Hi
I’ve recently been diagnosed.
I live permanently in Spain and wondered if there was anyone else being treated here.
Hi Jackie1952,
Thank you for reaching out to our community but sorry you are going through this difficult time. I am sure if any users are being treated in Spain they will be along to show their support :)
Best wishes,
Lizzy
Hi Jackie
Recently diagnosed myself and just joined the group today and saw your post.
I’ve been in the northern Costa Blanca area for nearly 3 years and decided to have treatment here. Just had MX last week and full node clearance and now waitinng for full pathology results. Treatment so far has been excellent and very quick. I just wish my Spanish was as good - it does make me feel more anxious about it all! What area are you in and how have you been finding it?
Aww bless you Ann.
Thank you.
I’m getting a little nervous now but that’s to be expected.
How is your treatment going?
God bless xxxx
Hi again Ann.
Sorry I’ve not posted for a while.
My mastectomy went well - much better than I could have hoped.
The pathology results weren’t as good as I expected.
I have 10 out of 15 lymph nodes affected.
My chemo starts tomorrow.
Another journey to begin.
How are you getting on with it?
Sending positive hugs.
Happy New Year
Xxx
Hi all
I live in Mojacar near Almeria and was diagnosed with ILC BC stage 3 last October 2016.
Have had 6 chemo sessions so far , first four were AC and now session 5&6 were Abraxene (taxol) ! Session number 7 due this coming Thursday 23/03/17!
My treatment is being cover privately by Sanitas and I have been told by my Social Seguros Doctor that I could move over to the public system at anytime if I did not like the private side! Cannot complain so far!
Found my lump 3 years ago and was getting regular MRI and mammogram on it and told it was nothing to worry about! Went to see a surgeon last November to have the lump removed and he informed me there and then that I had cancer just by a visual exam! Biopsy was done there me and then and when the results came back the following Friday confirming it was BC my surgeon told me to present myself at a private oncologist clinic in Almeria the following Monday at 9am!
Saw my oncologist and chemo was started the same day!
Apparently ILC is hard to detect as cancer on mammograms and MRI!
Hello Ocasse and Ann,
Nice to have another Brit in Spain here.
Sorry I’ve not reported for duty for a while.
I’ve had a few blips with the chemo, one of which oblidged me to spend 6 days in hospital with - wait for it - an abcess on the bum, which had been caused by low neutrophiles.
Following that I had to go every day for it to be dressed.
I’m on day 11 post TC 4, and it’s been much worse than the others.
I’m hoping it’s all ok now.
I can’t wait for it to be finished so I can get on with the radiotherapy, although I’ll have to go down to Elche for it, as apparently they have the most up to date machine.
Mine is being treated privately, but I have to pay for non chemo meds which is now starting to add up, as I’ve had to have gcsf to keep my white count up.
Best wishes for your ongoing treatment.
Hi Jackie
My treatment is being covered privately by Sanitas and i know that I will have to pay for meds once radiotherapy is over!
As I have autonomo here being self employed I have to present myself every 5 weeks to my local (non private) Doctor for a bajo laboral
My Doctor is very supportive and has indicated to me that if at any time I want to stop the private treatment and get on the Seguros social then I can do so at any time!
So far my chemo had been taking place in a private clinic in Almeria, I see my oncologist on the 17 April and he will most likely refer me back to my surgeon for a lumpectomy! I have no idea where the radiotherapy will take place??? What a journey!
Hi there
Me again ! Been making some enquiries about radiotherapy and it looks like that we do not havr a private hospital in Almeria or nearby who provided this service and I have been told (to be confirmed when I see my oncologist in 2 weeks ) that I may have to travel to Alicante for my sessions.
Early days yet and I need to consider all my options here if this is the case , do any of you know of cheap hotels near the Alicante hospital mentioned below that you could recommend, i can think of Ibis but know of no other?
Had a mare day yesterday (day 8 post chemo number 7) and was completely whacked out, even my elderly dog was dragging up the hill, I’m guessing that my white cell count were very low, feeling better today but husband had grounded me and doing all the chores!
Did not expect chemo to take such a toll on my body as I was very fit before this all started!.
Hope you are both doing as well as can be !
Hi again Cocasse
I can’t seem to see the name of the private hospital in Alicante.
I will be going to IMED Elche which is just south of Alicante.
If this is where you will be going I’ll have a think about hotels.
Since my last post I’ve been hospitalised twice.
Last Sunday I was having problems breathing.
After extensive tests it was adjudged that I had fluid on the lungs caused by the chemo.
They sorted that out and I went home at 5pm on Wednesday only to return at 10pm with yet another abcess on the bum which appeared in the space of a couple of hours.
I had another operation on Thursday and I’m here till at least Monday.
Apparently the trillions of white cells produced by the GCSF injections were of very poor quality.
I’ve only done 4 chemo treatments - you are doing well to have survived 7.
It’s a real struggle isn’t it?
Hope you are feeling better soon.
Xxx
Hi Jackie
I am so sorry to hear that you are back in hospital! I thought I was having it tough but I am always reminded that they are people who are struggling with their chemo ! Wish I was nearer to visit you…and have a giggle about our free Brazilians courtesy of our respective Spanish healthcare providers and saving a fortune on hair appointments!
What chemo drugs have they got you on !
Here they gave me Adriamycin and Cytoxin for the first four chemo sessions, one of them is red and is known as the ‘Red Devil’.
I have spoken to other BC suffered who says that they suffered worse with this AC combination then the last four chemo sessions where they change the drugs!
I did better on the AC combo , slept through the first four days post chemo and felt nauseas most of the time but that was all, I was lucky!
