Caring for someone with cancer in Spain

Hello Miranda t 

I am Brian, one of the Community Champions here at Macmillan. I have just noticed your cracking post has had no replies. By me replying it will be "bumped up" to the top of the group and I hope seen and replied to by other members of the group.

It's great to know that healthcare in other Countries works and thank you for your offer of support to others.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi,  I am in Portugal, my partner was diagnosed with oral cancer.  Not quite so easy here, have had to fight for everything, also dont speak the language very well, no support, extremely lonely.  Have to travel 4 hours to see dr etc etc.  good luck to anyone.  I am more than happy to help anyone if I can be of any assistance.

That sounds tough, dub. We got a lot of help from local social services who set up the home care & the teleasistence. Is there a cancer charity in Portugal who could help? Language can be an issue: my husband struggles with more complex conversations but I am able to interpret for him.  He receives a UK state pension and now gets attendance allowance which helps with extra financial needs. I really hope you find some support as it can make a big difference. 

My husband has just been diagnosed 4 weeks ago with stage 4 rectal cancer mestasised in the liver and lungs , misdiagnosed with haemorroids ,they are only trying to control the pain at the moment we have yet to meet with the oncologists to discuss the results of his biopsy , he is too weak at the moment to be able to receive any treatment . The health service has been good , although having contacts in the medical world has moved things along much quicker especially with Cudeca and the Pallative care team who are all such lovely people , wondering how to go about getting a disabled badge as he cannot walk much as he is in so much pain , and so weak he is only 58 and it breaks my heart as he has lost so much weight and is looking so frail it has all happened so fast and has impacted mine and my children’s lives so dramatically which makes it harder as my son lives in Barcelona and my daughter in holland and we are southern Spain 

Hello Living for the day017822 

I am so sorry to read of your situation. I can't advise you of how to get a disabled badge in Spain as I live in the UK.

I would advise you to join the anal cancer group where you will connect with other Community Members with the same or similar issues as your husband. Here's the link you need:

Anal cancer forum 

If I can do anything else for you please do let me know.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi  Living for the day, so sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis. You say you live in southern Spain, so I assume that means Andalucía, the same as us? It’s just that procedures seem to vary from region to region, so I hope what I’m going to say is relevant to you. We went to social services to register my husband as disabled, also to register him under the Ley de Dependencia for a home care package. Both processes take ages, but can be speeded  up if you get a report from the oncologist saying that any treatment is palliative and that they are receiving palliative care. (In my husband’s case this wasn’t strictly true: he’s receiving palliative treatment, immunotherapy, but isn’t needing palliative care as such, but we weren’t going to object to the report as it said what we wanted!) Once the disability assessment has been made, which includes a mobility assessment, you then apply via social services for the disabied parking badge. The disability assessment also gives you an extra tax allowance when you do your tax return. 
I hope you are holding up okay as his career? It’s tough, isn’t it? I get by thanks to a generous home care package (a career comes in every weekday for 2 hours 40 mins, split into 2 sessions, & 1 hour on a Saturday), monthly counselling sessions, plus support from the local Asociación Contra el Cáncer. I’ve got family living not too far away & some lovely neighbours.