Is it always like this?

[zeb]

After bragging to all and sundry how well i have been since moving to France I was rushed into hospital at the beginning of August for an emergency op on my gut! All well although I found the convalensce tiresome to say the least, and as none of my clients would let me near their gardens over this period I had to do my own!!

Anyway, another little problem reared its ugly head this week and I saw my doctor on Friday evening expecting anti-biotics but no, said he, it must be fixed, permanently! He phoned consultant (best in the Charente apparently!) who answed phone (6pm and his secretary had gone home after doing her 35 hour week), much discussion regarding possible operation at the beginning of next week (eeek!) and request for me to visit specialist on Monday and maybe all will be done and dusted by Wednesday!!

Are there no waiting lists around here? I know it's not the same where TU lives but what about the rest of you?

regards....helen

je suis tres desolé, mes clients - will be back soon!!

[Janey]

Maybe we,re just lucky Helen,I don,t know but we,re the same as you, I,ve has an op since we,ve been here and it was done within a week of the doc arranging it, has several tests done and seen specialists straightaway, same for hubby. Daughter,s just had wisdom teeth out, only waited 2 weeks for op and that was her choice. She now has to see someone for a rather serious problem and again the choice of dates was hers because of work commitments. We,ve seen specialists here that we wouldn,t have seen in England without waiting months if not a yr, I know coz I,ve waited that long in England.

Janey

[Jackie]

Good luck Helen, you will be fine. Message sent to pm box.................John in Dept 79

[Alexis]

Yes, hope all goes well Helen.

I was in in no time for my hands - arthritis.  Certainly a change from the UK.

[Chrissie]

Yes, Helen, same here in 81.  Three consultants were arguing over the proposed treatment for TOH's last problem.  Operations are almost thrust upon you (when necessary, I hasten to add, no pushing of cosmetic or placebo-ic(???) ops.  An incredible, and very welcome, change from the UK.  Just hope they can keep it up until I am too old and forgetful to care

Chrissie:

[SaligoBay]

Chrissie said "Operations are almost thrust upon you"

This rings a bell!  (Disclaimer: the following is not a criticism, and is nothing to do with the parlous state of the NHS etc, just an observation on the difference in attitudes)

Mon papa gets on very well with our local doctor here in France, and has discussed many things with him.   But he has commented on the enthusiasm for operations. 

Sore feet, sinuses, prostate, no matter - yes, we can fix that with an operation!

I don't know, I view it with great amusement.  Clearly non-invasive is just no fun!       

[Shane]

Yes it seems like we all have experienced the same thing. My husband had a heart attack on the Saturday and by the following Saturday had been in intensive care and received an angioplast and was back home, no problem. We know someone in the uk who has been waiting since April for an angioplast and he is still not sure when he can have it. Amazing.

[Clarkkent]

I hasten to add, no pushing of cosmetic or placebo-ic(???) ops.

Pardon my ignorance, Chrissie, but what is a placebo operation? Can you give me any details of one?

[Jackie]

[quote]I hasten to add, no pushing of cosmetic or placebo-ic(???) ops. Pardon my ignorance, Chrissie, but what is a placebo operation? Can you give me any details of one?[/quote]

Found a few examples on the net. Here is one:

 "Doctors Drill into patients' heads"  

see  http://www.contac.org/contaclibrary/general55.htm

Makes you think!...........John in Dept 79

[Teamedup]

I saw a program about surgeons doing, well not doing, knee operations and the patients recovered just as well as those that had been operated on, they were talking to doctors in the US and UK, can't remember where the ops were 'not performed' though.

Don't know whether they do placebo ops here or not.

 

And "is it always like this". How on earth can I compare. My MIL in the last few years of her life had three major illnesses and received very prompt service in the UK. We have had prompt service here. But some things certainly have long waiting lists around here. And I'm pleased to say that I haven't had any trips to A&E recently, so have no idea if waiting times are as long as they used to be and frankly I would prefer not to find out in person.

[Stew]

We had a 3 month wait for an opthalmologist in Angouleme for my 7 year old son, whereas all his appointments in the UK were very quick less than a week.

