Tag Archives: hospitals

defensor del pueblo andaluz

05 Thursday Dec 2024

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defensor del pueblo

Many years ago I was walking past a very elegant building not far from where I live now and the sign outside caught my interest. I wondered what the Defensor del Pueblo Andaluz actually did. Like, who did they defend, and from what? As luck would have it there was a man standing in the doorway and so I asked him. And he said, well, when people are having difficulties and don’t know what they can do we find ways of helping them find the help they need. I remember thinking at the time, wow, what a wonderful service.

They came back to mind earlier this week when I got in touch with my friend (and ex-GP) Agustín to ask him if there was such a thing as an official Patient Advocate that might be able to help me with this whole medical mess I’ve been going through with my knee(s). He suggested that I register a formal complaint with Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS) but the thought of going through all that without even knowing where to start… well, it made me think of the DPA. 

I got onto their website and there was an easy way to send in a request so I did that. That very evening I got a call from someone from the DPA who also suggested the formal complaint route, saying I could go to any health centre or hospital and submit the form. The next day I received an email with a PDF of my official file number etc but meanwhile some questions had arisen. I’m very familiar with Spanish red tape so what I didn’t want is to show up at the hospital and have them give me the run around.

So today I took a copy of my DPA file over to that elegant building and said to the guy at the information counter that I still had a few questions. No problem. Within a few minutes I was talking to an advisor who listened to my whole story and then… actually helped me! He said I didn’t have to go to a hospital or health centre, that it was easy to do everything online, especially if I had a certificado digital (which I do) and he proceeded to take me through the steps, showing me the SAS website on his computer screen, what to click on, etc. Then he told me that after sending in the official complaint SAS had one month to respond and if they didn’t respond by then, or if I did not agree with their response, then I had a case for the DPA and they would officially step in.

OMG… I almost started crying. I mean, it’s scary to hope at this point, but suddenly I could actually DO something, there were clear steps to take and it made me feel less helpless and alone. So of course I sent in that official SAS complaint as soon as I got home today and… now we wait. Meanwhile I got an SMS from DPA reminding me of how to send in the official complaint and also what to do after I receive a response with corresponding emails and phone numbers. Fucking socialist governments, eh?

got the call!

18 Friday Oct 2024

Posted by in health, hope, hospitals, knee saga, knees

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got the call

Well today took a sudden turn! I had planned to go with Peter to see Nice GP because he does better with an interpreter and also because I wanted to ask her what the heck was going on with the “priority” request she made for me to see a traumatologist (made almost a month ago). Then early this morning my phone rang. At first I wasn’t going to answer it because it was an unknown number then I picked it up… and omg I’m so glad I did. It was the Traumatology Dept calling to say I have an appointment NEXT MONDAY. Like wow.

First thing I did was cancel Peter’s appointment. Okay, not really, I moved it to two weeks from now. Why? Well organising medical appointments has become both simpler and more difficult these days as the ease of being able to book some things online is thwarted by long waiting times. For example, the first appt Peter could get is in two weeks, which is fine because it’s nothing urgent, just getting his blood test results and checking his bp meds. And since I go with him the end of October works better for both of us as that’s when I need to ask the doc about my next blood test and also update my bp meds, so then we can do it all at once.

One less trip to the (maskless) health centre is always a good thing.  Especially as Peter was already there yesterday to get his Covid-Flu booster (yay!) and I should be getting mine next week. And now I also have this new appointment on Monday. At first I was worried I might get the same awful traumatologist as before but it’s at a different health centre, so hopefully not. Last time they asked me if I wanted my appointment at Fleming or Marqués de Paradas and I chose the latter as it’s five minutes from my house. I’m starting to think that was a big mistake as both the Evil Endo and Dismissive Traumatologist appts took place there. This time I wasn’t given a choice so fuck convenience. Fleming is about a 40 minute bus ride from my place, but the bus stop is on the corner so that’s okay (the trusty 32 bus, which we may be losing to make Sevilla more TOURIST FRIENDLY).

Anyhow, I feel like I only have this one shot left to get the help I actually need. So I will be arming myself with the entire timeline of THE KNEE(S) SAGA, which began back in May 2023 (though I’d been having knee issues for years, this was the first time it affected my ability to walk).

May 2023 – sudden acute pain in left knee which continued to get worse
July 2023 – X-ray both knees
July 2023 – GP request for MRI (had to plead, wasn’t taken seriously)
Sept 2023 – MRI on left knee (though by this time right knee pain was much more severe)
Oct 2023 – Emergency hospital visit for severe right knee pain, was told that as there is osteoarthritis in left knee then obviously it’s in the right one too (ER doctor looked at previous x-ray not MRI), said I did not have a Bakers cyst, refused to do any further testing – was sent home with a prescription for Nolatil, a drug banned in 20 countries.
Oct 2023 – Started using a cane, could no longer walk without it
April 2024 – Appt with Traumatologist who admits I have Bakers cysts behind both knees but won’t recommend physiotherapy and refuses my request for an MRI on the right knee, tells me to ride a bike, lose weight and prescribes more drugs
June 2024 – GP (a new one) requests an MRI on right knee
August 2024 – Unable to walk anymore without using crutches, pain unbearable, at best I can shuffle-walk
Sept 2024 – MRI on right knee
Sept 2024 – GP requests appt with Traumatologist (again)
Oct 2024 – I guess we’ll find out

Meanwhile I have not been able to work since July and, aside from the physical and emotional stress (I miss my life!), I am also under a lot of financial stress wondering how I am going to make ends meet. Especially as this doesn’t look like there’s a quick solution, even if I start getting proper treatment asap.

