Category Archives: hospitals

prescription roulette

05 Thursday Jun 2025

Posted by in hospitals, sevilla

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In my ongoing quest to sort out my various prescriptions I decided to return to the scene of the crime this week because trying to call, as suggested by the ecocardiagrama doc, was not doing anything for my blood pressure. After trying several numbers, over and over and over, someone finally picked up and insisted they couldn’t understand a word I was saying. Aaaaargh. So yesterday I went to the Duques del Infantado hospital to see if I could speak to the Cardiologist. And… nope. I would have to make an appointment via my GP. I told them I was having problems with my meds, not feeling well with the Flecainide (the scary drug) and they said to go to emergency at the general hospital or go see my GP to have the prescription modified. Aaaargh again. I mean, it takes two weeks to even get a phone appointment with the GP. Finally I convinced them to leave a note for the Cardiologist to call me asap and it turned out he’s away until Monday.

I didn’t see any point in going to the hospital so decided to try the emergency dept at my health centre today in the slight hope that my GP would see me. In a moment of desperate hope I also tried to make a phone appointment via the online app but there were no available dates. I mean… none. So I sent the request in anyhow, saying I was having trouble with my meds. And what do you know? Got a call early this morning saying the GP would call me at 6.30 this afternoon. I asked if there was any way I could come in instead and they said “oh yeah, sure”. What the hell! So I showed up with my notes, etc, to make sure I wasn’t being “misunderstood” and almost lost it when the GP said she couldn’t change my prescription, that I would have to see the Cardiologist. I think she must’ve spotted my look of desperation (even though all she could see were my eyes above the mask) and she wrote up a “preferential” request for an appointment. Which I had to book downstairs (good thing I went in!) and then that was that.

I really don’t know what to do but as everyone (nurses, eco-doc, GP) has told me not to stop any meds without consulting the specialist I guess I’ll hang on. Even though I’m still not taking the Bisoprolol (beta blocker) because, yep, couldn’t get a straight answer on that one either. Meanwhile, with the Flecainide I am feeling light headed, my pulse has dropped (~65), I feel pressure in my chest (off and on), some difficulty breathing and my head hurts. To clarify, it’s not a headache, but it’s like I have pressure, esp around my eyes, and if I touch my head it feels like it’s bruised. And all this is scaring the fuck out of me. Well, hopefully the Cardiologist will call me when he gets back on Monday (he’s probably off doing the Rocío). Meanwhile, if there’s a doctor in the house, please help?

ecocardiograma

26 Monday May 2025

Posted by in health, hospitals, sevilla

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I had my echocardiogram this morning and the doc said she didn’t see anything serious, so that’s good. Nothing blocked or whatever… I’d had visions of being kept in for emergency stent insertion. Now I wait to hear back from the Cardiologist. I guess! Meanwhile I still can’t get a straight answer on whether I should be taking ALL THOSE DRUGS.

I checked with my GP who said “well if that’s what he said” except he didn’t SAY to take the Bisoprolol during that phone call. Then I asked my pharmacist and she said that it’s good to check back with the Cardiologist because he might not have noticed that I was already taking Lozartán, saying “it happens”. I thought I could ask at the hospital today, so I did. And the doc said, “but you’re taking the Bisoprolol?” and I said I wasn’t sure if I should be taking it, so she said to call the cardiology dept at Duques del Infantado and they can check with the Cardiologist on the spot. Yeah right. And so this afternoon I secured the direct number for the cardiology department and tomorrow I will see if they actually answer the phone.

relatively speaking…

19 Monday May 2025

Posted by in casa azahar, health, hope, hospitals, knee saga, knees, sevilla, spain

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Okay, so maybe not the best image since I AM GOING BALD and would never tear my hair out on purpose… but I mean fuck. No wonder it’s falling out on its own. Remember when I had it all worked out to finally take care of business and find out – in person – why I have been waiting SEVEN MONTHS to see the knee surgeon? And so on my way to my mammogram on Friday, at a new place way out in the middle of nowhere (sorry El Juncal, but you kind of are), I got off the bus and stopped in at the scene of the crime – Fleming Clinic – which was sorta kinda of on the way.

I was directed to the department I should be taking this up, and so that’s what I did. But after a few minutes of looking stuff up on the computer screen the woman at the desk told me… “all I can say is that the appointments being seen to now in the department are from requests made LAST JULY”.

My request was made in October.

And when the woman saw the look on my face she said… “well you know, relatively speaking, it shouldn’t be that far off now”.

