Doctors by the dozen
Although we haven't yet sorted out our medical card ('carte vittel') we are able to do everything normally - except we pay up front, then will get reimbursed later. Our first trip was to the GP who will be our main contact ('medican traitent'). He was suggested by the ESRF, speaks English very well, and as appears to be customary is to be found in a little office on one of the main streets. No secretary, no nurses, no foyer - just a little office and a waiting room. Right above the bakery, which must be tantalising in the morning.
The wait to get an appointment was less than 24 hours, and the meeting with the 'rheumatologue' is going to be in less than three weeks - and only that long because Kirstin is travelling! Amazing. And, unlike the complete nightmare of obtaining methotrexate in the UK, where I had to go to a particular hospital to pickup each 6 week supply, and the scheduling was quite complex, here I can simply go to any pharmacy and they have it in stock. Of course, I got to see the real cost of it (100€) rather than the 6 quid/drug cost in the UK. But this will be reimbursed in full. He made presciptions for all sorts of things - wheelchair rental (by the month) which we were able to get immediately from a shop that sells them, blood tests (100m from the house at the 'clinique mutualiste' and so on.
As for me, I've been having some trouble with my hearing lately. Unfortunately, it looks like the UK GP who thought it was just an ear infection was wrong - Dr C had a look and immediately said 'ooh la la' and reported that there is a hole in my tympannic membrane (which I guess is a sweet translation of what we might call the ear drum!). Having seen him on Friday, I have an appointment with an ENT specialist on Monday morning to have a look with better optics. I'll have a better idea after that of what it means, and if anything can be done (and how it got there!) but it is certainly frustrating. I've already discovered the art of sitting with people next to my good ear, but the musical chairs required to do so can be somewhat ridiculous.
But so far, so good - we have been wowed by the speed (and ease) with which things can be done here - no wonder the health service costs the country so much.
The wait to get an appointment was less than 24 hours, and the meeting with the 'rheumatologue' is going to be in less than three weeks - and only that long because Kirstin is travelling! Amazing. And, unlike the complete nightmare of obtaining methotrexate in the UK, where I had to go to a particular hospital to pickup each 6 week supply, and the scheduling was quite complex, here I can simply go to any pharmacy and they have it in stock. Of course, I got to see the real cost of it (100€) rather than the 6 quid/drug cost in the UK. But this will be reimbursed in full. He made presciptions for all sorts of things - wheelchair rental (by the month) which we were able to get immediately from a shop that sells them, blood tests (100m from the house at the 'clinique mutualiste' and so on.
As for me, I've been having some trouble with my hearing lately. Unfortunately, it looks like the UK GP who thought it was just an ear infection was wrong - Dr C had a look and immediately said 'ooh la la' and reported that there is a hole in my tympannic membrane (which I guess is a sweet translation of what we might call the ear drum!). Having seen him on Friday, I have an appointment with an ENT specialist on Monday morning to have a look with better optics. I'll have a better idea after that of what it means, and if anything can be done (and how it got there!) but it is certainly frustrating. I've already discovered the art of sitting with people next to my good ear, but the musical chairs required to do so can be somewhat ridiculous.
But so far, so good - we have been wowed by the speed (and ease) with which things can be done here - no wonder the health service costs the country so much.
posted by Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson at 3:37 pm
1 Comments:
Greg, I was happy to hear how quickly you got a GP and the prescriptions sorted out - and alarmed by the hole in the ear drum. I hope it gets sorted out. Mum
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