Hospitals in your region

[Llwyncelyn]

Thanks 5-element.   It was but two weeks in Boutenac and even that was disrupted by a stay in Lezignan Corbieres hospital and then back home by Ryanir pretty quickly.  I stayed and caught motorail home from Narbonne and which I found to be a bit 'iffy' but that is a just a view after a very short relationship with the town.

I suppose its back to plain simple leg work and lots of research but I would not wish to impose anymore for everyone has been so so very helpful.  However whilst its down to the house in part I suppose I now think the area comes first and then the house later. 

It is such a large land masse and I really do not know where I should start bearing in mind the proximity to medical services that are needed.  This is not daily weekly or whatever but we just need to have the question of a Consultant in RA identified the rest we can handle for we have had some experience.

If you were asked and with now the benefit of hindsight where would you start looking where do you perhaps think that would be?

By way of an example whilst at Boutenac we went north and yes I may be a silly old sod but heights are not my thing having once suffered in the High Atlas and that is another thing but the Minervois and a village down a very windy road was really petrifying.  The the coastal resorts around Narbonne man made or otherwise were much of a muchness.  We even went down the RN past Fitou and were informed that the road was dangerous and had a high mortality rate?

So whilst one mans meat is.................could you perhaps just generalise and without commitment or responsibility just suggest an area for we have limited time when we are down there for we have to get back up the Rhone to see some friends but will have a week at our disposal or perhaps ten days.

I am very grateful for your help

 

 

[5-element]

Lllyn

I have PMd you.

[LanguedocGal]

Hi Llwyncelyn

I've also pm'd you  re three villages/town in Western Herault. First time I've pm'd on here so not sure if it has gone through. If you don't get it, let me know and I'll send it again.

[5-element]

Hi LangedocGal,

I have PM'd you too!!! I hope you can get it!

[LanguedocGal]

5-Element

Have replied but still not sure If I know what I'm doing on this pm thing, so it may have gone to the Kremlin [;-)]

 

[Llwyncelyn]

Have pm'd you with a more personal response but ..............thank you

[Llwyncelyn]

Hi 5-element safely received and responded to in PM format  Here a big thank you for all of your valuable assistance it really is appreciated.

 

kind regards

[Teamedup]

Just a comment about hospitals. This year I have been in hospital three times. Twice for operations and the other because they didn't know what was wrong. One operation was in a private clinic and the other operation and investigations were in a general hospital.

The investigative stay was for a full ten days,  and was a bloody nightmare. I had to go into the same hospital later for a small investigative operation and two floors down and a different wing and it was like being in a different place. It was excellent.

The private clinic, well the op went well and the post op room was good, but the rest was very poor.

And I was told off in both the general hospital and in the private clinic. The first time was for something beyond my control. The next time was because I had followed the written protocol my surgeon had given to me and the nurse didn't agree with it......... so she told me off and not him!  It made me realise that one is very vunerable in hospital, I had never realised as I had only ever been in to have my kids.

So obviously this is an important subject. However, we can talk about hospitals all we want, but it will depend on what is wrong and now I believe, the luck of the draw.

Incidentally I am still waiting for some test results from the general hospital........... tests done in May and my GP has phoned several times in my presence to ask for the results, they keep promising, maybe next year eh!

[Llwyncelyn]

Hi TeamedUp.  Whilst my wife suffers from RA she also suffers from time to time with an absolutely irregular heartbeat and then its the stuff intravenously to slow it down.  Not we are told life-threatening but it has happened on four occasions and three of those were in France!  Indeed not life-threatening you tell that to the Indians.  My wife does not have a good command of French and mine is limited to day to day occurences and does not extend very far into medical stuff.

I have never ever been so scared in France in hospital trying to support my wife thinking all the time these guys have the best health service in the World it will be ok.

Then when you cannot communicate the stress levels go up.  Yes the answer is to speak better French and that takes a little time and despite four hours of lessons a week.

However my wife had to wear some kit for 24 hours to monitor the heart rate.  Like you this was months ago and still nothing from the hospital.  Our GP has chased and chased still nothing.  On Thursday I am going direct to the hospital and we shall see!

At times like this you really do feel exposed.  I certainly did and I was not the one in the hospital bed.  Yes France has a great health service but if you dig a little bit it is only as good as those who are on the front line.  In some cases superb in others well less than superb.  It is the same the world over.

We lived in Gwent before coming to France and very near the Severn Bridge we would rather go into England and Frenchay at Bristol other than our local hospital and which had a particularly bad name and reputation.

I had a direct insight into the hospital because before retiring I did med-negligence and the stories would horrify you.

[Ergotherpeut1]

I have had difficulties in the past with medical professionals in France, I think predominantly this is to do with cultural differences, the approach here being far more authoritative/patriachal.  I did try (without success) to appeal to the essential humanity of the person involved but ended up taking my daughter elsewhere for treatment.  I am pleased to say that this worked out for the best.  It was noted on her file though that treatment had stopped due to my stopping it, even though it was the health 'professional' who refused to continue seeing her if I would not comply obediently with all his directives. 

I think that your point about vunerability is spot on, in hospital (outpatient or in the community), I had dilemas about the consequences for my daughter, but felt I was looking out for her best interests.  If you are dependent on someone to help you and there is friction then this is not only stressful and upsetting, it also impacts on your ability to heal and ones ability to process information - whether this concerns something beyond your control or not.  I have been accompaning and advocating for people in their dealing with the health/education services here in S.W France, and generally I ensure criticisms/issues are directed my way, people therefore concentrate on their personal health issues and geting better.

In general though my experience of health care services in France is that they are very good to excellent, even if they are rarely delivered with a light touch and a smile.  On your point about not getting test results from May 2006  I would advise you to write/have someone write (keep copies), as in the UK, if it is not written down, it didn't happen, here also, people can put down the phone and then just go on to dealing with the next situation.  I hope you resolve this situation quickly.  

Best wishes

[Llwyncelyn]

Hi LangueDoc Gal and 5-element have sent you today pm's just simply thanking you for your help.