THINKING OF MOVING TO HUERCAL OVERA - Page 2

Your very welcome, Patsy, good luck with your decision. It a hard one to make, But I agree we are also the wrong side of 60, and there are times, health wise when I think I wish I was back in the UK. Like at the moment, trying to get my GP to take the fact that I have a lump in my breast serious has been hard work. So much so I am having to got private. Stay safe

Jack, you made a blanket statement, that the health care in Spain is top notch, I dont think you can make such a blanket statement, unless you have experienced every hospital. I will agree with you on one thing thought the Cleanliness is 2nd to none.

Jenni present yourself to urgencias at Huercal Overa hospital and you will soon have a mammogram. 
Also if you are having problems with your family doctor please report him/her, if nothing to protect others

omg Jenni that's gross negligence on the part of that doctor.  My sis has bc and had a mastectomy.  I've had lumpy breasts all my life, and I get checked here regularly as mum also had bc.  In fact I am postponing an appointment for next week, as I am not comfortable going near a hospital right now.   I had my AstraZeneka jab on Sunday, so in a few weeks it will be safe to be checked at my local hospital.  Good luck Jenni and hopefully it's a cyst, which often presents as the same.

Jenni let me know how you get on?

Morning Pasty and Jack,

Thank you both for your concern, Jack, I have had 3 mammograms at HOvera and an Ultra sound. All the results come back as 'inconclusive'. and it is probably fatty tissue, So yesterday morning I went back to the GP asked for the lump to be aspirated, I was told it was not necessary as the lump was calcium and too hard to aspirate, So one minute its a fatty tissue and the next its calcium. This has been going for over a year now and I have seen 2 Gp's 3 mammograms Technicians, and 1 ultra sound technician, not one of them has ever examined me. I wont be reporting this doctor as he is usually good, but I do find that with 'woman things' its a very male chauvinist country. For example when I requested HRT orally I was told it wasn't available in Spain as the government doesn't deem it necessary. It is only available in pessary form.

I know of a lady here that started her journey with a lump in 2018, like me she just kept going back and back, because she was getting nowhere, she was always told its nothing to worry about, suddenly out of the blue HOvera rang to say get  here quick, she is now on her 4th round of chemo after having the lump removed. She says once she was in the hospital system and with the specialist things moved quickly and she was please with the response, but getting to that point took her 3 years, now that to me is disgusting.

HI Patsy, sorry to hear about your sister, but good news you have had your Virus jab, we have heard nothing here about having it I am sure it will arrive just not sure when.

So to sum up, I have decided to go and see a private doctor with my lump, ask for another Ultra sound, a examination and an aspiration if necessary, if I pay for it, then I can demand what they do, well thats my thinking anyway, plus I will have a another opinion, so I will let you know Patsy what happens with that.  !

I just hope that down the line, they dont say to me ' if only you had come earlier' !!!!!

Have a good weekend both and stay safe

wow Jenni this all sounds positively negligent to me.  We all know what with any cancers, time is of the essence and this shouldn't be happening to you.  I nearly lost my life due to a nasal/base of brain cancer.  I felt a little bit "snuffly" and went to doc who referred me to the world famous Royal Marsden.  He said "just to be on the safe side. I think it's polyps, but I can't see anything on my scope".  So let's just be cautious.  I am sure it's nothing to worry about".   I was seen within 3 days at the hospital, and wasn't at all worried that it would be something sinister.  Turns out it was.  I had stage 2 they think, grade 3.  They couldn't be sure because it was such a rare site to have squamous cell carcinoma that there was no staging protocols for this cancer back then in 2005.   Long story short.  Because I was seen and treatment was started immediately ie surgery rads and chemo, I survived.  Later oncoman told me if I had waited say another 6 months, it would have been a completely different outcome.  I wear glasses to hide my tiny bent nose now.  Small price to pay  I would add we had been living in Ireland from 1997 thru until 2004, and  I had been to my doc twice in 2004 complaining of a "blocked nose" and was fobbed off. Ireland is another third world country, when it comes to medicine.  Jenni you've made the wisest decision to go privately, but you shouldn't have to imho.  Hubby and I have chatted about the possibility of coming over to Spain during the coldest months here ie Dec/Jan/Feb, and renting a 2 bed apartment anywhere in Andalusia.  I like to swim so perhaps a complex with indoor pool.  I know these are thin on the ground though.  We did stay on Al Andalus Thalassa back in 2014, but didn't like that environment very much.  If anyone knows of a 2 bed apartment that has an indoor pool I would be interested.  Good luck Jenni for a good outcome.  Stay safe.

Hi Patsy, That sounds like a great plan to me, renting in the cold months, you will have the best of both worlds, I am sure someone on here will come up with a suggestion of an apartment to rent. Good luck and take care.

Yes,the o overall experience in hospital  in Huercal overa  was much better than in the UK.They clean the rooms, supply clean bed linen everyday  but you or your  family must make the bed.For people without  family, they have adverts for auxiliaries who can come in and do the necessary.And the treatment on the medical side is much superior to the UK.They bring the food  but if you can,t feed yourself   the  you need a family member  or to employ an auxiliary. And the food is excellent. 

With regards to Patsy1947, not know where the myth started about having to bring food into your relatives , meals are served to all inpatients, the health care is second to none , but beware here in HO you must take a translator with you if you not speak Spanish, this goes for doctors visits also, I will admit that the nursing care leaves a lot to be desired , but this is slowly changing , being a inpatient myself the nurses did everything washed you if you were not capable , changed bed linen , the treat ment I received was first class, the only down side I can think of you not know who is qualified staff or auxiliaries,? and they are still reticent in giving you full information, as happened to me , they just turned up one morning said ambulance here , your off to  Almeria , no reason given just taken, needless to say I found out when I got to Almeria, but on the whole I can not fault the treatment , having said that , you are far better off staying in The UK