I didn’t even know what to say. I asked if this meant I would have to wait another three months and she said “not necessarily”, which could mean anything. Maybe not three months, maybe longer. Remember, this is just to see the surgeon. Who will have to sign off on the surgery. And then I will go on ANOTHER WAITING LIST. Unless the surgeon doesn’t sign off on it and then I am completely fucked. So far I have been finding it very difficult to have doctors take me seriously about this and so it’s hard to hope.

taking care of business

13 Tuesday May 2025

Posted by in health, health & happiness, home, hospitals, sevilla, spain

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It seems like all I’m doing these days is going to various doctor’s appointments, either mine or Peter’s. Shortly after Peter saw the nephrologist last Friday, which culminated in the fabulous breakfast you see above, before I had to give a Sherry & Tapas Tasting at 12.30 (no point in going home in between) he suddenly got a call saying he had an appointment for an abdominal ultrasound on Monday. Like wtf? Meanwhile I’ve been waiting since October to see the knee surgeon.

Anyhow, as Peter’s ultrasound was at the Virgen del Rocío general hospital yesterday I decided that, since we were there anyhow, I’d try and find out what’s going on with my other appointments. No small feat. I tried the general info office and was told I would have to go to each different department (in different buildings, natch) and check with their secretaries. To be honest, they were really nice, and when I got lost in the ultrasound dept a very nice woman (there with a friend, not employed by the hospital) helped me find the right secretary for echocardiograms. A shut door in a hallway, like what? And the woman said “just knock and walk in” so I did AND IT WORKED (who knew?) The secretary was on the phone but waved me in and motioned me to sit down. And she was great. Turns out I have an appointment on May 26th at 9.30 am. She said I will probably get the notice in the mail next week. Okay-dokey… but then the most important one was still not accounted for.

Off I headed to the Traumatology hospital (behind the general hospital). Yep more walking. Oh, I didn’t mention that getting a taxi to the hospital the day after Feria closed meant that the usual route was virtually shut down due to everyone trying to close their casetas and remove all their STUFF… when we finally managed to flag a taxi the driver said “it’s hell down there” and said he could find another less direct route so we didn’t end up stuck in traffic forever. What the heck. In the end it only cost about 4 euros more than the usual fare to the hospital and wow did we get a tour of the city! I was really impressed by this guy. But approaching the hospital entrance from “behind” meant we had to walk a bit to get to there. So then having to go BACK to the Traumatology hospital (where the taxi had dropped us off) felt a bit like OMFG… but hey we were already there. Or at least in the general vicinity. Whatever, went for it.

Hobbled over to the T-hospital and, after being misdirected a couple of times to the wrong person to ask, success! Just go down to the basement level and ask for the Secretary there. Downstairs. With only two of three lifts working and taking everyone from the basement, sub-basement and up all the floors up to the fifth one. Let’s just say they were SLOW in coming and then so packed out that I finally said FUCK THIS and hobbled/crutched my way down the stairs. Yeah, hurt like fuck, but so would have waiting half an hour for the fucking lift. Anyhow…

Eventually found the Secretary (I’m getting good at this!) hobbled in and said I was looking for my lost knee surgeon appointment. And, just like the other secretary, she was really nice and helpful, had a look around and said that because the original request for the appointment came from the Fleming Clinic I would have to back there to “reclamar”. And I just thought… oh no…

Because I probably should have done that last December instead of going to the Defensor del Pueblo, who are also very nice but so far… nothing helpful. And I should have definitely done this last March when I went to the Mercado Palmeritas doing research for a Bitesize article and WALKED RIGHT PAST the goddam Fleming Clinic on the way (it’s really not close to home). I could have just stopped in when I was in the neighbourhood. A missed moment? I guess I’ll find out.

Because I have a mammogram scheduled on Friday – SEE IT’S ALWAYS SOMETHING – and no it’s not really close to Fleming but it’s also not far, so I am going to stop in there on the way and ask what’s going on. Because even the secretary at the main Traumatología hospital said this waiting period (since October) is not normal.

I hate to think I may have lost months because I didn’t take a day in December to go back to the scene of the crime and just ask them what the hell was going on. What I found out today is that this seems to be what you have to do. Not call, not write, not whatever else… just go there and stand in front of an actual person and ask them to check for you. You may lose a morning or an afternoon but hey, better than losing months by being in painful limbo.

So, that’s the plan and I guess there’s no point in thinking about what has maybe been lost, or how this or that may have turned out differently had I known this or that sooner, had acted sooner or better. Because it may not have turned out different or better anyhow. And all I can do is hope to get this dealt with. I’m so tired of it all, feeling helpless, always in pain, not knowing when (if??) help will be offered. So very tired.