the kind of diet that involved bland hospital food and artificial supplements, but real, whole foods. Fresh produce that grew under the sun, foods rich in colour and nutrients that nourished the body rather than just filling it. She started to see a pattern in the stories she found—people who had been in her position but had chosen to leave. They had walked away from a system that had written them off and instead found healing elsewhere.

For many people, accessing critical medical tests in the UK and the US is a frustrating, time-consuming process. Whether it’s genetic testing, diagnostic imaging, or specialist consultations, waiting lists can stretch for months or even years. Even if you’re willing to go private, the options available can be limited—and often prohibitively expensive.

This is the reality I’ve faced when seeking genetic testing for my son, Forrest. The NHS process is lengthy, requiring referrals, assessments, and endless waiting, with estimates suggesting it could take up to two years to get the tests we need. Even private healthcare isn’t always the answer, as many providers simply don’t offer the tests, regardless of how much you’re willing to pay.

Why Travel for Medical Testing?

Rather than waiting years for results, I started researching alternative options. My findings were eye-opening. Not only could we get the genetic sequencing test we need in Turkey, but the cost is significantly lower than in other countries. A full genetic sequencing test in Turkey is priced at around £700, a fraction of the cost in the UK or US.

To put things into perspective:

• UK (NHS Waitlist) – Up to 2 years for genetic testing, depending on the region.

• UK (Private Clinics) – Limited availability, with costs exceeding £2,000+ where available.

• USA (Private) – Prices range from $3,000 to $10,000+, depending on the test and provider.

• Turkey (Private Clinics) – Around £700 for comprehensive genetic sequencing, available almost immediately.

Beyond the cost savings, travelling abroad also gives you control over your healthcare timeline. Instead of waiting for referrals, bureaucracy, and slow-moving processes, you can book your tests at a specialist clinic, receive high-quality service, and get the results faster.

In a world where healthcare waiting lists are growing longer, medical tourism offers a solution—life-changing surgeries abroad at a fraction of the cost, with no waiting lists and state-of-the-art technology. Countries like Turkey, Thailand, Mexico, and India are becoming go-to destinations for affordable, world-class treatments, from cosmetic surgeries to cancer care. With highly trained surgeons and the latest technologies, these countries provide a high level of care, often at a fraction of the price of treatments in the UK.

For me, the decision to seek surgery abroad became clear when I faced a 12-month NHS wait for a procedure I needed. If I’d gone ahead with a salpingectomy in Turkey, I would have avoided that wait, saving valuable time. Life is too short to wait for a system to dictate your timeline—it's time to take control of your health journey and make the changes you need when you need them.