Very Close Friend is seriously, (we think), ill in hospital abroad

[Veryveryworried]

Our dearest friend is in hospital in spain and they have yet to diagnose him. He has very high calcium levels in the blood, his kidneys are working only 40%, he has a lump under arm and shadows on lungs. Drs have yet to confirm anything yet but we are waiting anxiously as fear this is not looking good at all. Also having som communication problems due to language barrier. Anybody any experience of these symtoms?

Oh dear that doesn't sound good I'm so sorry! Can he be aeromeded home?

Friend lives abroad but DH wants him to come here and he will pay privately for him to be treated, a few weeks have been lost already.

Oh I see, I assumed he was on holiday.

Do you know where in Spain?
Can they contact the local expat community for language help, as there must be somebody who can assist?

Spanish doctors are usually good and thorough (my sister lives in spain). No reason why he should not get adequate help there, and there are also many good private doctors in spain too.

I don't think you are going to get any better treatment if you go privately just quicker.

Sorry meant to go to say that he sounds seriously ill so he should get seen straight away anyway in this country, I have no experience of the Spanish medical system.

My sister says the spanish medical system is top. She has received far better and more speedy treatment there than anywhere else.

DH thinks if he is a private patient treatment/investigations will be speeded up and obviously time is of the essence.

Is he well enough to travel? Why should he come to England for treatment if he lives in Spain?

StellaPolaris, DH wants him here, they are like brothers, he wants to pay and do what he can to help his friend and thinks he would get better/faster treatment here. He has had so many blood tests over the last few weeks and they are Still looking for what is wrong with him IYSWIM.

What does your friend and his family want to do? Have you spoken to them about how you feel and what you want to offer him? What a horrible situation to find your selves in

Then the first step would be to speak to a doctor here and get advice on how to do it, I think.

He has no family, just his wife and yes they would rather come home, have only been living abroad a couple of years. He is a young man too, just 45. My DH would do absolutely ANYTHING for his friend. It sounds like we are jumping the gun a bit I know but with the information we do have it just doesnt sound good at all.

I agree it doesn't sound good. He may not be well enough to travel, that could be a problem. I have no idea where you would start re getting him back.

Well if he would like to do ANYTHING then he should start finding out what the procedures would be regards to treatment locally where you are, patient transport, getting transcripts of test results already done, reports from doctors currently treating your friend etc. You dont want your friend to come here just for your local hospital to waste time by redoing what spanish docs have already done. Neither do you want to take your friend to a private doctor just for him to send you to your local hospital. Good Luck!

I dont know yet how he is for travelling, he has been in hospital for two weeks now whilst they have been giving drugs to reduce the calcium level, testing and testing. One minute they are going to do a kidney bi-op then they abandon that and say they will do a bone bi-op, still not done. Had a CT scan which revealed the shadows on lungs. Yesterday the dr said he would remove the lump under arm later in the day then he didnt. We just dont know really what the score is and DH is panicking and wanting him here as he assume the drs will sort it out immediately. It seems like a big mess and lots of question marks.

If they decide to come his wife already has a huge bundle of test result etc and will get everything copied to present to dr here. My brother is in a top london hospital and will arrange private consultation with specialist etc, everything can be prepared in a matter of a couple of days.

Then get your brother involved now, I am sure he can advise you better than any of us!

Hopefull it gets resolved soon!

So sorry to hear this Unforuntely I have had some indirect experience of the Spanish Healthcare system as both my MIL and PIL have been through it in the last few years. My PIL's experiences were very positive, my MIL's not very good really. But I guess that is the same as the UK.

I personally think if he wants to come back to the UK and he is able to get back, then I would make sure he does. It is a complete nighmare dealing with it from a distance.

At least here we can support them and do as much as possible. They can stay in our home and I can taxi them etc. Its just horrible to be so far away and not be able to help,we will do anything we can do to support them.

Is going out there a possibility?

My understanding (and I could be very wrong) is that in Spain the family do the majority of the nursing. MIL is currently in a nursing home and has is fed through a tube, it's PIL who administers this as far as we can tell. So the fact that you can help support them is a really good thing.

thats true Choc, my sister live in spain. If a family member ends up in hospital, the family work out a rota so the patient is never alone, and they take over the majority of the nurseing.

Think DH is planning a trip out there at the wkend. Sorry, meant to say in earlier post, it is portugal, not spain.

Just waiting for news today, the drs think he has lymphoma.