Jump to content

Cancer Treatment in France


Grecian
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 285
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Not sure about prunes and custard Theiere, I am going to slip out for a vindaloo tonight, that should sort matters out!

Still in hospital I am afraid, really despondent now. They started feeding me totally tasteless soup on Wednesday, along with pots of apple puree, unfortunately the apple was too acid for a tummy that had not eaten for over two weeks. Yesterday I asked the child doctor who is looking after me if I could have an alternative to the apple, to which he replied no, he got quite stroppy and has now put me back on liquids only. Really angry now and feeling I have been let down badly with a botched operation, and now seemingly heartless aftercare. I must add that the nurses have been brilliant, no complaints on that front, really first class care.

My wife is getting distressed at being left alone for so long, and has had a few problems, I am going to ask if I can be transferred back to Bressuire hospital, as I think this is going to be a very long haul.

Thanks very much for all your kind wishes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The soupe à pates and apple purée is likely to be your fare for several days if not weeks.

If they have cut out the cancer, and you have clear lymph glands I don't think the operation was 'botched' more that there were complications..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good news about the lymph nodes, Grecian.

I am sorry you are having such difficulty with food, but I am sure it will settle down soon.

It must be a great boon having the forum at your fingertips to help pass the time!

Very best wishes

Angela
Link to comment
Share on other sites

grecian, what was the alternative to this delicate operation?

What was the alternative to any medical intervention?

Look on the bright side of this, you have had your operations and as we all well know everyone is different and we all take different times to get over things...... that means me or you or everyone else.

French hospitals will give you this horrible diet, because that is what they do, just think how much a posh health farm would have charged you for such awful food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grecian, I have to agree with the others.

You can't see the wood for the trees and that I can fully understand.

Look, the cancer is taken care of, the nymph nodes are clear, you are still alive and are, in fact, well enough to have a bit of a whinge!

No, don't get me wrong, you are fully entitled to complain.  If it were me, I'd probably be ranting and raving.

Just think for a second or two of all the people whose cancer was not diagnosed as yours was and who do not live in a place where second opinions were to be had and whose surgeons were truly only faffing around, not quite knowing what to do.  Plus all the others who live in places where surgical intervention would have been out of reach because of lack of expertise or the financial status of the patients.

As for the food, it might or might not help you but we were encouraged to think of all the children in India (well, that was how grown-ups talked to us) who would have given their eye teeth to have had soup and apple purée!

Buck up, Grecian, you CAN and WILL overcome because, let's face it, there ain't no alternative?

All the best!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Thanks for the concern Theiere, much appreciated.

Unfortunately

things have taken another turn for the worse, ten days ago I needed a

third operation, this time to separate my pancreas from my colon, they

also reversed the stoma at the same time. The operation had to be

performed via open surgery, so still very sore at the moment.

Really

have had enough now, especially after being told yesterday that my

pancreas is inflammed and I may need to stay in hospital upto 3 months! I

don't know what you want to call it Norman, but with so much going

wrong I am sticking to botched.

I haven't seen my wife for 5 weeks, she is really struggling and desperately needs me home.

I wish I had gone for the option of an operation for a permanent stoma at Bressuire now, this whole episode has now turned into a complete nightmare.

I guess I will be told to be grateful, buck up and stop whinging, but I defy anybody to have 3 operations in 3 weeks and still try to remain upbeat. I have decided that this thing is not going to beat me after yesterdays news, and I will try and get out of hospital at quickly as possibe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grecian we are all different. Our bodies are different and I bet the the doctors would be very happy if one model fit all, but it doesn't, we don't. So botched is a harsh thing to say.

I do remember you were very very nervous about all this when it first

started,  Good suggestions were made by people who know about these

things, and what you should look into before you decided on your

treatment, and I take it you did that, you decided on what you were prepared to go for.

You may be determined, but your

sounding so stressed will not be helping your recovery either.

What has happened with your operations has happened, but what is worrying me, is you worrying so about your wife and just how ill you could make yourself when you return home trying to care for her when you will still be unwell yourself.

Instead of trying to get out at break neck speed, the only thing I think you need to do, is get onto the assistante sociale and make sure that you wife has the care she needs, and that you both have it when your get out of hospital, or you know where you are going to end up again, where you are now.

And this is exactly what I would say to someone I really know!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Poor Grecian, of course, you opted for what you thought would be best and it is horrible that it's turned out like this for you.

Are there no arrangements that could be made to enable Mrs G to visit you in hospital?

If you could spend even a small amount of time together, you could at least draw mutual moral support and strength from each other.

Wish I were in a position to offer more than just a few words......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really? down here they just do a bit of vague translation and  hospital transport but I have never heard of them doing anything practical to help.

Of course I suppose it depends on the region and who they have as helpers.  As it is a voluntary organisation I suppose you can't expect too much .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="NormanH"]Really? down here they just do a bit of vague translation and  hospital transport but I have never heard of them doing anything practical to help.

