Saturday, July 14, 2012

What a palaver!

I don't take any meds or do anything I think might compromise me without discussing it with my oncologist. So, now, since discovering I need to take malaria tabs and have a yellow fever vaccination to travel via Zambia to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, I decided to ask The Tango Man if this was ok. Also did some googling but as I said to the oncology centre when I phoned, do you want me to rely on the internet for advice?
So I phoned. And then I phoned again cos they didn't come back to me. I did say it wasn't urgent but I did want to know. On Friday they phoned to say The Tango Man said the vaccination is fine. They had already told me on the phone that malaria tabs were fine (I am on the oestrogen-suppressant tablet tamoxifen).
My appointment at the travel clinic was at 11am today.
Arrived, filled in the form stating what I was on, waited and waited..... all doctors keep one waiting..... and then the doctor declined to give me the vaccination!
She seemed to think I was immune-compromised. I said I was not. I said I had asked the oncologist. She knew him and said: "But does he know it's a live vaccination?"
So we came to an agreement. She wrote me a form saying I was unable to have the vaccination because of an underlying medical condition, told me to tell the border control people I will only discuss it with a doctor, and then I am going to the oncology centre on Monday and gonna tell them what she said. Can always have the jab this week. Still time...

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