The current chemo drugs I have been given is Abraxene and I am surprise how much it has set me back, I was lead to believe that the second part of the chemo drug session were going to be easy!
Nothing but, complete wipe out days , metallic taste in the mouth, have had pharyngitis and seem to have a permanent soreness to my throat! My white cell count has been pretty poor throughout but at the beginning of my diagnosed my mum was taken ill in the UK and subsequently died a month later and as a result I was so stressed that my blood results were a complete mess!
i wish you a speedy recovery. Keep fighting , together we can beat this.
Hi all,
You may be aware that I have removed the names of health care professionals from this thread to protect privacy.
Thanks,
Bonita
Hi Al
l Dorothy here aka Cocase
Had my final chemo (no 8) course yesterday!
Was 3 hours sitting in the chair a long day indeed!
My oncologist is pleased with the shrinkage of the tumours !
Back to Virgen Del Mar hospital next Tuesday for an MRI scan on my girls .
Booked in to see my surgeon on May 12 to discuss the operation!
Then back to oncologist to set up radiotherapy sessiions!
Good news here is that as I am also on the health system here in Spain, Then my oncology team can book my radiotherapy session in Torrecadeno on Almeria!
I expect the metallic taste to kick in about 4 days!
I have had a few stomach problems on Abraxene and completed exhaustion!
Not had any problems with my nails and nails bed!
My only main concern is that for the last two week I started getting numbness, pins and needles in my left hand, which was also my IV arm ( plus l am left handed ), the oncologist reckons it will disappear once the chemo drugs make it was out of the body but he will keep and eye on it!
I have just got to do specific exercises on my hand and keep it moving!
Bonus is that my hay fever symptoms disappeared as i was having my chemo yesterday! So there is a bonus here as well, as you girls may have experienced , no hair nostrils result in runny nose and incredible smells!
Today I have no need for a Kleenex tissues so will be saving a bit more pennies there this week until the chemo wears off!
Keep us updated of your progress
Dot
Hi all
Saw the surgeon and the lump has not shrunk enough for lumpectomy , so now facing a radical mastectomy on Friday 16th June and will have a reconstruction at the same time . Operation will take 4-5 hours!
I am happy about having a mastectomy but disappointed that the lump had not shrunk by much!
Will have a period of recuperation before I am back to see the oncologist who will prescribed the radiotherapy!
So far the chemo and operation have been covered by private insurance , as I am on the national health care system , the oncologist will arrange for me to have the radiotherapy in Almeria 's Torrecadenas hospital so I will have a hours drive each way!
Hair is growing back like bum fluff, mixture of grey and brown and I have already have to have a little trim as it was growing over my ears!
I am aiming for a Jamie Lee Curtis look!
Glad that you are almost there with the radiotherapy! Keep up the fight
Dot
Hello ladies,
Sorry not to have replied before.
I had my final chemo on 28th April, but have had two potential abscesses appear since then - fortunately both responded well to antibiotics.
I finished the tabs on Tuesday night, and yesterday another massive abscess appeared where the two original ones were.
I am off to A & E again later, where I fully expect to be admitted for another GA and drainage.
My hair is also growing back quite quickly, but very fluffy, and very white with salt and pepper.
It will be very interesting to see how it progresses as I’ve not seen my natural colour for over 50 years.
I’ve had my assessment for radiotherapy, and should start in a week or two.
I’ll be having it in Elche, a good hour’s drive away. So glad my hubby is around to drive me.
I’ll try and check in more often.
Love to you both
Jackie xxxx
Hi to both it you
Ann, you must be happy to have finished the radiotherapy, are you going back to see your oncologist for a follow up visit?
Jacki, let us know how you are doing ?
I had my masectomy/ reconstruction on Thursday 15th. The hospital rang me up on Thursday morning as asked me to go in that day as the Nuclear Doctor would be off on Friday, had a Latissimus dorsi flaps type operation and eventually came out of hospital yesterday.
My surgeon is pleased with his work and they said that my sentinel lymph node had not been touched by my tumour so they did not have to remove it.
In discomfort and coping with a drain so stuck at home until we go back and see the Doctor this Friday where hopefully he will remove the drain but the stitches have to stay a little while longer. Now just recuperating for the next phase which should be radiotherapy.
Stay strong both of you
Dot
xx
Well how about this for an update.
Went back to my oncologist this week. After looking at all the pathological reports and examining me he asked whether I had any questions which I did especially in relation to hormone therapy as my cancer is hormone driven.
We had a long discussion over Tamoxifen and eventually I agreed to go on it.
Then I asked him what my overall prognosis was?
He smiled , looked at me and said that I was cancer free, my BC had been cured. I will still have to have 3 monthly check ups initially and a smear every 6 months and numerous other scans but for the moment I was cancer free.
I am hoping that this is the end of my journey with this beast and now just got to recover from my operation and brace myself for the side effect of Tamoxifen .
Hello. Help needed please. On holiday for the winter touring in motorhome. presently at Vera. Had mastectomy 18th Sept 2017. Starting to get flare ups of seroma and pain so wondering if there is an equivalent of our NHS breast care nurse who could check me over .
Hi there, my best advice is that if you have your EHIC medical card then go straight to the Emergency room at Huercal Overa Hospital ( which is about 15 minutes up the road from Vera) and they will get you seen to immediately by the appropriate department. It is not like the NHS in the UK where you have to wait for ages. They have a breast cancer oncology unit there and will be able to help you.
The other choice is going to the private hospital , Virgen Del Mar, Vithas in Almeria City where they will also deal with the pain issue but that will cost unless you have private insurance.