Of course I suppose it depends on the region and who they have as helpers.  As it is a voluntary organisation I suppose you can't expect too much .

[/quote]

Norman, I know nothing about this organisation so my following remarks are about voluntary organisations in general.  I feel you are a bit dismissive about "not being able to expect too much".

Au contraire, I find that, by and large, most voluntary organisations have people that are passionate about what they do and, as they aren't paid, they do it because they WANT to!  A bit like saying someone is an "amateur" and that, too, has come to have derogatory connotations.

The original of being an "amateur" is, of course, that it implies a love of the thing that they do!

I was a volunteer at an organisation who "baby-sat" for disabled people in order to give their carers some time off, for socialising or indeed for important appointments, etc.  Then the local authority stepped in and wanted to pay us because, otherwise, they couldn't include us in their staff's insurance scheme.  At that point, I decided with some regret to give up on the activity because I was quite well-off at the time and already had a full-time job and I didn't want another paid job.  I also lived in an area where many people would welcome and needed a job like that so I stepped aside.  I don't know if any of the volunteers were missed but all of us gave our time freely and were committed to doing what was asked of us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It obviously must vary depending on local volunteers. The branch I know about, in the Gard and part of CSF Languedoc, has a drop-in centre as well as help by phone and by individuals such as at hospital etc. The centre is open each month, and it can be arranged for people to be picked up to go there, and as well as people happy to chat or help, there's reflexology and lunch on offer amongst other things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our CSF in Normandy too has a drop-in centre open three times a week and they are available 24/24 to chat or help. One "client" needs to be sat with when his wife goes out for any length of time and CSF sort out a rota.  They have lunches, and talks as gardengirl says.

They are very, very helpful over visits to hospital etc. and would certainly help a relative left at home when "client" in hospital.  Clearly this depends on the area but always worth asking them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I seem to remember that the CSF started up in your area, Hereford, in which case I suppose it will have had time to grow from the initial interest. I think the chairman /president is/was a hospital doctor in the area, who was involved in setting CSF up.

I heard about it around 6/7 years ago, when I was about to hold a small scale Macmillan coffee morning, and read about CSF in the Languedoc Sun, a free magazine published every couple of months about English and French events, articles etc. The Languedoc branch didn't actually exist at that time, I seem to remember, but I held a joint Macmillan/CSF coffee morning, sending half of the amount I raised in the emergent Languedoc group's name.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can confirm that CSF in our area offers no practical help, only help with translation and telephone calls. The woman aiding us is fully aware of my wife's plight, but has not offered or arranged any practical help. I have mentioned earlier in this thread that I have not been too impressed by CSF in our area. She did assist us with trying to sort out our taxi problem, but we have since been turned down, so a hefty bill awaits to be paid.

The areas in which my wife really needs help are nighttime monitoring, and help with her shopping. Other things such as cleaning etc would be helpful, but she is managing to get by. It is really a case of the fact we have not seen each other for 5 weeks that is upsetting her, and with the latest possible setback it doesn't look like things are going to improve anytime soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Grecian"]I can confirm that CSF in our area offers no practical help, only help with translation and telephone calls. The woman aiding us is fully aware of my wife's plight, but has not offered or arranged any practical help. I have mentioned earlier in this thread that I have not been too impressed by CSF in our area. She did assist us with trying to sort out our taxi problem, but we have since been turned down, so a hefty bill awaits to be paid.

The areas in which my wife really needs help are nighttime monitoring, and help with her shopping. Other things such as cleaning etc would be helpful, but she is managing to get by. It is really a case of the fact we have not seen each other for 5 weeks that is upsetting her, and with the latest possible setback it doesn't look like things are going to improve anytime soon.

[/quote]

Grecian, I don't understand why your assistante sociale is not helping with your wife's problems, I really do not. And I don't understand why all this was not discussed with your GP before you went into hospital and everything arranged. I realise that one has to usually put some effort into getting things in France, but things are available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Pommier"]Grecian, when my husband was in hospital, the taxi company would take me to the hospital to visit free of charge any time that they had a 'paying' customer - and they picked me up from home! Might be worth asking.[/quote]

Pommier, I don't think this can be for Mrs G as the health people are already querying his eligibility for a taxi to take him to Bordeaux.  He does live a long way away.  OTOH, some kind neighbour or friend might put themselves out to take her so that they can at least see each other and be mutually reassuring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grecian you do seem to have had very bed luck with your treatment.

It is unusual for the stoma to be taken away so early (I had mine for 6 months) so perhaps it is that that has been causing the internal bleeds and irritating the pancreas..

Is there any mileage in trying to be transferred nearer home once the very specialist spincter-sparing part is seen to be healed and no longer needing that particular specialist?

It might make things easier

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...