Anyhow! One step at a time, so to speak. At the moment it all hangs on the Monday appointment and whether I get a sympathetic and not-too-overworked doctor who actually wants to help me. Let’s hope so. I’m a bit annoyed with myself for not being a better patient advocate for myself all this time but sometimes it’s really hard to stand up for yourself when you’re in pain and being told nothing is really wrong and it’s all because you’re old and fat and otherwise being dismissed as not worth their time. But now I’m angry as fuck. And I really need Monday to work. Wish me luck.

my 31st sevilla anniversary!

16 Monday Sep 2024

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

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31 anniversary

post-hospital Sevilla Anniversary cava at Las Teresas

An afternoon at the hospital wasn’t how I’d have planned to spend my 31st Sevilla Anniversary but FINALLY getting my MRI done was kind of celebratory in itself. I’d been waiting almost three months and since then I’ve gone from getting by with my trusty stick to barely being able to walk with a pair of crutches. This past month has been a long, frustrating and painful one.

The previous MRI last year (left knee) was at a state-of-the-art radiology place but this time it was at my old hospital Virgen del Rocío. I like to think I know that place like the back of my hand after having spent so much time there, but with “after hours” late afternoon tests half the entrances/exits are closed and nobody is manning the information desks… it took me half an hour to find my correct waiting room and also took some doing to find my way out again. After which I met up with Peter at Las Teresas for a glass of cava to celebrate the day.

Anyhow, I wasn’t expecting any big news today but it still came as a surprise when the technician told me the results wouldn’t be available for 15 days. What? I told him I had an appointment booked with my GP for next Monday, so he said he would leave a note on my file to help speed things up a bit. Fingers crossed. And of course after seeing the GP there will be more waiting… will I be offered physiotherapy? an operation? Meanwhile…

I haven’t worked since mid-July. Part of that was my doing, taking some extra “staycation” time in July, though in fact I stopped doing tours in August years ago. Way too hot. But when I suddenly couldn’t walk without crutches mid-August… well, that totally fucked everything up. I scrambled to find people to take the tours I had booked the first half of September, and now I clearly have to do the same for the rest of the month and possibly longer. Luckily I not only have Peter to help out with this, but two other freelance friends Fiona and Sharon have also been happy to take on the new tours being booked that I obviously cannot do myself.

This means that I know clients will be in good hands, and that’s great. But it also means no income for me and, now realistically looking at how this is likely to pan out, until something is done to fix my knee I will not able to do any tours. What I don’t know now is how long that will be. There is a little extra income out there, I’ve just finished another article for Decanter magazine and the Patreon brings in about 100 euros a month (appreciate it!) but I can’t live on that. I know I’ve been “pivoting” for ages with the tours, looking for other ways to move forward, without giving up the tours entirely, so maybe this is my wake up call. I just wish I knew how and where I am supposed to be pivoting and moving on to.

urgencias! what a day

05 Thursday Sep 2024

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urgencias

Since the abdominal pain was still quite severe and clearly not letting up I headed over to Urgencias with Peter just after noon. As we got through triage almost immediately I was hopeful that it wasn’t going to be a long wait to see a doctor. This was not to be. The waiting rooms were packed with next to no one wearing a mask, not even most of the staff. WTF.

Anyhow, eventually saw the doctor who ordered blood work and unfortunately got a nurse who couldn’t find any arm veins, so the third try was IN MY HAND which I hate, especially as this thing stayed in all afternoon (just in case). While waiting for the blood/urine results they sent me to get an IV of paracetamol for the pain, which ended up doing absolutely nothing. After that MORE waiting.

There was some confusion when I was called back in as there was a different doctor saying I had to redo the blood tests because blah blah blah and then suddenly the original doc came in and said not to worry, the blood was normal and they were going to do a CT scan. Wut. Anyhow, about half an hour later I was having yet another CT scan. Finally… six long hours after arriving, the doctor said I was fine. There was some inflammatory changes in the colon stump (where it had been sealed off during surgery) but no fluid or air in the peritoneal cavity. So that was it. NOT cancer. Phew.

I was sent home and told to take paracetamol for the pain, stay on a soft diet until pain subsides and stay hydrated. Well, not taking paracetamol, and I can barely eat anyhow (bonus! have lost 2 kilos), so I guess I just have to tough it out and hope the pain stops soon. Still hurts like fuck now though which is very draining. I keep having to go lie down which I guess is another “bonus” – I think I’ve slept more this week than I usually do in a month (in 2-3 hour snatches).

Now fingers crossed I didn’t pick up Covid! 

all-clear cava!

21 Thursday Dec 2023

Posted by in cancer, health, hospitals

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all clear cava

After getting booted out of the “cancer club” last week I still had one more hurdle, which was a backup ultrasound after last spring’s mammogram. Which was this afternoon. And the very good news is that I am ALL CLEAR. Phew! So there was a glass of bubbly on the way home and now… well, I just hope that I will be hospital-free at least for a while. There will be the usual GP maintenance check up in a couple of months with a blood test, review of my blood pressure status and – maybe! – some info about my FUCKING KNEES. It’s a bit alarming how they went from being a bit painful to needing a stick in just 3-4 months. But that’s for another day. Today I feel so relieved about this good news that I may even sleep tonight!