I popped in to a highh street optician in Roumazieres for new glasses and he couldn't do it with out a scriot from an ophtalmo. Even tho I had the numbers written down from my last pair.

Seems that unlike in the UK French opticians are techies that fit lenses rather than operat the machines that look into your eyes to figure out lens strength

Stew

(still looking thru badly scratched lenses)

[zeb]

Ha! Yes Stew, I tried going in (Ruffec) with a script from Vision Express. They were not impressed!! Am waiting for my appointment in November for new french prescription.

Anyway, update on original posting. One consultant examined me and said it wasn't his area of expertise so called another consultant in who spent around an hour examining me, telling me the history of my maladie, showing me the publications he'd written on the subject, gave me prognosis and various prescriptions.

Even a prescription for a blood test! Now, please tell me folks, do I arrange this with local infermiere or pharmacie? 

regards..........helen

 

[Hereford]

Blood test:  You go straight to the lab (usually looks like a shop - your Doc will tell you where the nearest one is.)

Eye tests:  We did find one optician who had a resident "tester", you have to ask in the shop.

Hereford

[Miki]

Now, please tell me folks, do I arrange this with local infermiere or pharmacie? 

Like Hereford said, you can go direct to a lab or, we prefer to use our local infirmiere, who lives just a short drive away. She then is kept in work and we don't have to drive 15km to the Lab. In some cases of course, you could be many km's away and the infirmiere is the only real choice for many.

There are no local opticians in our area that have any specialist in residence that we know of,  so one has to book with the opthamologist, which can take up to 2 or 3 months before an appointment is available.

[Chrissie]

"Placebo ops"

Sorry everyone - seem to have started something with my carefree post!  I suppose that strictly speaking a placebo op would be one where they put you to sleep, do nothing, then wake you up and say "Felicitations Mme X, we have removed your head gasket turbo-doofrey, and from now on you will be as fit as a fiddle!" - and you believe them!

Do you think there is a TV show in this somewhere?.....

(Only joking, please don't post in reply!)

Chrissie

(81)

 

[Jomo]

Patients in the UK can get angioplasties very quickly if necessary. It all depends on the extent of the stenosis, if post thrombolysis there is an unstable plaque or immediate danger of reinfarction,every case is individual and depends on the results of the angiogram.

However I do think in general that in Europe the trend is to operate rather than treat conservatively, I noticed this also whilst living in Switzerland.

Joan

[Iceni]

I attended the dermatologist yesterday. 2 month wait for an 'age spot' that John decided was looking very very nasty on my back. Local doctor agreed but by the time I got to see the specialist, said age spot had dropped off . The specialist got out his 'freezer' spray and started on the other large ones and in no time at all I was covered in very attractive lumps and bumps. I am rather pleased as these harmless but nasty looking things itch me like mad and you should not rub them. Total cost under €40 but all reclaimable. They should be gone in a week or so.

Now the strange thing is that I had the same problem before. Same timescale to see a UK specialist and the offending spot was scraped off (no local and far more painful than the freezer spray) and I was told that they were cosmetic and so not treatable unless I went to a private clinic and paid (which my cousin has just had done at rather horrendous cost). They use lasers in the UK. I was to go back when any changes occurred to any others.

As I have had a mole removed, removing these spots which are harmless but can look quite scary is actually a saving for the French system. Instead of me traipsing to the doctor or going to the specialist every time one has a colour change/growth spurt, they are all gone in just 10 mins.

[Teejay]

[quote]We had a 3 month wait for an opthalmologist in Angouleme for my 7 year old son, whereas all his appointments in the UK were very quick less than a week.I popped in to a highh street optician in Roumaz...[/quote]

Sorry that you had to wait 3 months for an appointment in Angouleme.  We recently went to an Ophtalmologist in Cognac.  The appointment was honoured within a month.  The equipment they used was all computerised and the ophtalmologist highly efficient.  Angouleme, I believe, has at least seven or eight different places for eye tests.  Haven't purchased the 'specs' yet so don't know how long it takes to get the new pair.  Shouldn't be too long, as competition is very great.  Optician's shops sprout like mushrooms all over France.