I’m not entirely sure whether anyone can help me but I’m a little stuck on where else to get advice.
I suffer with endometriosis and am treated here in the UK. I am currently in the process of emigrating over to Australia but seem to have hit a wall with information on getting my treatment once I get there and I wondered whether anyone had heard of people previously emigrating or had experience with this.
I am treated with a 3 monthly injection of 11.25mg Decapeptyl (Gnrh Analogue)and have a bone scan yearly. I am trying to find out whether similar treatment is available when I get to Australia and whether this is covered by Medicare or Private Health Insurance? If it isn’t covered by either what are the costs associated with getting the treatment I need and when I arrive in Australia how do I go about getting my treatment?
Any information you can provide me with would be much appreciated or if you know where I can find this information that would also be helpful.
Thanks, Katie xx
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katieb14
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They may be able to answer your specific questions on treatment options and insurance policies available.
Secondly would it be worth contacting the Australian Embassy in London (or wherever you apply for your visa to) and ask for contact details for the Australian equivalent of our Department of Health? They may have a helpline or enquiry service which would answer your queries before you arrive.
Thank you so much for responding. I hadn't even thought about there being another society over there. I will definitely post a question on there and see if i anyone can provide me with some answers.
I also hadn't thought about the embassy either!
Thankyou so much for your help, You've given me another couple of routes to go down.
I am a New Zealander living in the UK, and I go home to NZ for all my treatments and prescriptions. I have found NZ doctors to be more aware and have more knowledge on our disease. I honestly believe it will be the same in Australia.
I wish you nothing but the best of luck for your move, and hope you are able to find a fantastic doctor.
Thank you very much for your response! It's always so daunting when you don't understand another country's health system.
Do you find that your doctor in NZ is ok with you not living in the country but coming back for your treatment? Do you have all your treatment back home or some in the UK as well?
My doctor is great, if I need any prescriptions, I call her and she writes them and sends them to my Mum to pick up and then my Mum sends them to me in the UK. The only thing my doctor in NZ asks me to do is bring all doctors notes/letters back to NZ with me.
I do it this way, as I have found that the UK doesn't always have the same type (maybe brand) of drugs as I am/was taking. And as you probably know some of the side effects are horrible, so when you find a drug that works you want to stick with it.
I do have to go to the doctor here in the UK, for pain management and/or scans.
Are you on a tablet form of medication or do you have to get an injection aswell? I think that seems to be my problem, if i was on tablet form my doctor maybe able to (that's a big maybe) write my prescriptions here and then send them over but i get my injection at the hospital.
You have given me food for thought though - i think i will speak to my doctor and see what they can do in terms of my HRT, pain management and calcium availability to save me getting them over in Aus. Then i would just need to focus on getting my 3 monthly injection and yearly bone scan.
My home base is going to be Brisbane but i will be on a fly in fly out contract so for 3 weeks at a time i'll be based near Tully (North Queensland) then i'll fly back to Brisbane for 6 days off before returning to site. I need to try and get my injections to match up with my 6 days off time.
It seems to be a big sticking point for me at the minute. I'm nervous about going when i don't fully understand how to get my treatment and i need to make sure that the private healthcare will cover the injections.
You're welcome Katie, hope you can get some answers from those contacts.
Glad AshleyJ has also seen and been able to respond first hand to your queries. From her replies it sounds as though Aus and NZ are bang up to date with endo treatment and options and you should be fine getting hold of your meds over there-one way or another!
Sorry about my delayed response. I was on injections. My NZ doctor wrote me a prescription for 3 months worth and a letter which allowed me to take these with me back to the UK. She also wrote a letter to my GP here in the UK, stating that I was on these injections and needed a further 3 months worth. My doctor here was more than happy to prescribe the injections here for me as well. I had to the option to give myself the injections or make an appointment with a nurse to administer them for me.
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