I have just been diagnosed with bc ont the 26th October I live in Spain and the language barrier has been a nightmare. Im still not sure what type of cancer i have. Ive been tol i will be taken into hospital in about 3-4 week to have the lump removed and then radiotherapy and thats all i know.
telling my family was the hardest thing. I have 5 children, my 2 eldest daughters live in England and my 2 youngest are 10 & 12. My eldest son is 20 and lives at home but wont really talk about it
I have no friends here so the days are very long for me. I wake up some days feeling very positive but by lunchtime im falling to pieces. Im trying very hard to stay srong for my 2 youngest children,
I feel for you I really do. It is bad enough being diagnosed here in Britain but to be over in spain with language barriers and no friends to be with you must be a nightmare.
This site is fantastic for venting fears and anxieties and finding out information from all the lovely women going through it so please do use it - most of us find it a godsend.
Just want you to know I am thinking of you and sending cyber hugs
Take care of yourself
Fiona
p.s. - this site has lots of information packs am sure they can send to spain?
Thanks soooo much for replying. The cyber hug was great very comforting. I will try and find out about the info packs and see if they can send them out here.
I am thinking of you too. It must be very hard to be in Spain at this difficult time. I have a friend who lives in Spain but she came back here for her op and radiotherapy. She stayed with her daughter in England. Please post with any queries.
You may find the overseas number for our helpline (+44)2076200077 useful to ring as the helpliners can offer you support, advice and information. The line is open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm.
You may also be interested in obtaining a copy of our Resources Pack which is designed for anyone newly diagnosed. You can obtain a copy via the link below or ask our helpliners to send you one out if you do call:
Hi there
you must feel so very far from home right now. It is always so much harder when there are language problems. If you cannot get the leaflets sent to you then most are pdf files, not the same, i know. Maybe your family in UK could forward them to you?
Also, if you have the leaflets when you see your doctor, he will be able to tell you from the diagrams which is yours.
Some of the treatments may be slightly different but, I think that generally they will be the same. So get the information on radiotherapy, surgery etc.
In the meantime, welcome to the club, although none of us want new members you will find so much help here
Lynne so sorry that you had to join this ‘club’. I found that the hardest time was between being diagnosied and starting the treatment. once treatment had started I felt better as I knew something was being done to get rid of it.
this is a brilliant site where you can rant and rave and also pick up stacks of information
Thank you for replying its grat to know there are such caring people out there. In reply to margaret my first thought was to come back to England for my treatment but i have no one to take care of my children and i dont know how long i would have to stay there. My husband is self employed here so no work no money. So i will just have to do my best here i think.
I will find out about the leaflets as my eldest son is coming home for a visit he could bring the leaflets back with him.
Dear Lynne you have just found yourself lots of friends who will always be here for you and will always respond if you need help.We have all been in a similar place[bc not Spain]so someone will know exactly what you are going through.love Valx
Hi Lynne,
try not to feel so isolated, ask if there is an interpreter at your hospital if you are finding the communication difficult, or do you have a bi lingual friend to go to appointments with you,im sure bcc uk would send you their leaflets and info too if you havent got them ordered already, they are very informative and straight forward. use this site and us as often as you need, i was diagnosed on the 22nd and still feel like this isnt happening to me- i wish it wasnt!.. good luck with you treatment, and try to stay informed as much as possible, it helps to be in control a litle bit and be able to make decisions about what you want for you and your body.
im reconsidering recon at the moment, and a bit confused. more info is neded from the plastics team , so be armed before you consent to anything. like all friends and family they are a bit scared at first, once your family has the facts its easier for them to understand too.
I was diagnosed whilst in Spain and found the language barrier a real problem. I decided to come back here as BC carries it’s very own language. I think most of us here know words and medical terms we never heard of before, let alone in a foreign language
The care will be lovely and the technology, I think is the same as here. I think this site will help to keep you informed so you can be armed with questions to ask the oncologist. The state hospitals all have interpreters and the private hospitals are usually bi-lingual.
I will be returning to spain when treatment is over and am wondering if there are support groups for ex-pats. If not I feel inclined to maybe start one, as so many people are there but their families are here.
What part of Spain are you in. I am from the Costa del sol.
With this site you are never alone, and let me tell you my experience with Spain hospitals on other things is they are every bit as good as here.
Hi Lynne, I am Italian but I live in Spain now. I also lived in England so I know the different medical cares offered in these three countries. I did all the therapies for my recurrence here last year, and the standard of medical care is really very high, at least where I am (Barcelona), even if, of course, the language barrier can really be a problem. I must say, I learnt more Spanish in the hospital that in any other place! (well I just came last year). If you need any information please let me know, and if I can help in any way I will!
take care
xx
Hi ladies - just to say how good it is to hear that the Spanish system works as we’re planning to move to Catalunya in about three years time.
Hopefully I will only need to keep taking the tablets but it’s reassuring to know that there is a high standard of medical care. I am trying to learn Spanish but am a little worried that I should really be learning Catalan !
I aim to befriend lots of multilingual people as soon as I arrive so they can act as interpreters!
Hi ladies
Thank your for all you kind comments. It makes me feel much better to know that you are all out there
To Jules i to live on the Costa del Sol near to Marbella. Maybe when your treatment has finished and you are back in Spain i could help you with that support group.
I have great faith in the Hospital and have first hand experience with them as my husband had Meningitis last year and was in the same hospital but his consultant spoke good English. I do have bi lingual people that i know that will help but they cant be there every step of the way.
Today i am feeling ok. Have my family at home as it is a holiday in Spain and having people around me especially my kids doesnt give me much chance to dwell
Thanks for all your kind support ladies
Thinking of you all
Lynne x x
The idea of an English speaking support group sounds great! I live in Switzerland and although I speak fluent French it is often more “comfortable” to be able to speak in English so I was glad to find the English Speaking Cancer Association based in Geneva. If you would like info on how to set up a group, I am sure they will be delighted to help you - or any other people elsewhere on the Continent. Their website is www.cancersupport.ch, and the email address is <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%69%6e%66%6f%40%63%61%6e%63%65%72%73%75%70%70%6f%72%74%2e%63%68%22%3e%69%6e%66%6f%40%63%61%6e%63%65%72%73%75%70%70%6f%72%74%2e%63%68%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>. They also have a sub-group called Bosom Pals! Best of luck in your forthcoming venture! petitepart
Thanks for the information. I will contact the sights you gave me asap and see if they can give me any help. Still waitng to find out when my op is hopefully will know tommorow as have app at hospital.