loooong story but my father in law has had a bad stroke in cyprus, the hospital are about to discharge him as there is nothing more they can do for him medically.

He is broke, has loads of debts some of which we have helped with but thats got to stop,and due to DVT concerns wont be able to fly for 6 months thats if he is able to which is doubtful.

The care homes there are apparently awful as cypriots generally look after their own families and foreigners are ignored. I have found a care agency but he will still need a home and the finance is a real nightmare as we are finding debts all over the place

So I am thinking of getting him back here, Air ambulance will cost £15,000 so thats a no, I have emailed cruise ships to see if they will pick him up there if i go out as carer but havent had a response

ferrys to mainland europe are scarce and i dont think he could do the travel anyway

Any other ideas? ………

if he can’t fly then an air ambulance is out too, surely?

a quick google indicates that really for ships you’re looking at freighter based services – which do go direct to Southampton (Grimaldi) – but they do seem to stipulate that you must be in good health so you’re best bet is to try phoning the shipping companies and explainign your position rather than relying on an email exchange.

I thought it was preasurised cabins that were the problem for DVT, not being in the air per se.

I thinkt he problem is that they pressurise to 10,000 feet which is an issue plus the long periods of sitting in one place.

I guess if you have an air ambulance they can pressurise the cabin further and dose you up on warfarin or soemthign and keep you moving to stop clots forming.

Have you phoned the embassy/consulate?

Have you phoned the embassy/consulate?

I have tried but they are hard to get hold of, i am trying again, but not sure what they can do though

I have contacted the RAF charities too as he was a long time aircrew and helicopter winchman but there is no help available outside the UK

a quick google indicates that really for ships you’re looking at freighter based services – which do go direct to Southampton (Grimaldi) – but they do seem to stipulate that you must be in good health so you’re best bet is to try phoning the shipping companies and explainign your position rather than relying on an email exchange.

Yes I saw that cheap too! but takes 13-14 days with no medical care

I will be phoning the cruise companys today, but not sure of the regs with shipping passenger manifests etc

I have a friend who is phobic on flying, he uses this site a lot, some useful info here. Good luck.
Seat61-Cyprus

Speak to you local Primary Care Trust. They probably can’t give you direct help but should point you in the right direction.

Is DVT an issue with short flights?

Maybe get him to Spain or Italy to start with?

Fly out there yourself – ferry to the mainlaind then drive across Europe ? Or at least as far as somewhere that has a proper health service… Italy ? How much to hire a Doc or a Nurse for a week to go with you ? There are loads of private ambulance firms about, two in my small town (lots of retired people)

Fly out there yourself – ferry to the mainlaind then drive across Europe ? Or at least as far as somewhere that has a proper health service… Italy ? How much to hire a Doc or a Nurse for a week to go with you ? There are loads of private ambulance firms about, two in my small town (lots of retired people)

Possibly but the only ferry now is from northern cyprus(turkish) to turkey then thats a hell of a drive!

If he served in the RAF you could try contacting RAF Akrotiri directly. http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafakrotiri It would be a long shot but you never know. A lot passes through Cyprus.

Rivett
Cheers Ill try that!

Embassy / foreign office should be able to offer help I would have thought.

Good luck – what a difficult situation

I’d drive, if there were no other way. It’ll take several days but it’s not that bad.

The big proviso is that he’s got to be stable, at least. So long as you’ve a comfortable, reliable, air-conditioned car and plenty of time, you’ll be fine. 2 drivers (one to be with your father-in-law when they’re not driving) and you’ll be fine.

That said, it’s 2000 miles each way; the most I’ve done in one day was 900 and I was really tired after that. So allow 3-4 days to drive each way, plus £700 for fuel, £300 for tolls, and probably £500 for hotels. All the costs assume you’re driving there and back, using Formule 1 etc hotels, and need no medical intervention of any kind. Oh, and that you have at least a week to take off work.

What about trains?

It’ll take several days but it’s not that bad.

It would be as he’d still be sat down but for much longer unless you’re going to stop for him to walk around every hour. The train would be also worse than flying as it would just take so long.
I think I’d bite the bullet and be looking maybe doing the journey in two short flights. If you could get seats with space in front he could get up and stretch his legs every now and then.
There are oral anticoagulants available which would also help.
I don’t envy your situation and really hope you get him sorted OK.

