Emigration and CF: Cruising on the Costa Blanca

by another year living in Australia followed by three months travelling around Asia. During this time we documented our travels online via our website, continentchasers.com, where I blogged about places visited and wrote about life living and travelling with cystic fibrosis.

It was then time to come back to Ireland with an empty bank account and get back into the real world with full time work and responsibilities. This however was proving tricky and I simply couldn't readjust to Irish life, particularly the damp climate and grey skies.

The cost of rentals in the Dublin area was the final nail in the coffin and the stresses and strains were starting to impact my health after many years living well despite the condition. After a brief hospital stay with severe stomach pain, my wife and I made the decision to try life in Spain. We had nothing to lose at this point so in August 2017 we decided to move to the Costa Blanca in the Alicante province after some research online. Without a job, the language or much money we felt the benefits would outweigh the negatives.

I was very fortunate that my wife had started the process of getting a job with a real estate agent before we left Ireland so we weren't completely hopeless. The salary wasn't very good but it was a start. Sitting out in our affordable, rented accommodation garden under clear blue skies soaking up the sunshine bought a smile to our face which confirmed we had made the right choice.

The early days were not all sunshine, sea and sand however. Yes, we had a great few weeks upon arrival before my wife started her new job, but my lack of work and worries about receiving medical care and medication were always lingering in the background. In the early days it was simply a case of receiving my medication via courier from my pharmacist back in Ireland. I had six months of my prescription with the view to getting a cheap flight back to Ireland when needed to go for my review in St.Vincent's to obtain my updated prescription when required. As Ivacaftor was one of my prescribed medications at the time, the cost was obviously quite high, hence sourcing a good, reliable courier was vital. For the relatively low cost of fifty euros each month DHL delivered my medication from the pharmacy direct to my door here in Spain. It was a godsend but I knew this arrangement couldn't last forever.

Before long I was receiving calls from the HSE threatening to cut off my supply as I was not now living permanently in Ireland. I won't go into my feelings but let's just say I was disappointed. I understood the official clerical standpoint, but here I was an Irish citizen living in the European Union, without a job and seeking a new life to improve my health and quality of life. If I stayed in Ireland I would probably have cost the taxpayer more with hospital stays as I aged in the colder climate. Spain was potentially giving me the opportunity to stress less and live a more fulfilling outdoor life.

I guess rules are rules and ultimately I was left without my supply of Ivacaftor for a couple of months while I got things sorted. In the end the lack of medication gave me the push to register onto the Spanish system rapidly, with the help of newly made local friends and a job contract, I was able to obtain the necessary paperwork and get myself onto the Spanish health system following many steps.

This process involved obtaining a NIE number, which is a personal, unique and exclusive number that is assigned to foreigners who, for economic, professional, or social reasons, are engaged in activities related to Spain and require identification in this country. A NIE obtained identifies the bearer to all levels of the Spanish public administration, but does not entitle the holder to reside in Spain or prove residence there. Easily obtainable from the local town hall for a fee, you then need to obtain a Padrón. In simple words, the padrón is a local certificate you receive after registering at the town hall where you live. The certificate for the Padrón in Spanish is the Certificado de Empadronamiento (a municipal register or census record).

The next step was to obtain Residencia (residence permit). Once you have found somewhere to live and have registered yourself on the Padrón, you will need to get your documentation in order so that you can make the residency application and obtain your TIE (Tarjeta de Identificación del Extranjero). This card will demonstrate that you are legally resident in Spain and have been added to the Central Registry of Foreign Nationals or ‘Registro Central de Extranjeros'.

After this process, which took quite a few weeks and involved mountains of photocopying and filling in of forms, I made an appointment with the local hospital and took along a local friend to translate. After my initial visit the doctor referred me to the nearest specialist located in Valencia which is a two and a half hour drive away. I was then entitled to get my medication each month from my local hospital here in Torrevieja, some ten minutes drive from my home. That was that and from here I attend the specialists every three months in Valencia. The first thing my doctor required was a transfer of my medical records from Ireland, after some initial issues they were transferred electronically which gave my new medical team my history to shed light on my background. Since this period my Spanish has improved, I have been put on the wonderful new drug, Kaftrio, and I am living life to the fullest.

I find the facilities in Valencia to be excellent and great attention to detail is paid to all my needs. Added to this I play football at least once a week and attend the gym four days per week alongside working part time. Combined with the sunshine, good food and sea air it all seems to be keeping me in good shape as I approach my forty first birthday.

People usually ask me about travel insurance which is a hot topic for many with cystic fibrosis who wish to venture abroad. My honest answer is I never purchased cover throughout my travels!! This isn’t for everybody but I have been lucky, if there is such a thing after being diagnosed with CF!! I always felt that I could look after myself and that the minefield of obtaining travel insurance was one mountain I didn’t wish to waste time climbing. I witnessed many so called "healthy individuals" easily obtain travel insurance over the years despite smoking, eating poorly and not exercising. I don’t smoke, try to be careful what I eat, exercise regularly, yet because of CF, travel insurance companies penalise me heavily and make it impossible to obtain at a reasonable cost. I have been fortunate not to fall ill in any country on my travels, well not so ill that I needed hospital care, so managed without. It’s not for everybody so I don’t wholly recommend not having travel insurance.

Ultimately I have no regrets and it's how I wish to live my life. I don't want to be on my deathbed looking back on the things I should have done. Of course I have needed some luck along the way and with the help and support of my wife and family it has allowed me to be in this position today. With advanced treatments continually being introduced the life expectancy for people born with CF is rising. When I was diagnosed I didn't think I would live to see thirty, never mind forty years of age!! For now I continue to dream and who knows where I will be in the next five years, if I even am here at all! We all have our own paths to follow and there will be twists and turns along the way. Just go with the flow and you never know where you may end up! Ireland will always have a special place in my heart but for now Spain soothes my soul.

If you need any advice about the move please do not hesitate to contact me. Alongside my wife we run our own real estate business here in Spain so aside from finding properties we have a vast array of knowledge for people who wish to move to Spain, many of whom come from Ireland. Find us at www.agentreddevil.com for more.

¡Hasta luego!I as they say here, see you all soon!