P&O will pick him up in cyprus, have to have a carer with him and you have to pay the full cruise fare

Might be an option though whoever goes with him does get half a cruise…..

Also i have got a ex RAF chappie to talk to the RAF benevolent chappies as he is getting positive noises I was just told no chance

Must be the moustaches!

Ferry to mainland europe (cheap, frequent, quick) and rent a car to drive home in. Or drive your own out there, leave it on mainland and go fetch him back to it. Seems simple enough, if he’s been kicked out of hospital surely he’s safe for day to day life i.e. you can drive him home OK?

The issue with anti coagulants is that he’s just had a stroke… Not advised straight after i’m afraid….

DrP

Ahhh 😳

if he’s been kicked out of hospital surely he’s safe for day to day life i.e. you can drive him home OK?

Err not really no
Can’t walk, 90% paralysed one side, cant speak, eat or drink without being spoon fed, catheter in and incontinent other end, has urine infection and chest infection too although he has had some antibiotics

Not moaning about cypriot care as I have seen NHS do similar although visitors have had to buy incontinence products from a shop in the hospital as they are not supplied

Can’t walk, 90% paralysed one side, cant speak, eat or drink without being spoon fed, catheter in and incontinent other end, has urine infection and chest infection too although he has had some antibiotics

If P&O will accept him in that condition then I’d go for that.

If not then maybe a motorhome where he can be cared for more easily.

I have seen NHS do similar although visitors have had to buy incontinence products from a shop in the hospital as they are not supplied

Errmmm – nope. Incontinence products are supplied on the NHS.

Edit – I would like to think in that position I would be on the plane tomorrow to him. its much easier to say than to do tho.

TJ
You are a victim of my bad punctuation
I have seen all of that apart from getting pads free is what i meant

We have had family members there, I am just trying to phase visits to be most effective theres little point in everyone being there together

no way will any commercial travel company accept a passenger in his condition.. its hard enough getting the insurance having had a stroke two years ago and been fully fit now

i’d expect you ll have to accomadate him for 6 mths at least in Cyprus before he is in any way able to travel any kind of distance ( even 20 miles in a car would be too much)

before even working out how you are going to return him to Blighty.. work out exactly what and where he is going once here.. the nhs social services here are not great once you get involved in something like this so dont expect red carpets etc have it all worked out with all the ‘i’s’ dotted before you do.

My partner’s parents lived in Cyprus for many years before they had to return due to ill health of the father who has now sadly passed.

Coincidentally, her sister in law is Cypriot, and my partner works for the NHS.

On the basis that there is a very small chance that she might be able to add something to the thread I’ve sent her an e-mail link to it.

AFAIK you don’t get DVT on car journeys. The real issue with planes isn’t sitting still, it’s the poor air quality.

SSAFA – Soldier Sailor Airmen Family Association another charity and I think they have people on the ground in Cyprus.
Help for Heroes?
Speak to the local authority about your situation, social workers and the like will have to set up a care plan if he is with you at some point in the future.
Good luck

AFAIK you don’t get DVT on car journeys

my brother-in-law got it on a coach some years ago. Wasn’t diagnosed properly – he was too young for a ‘stroke’ although those were the symptoms he presented so wasn’t treated as such.

Left him with a face that was paralysed on one side.

TuckerUK

Thanks i appreciate that

SSAFA – Soldier Sailor Airmen Family Association another charity and I think they have people on the ground in Cyprus.

Yes they told me not help available but an ex RAF chap has had a different story so he is following that up for me

Hadnt thought about HFH – worth an ask

DVT can occur any time anyplace

Several medical conditions can lead to DVT, such as compression of the veins, physical trauma, cancer, infections, certain inflammatory diseases and specific conditions such as stroke, heart failure or nephrotic syndrome. There are several factors which can increase a person’s risk for DVT, including surgery, hospitalization, immobilization (such as when orthopedic casts are used, or during long-haul flights, leading to traveller’s thrombosis), smoking, obesity, age, certain drugs (such as estrogen, or erythropoietin) and inborn tendencies to form clots known as thrombophilia (for example, in carriers of factor V Leiden)

smoking, obesity, age

Yeah well he ticks those boxes (probably not obese but overweight)