Unexpected Support

[waddo]

My friend is visiting/recuperating from bowel cancer. He is one of the "Bag for life" people now and requires supplies of colostomy pouches of a special type which we have found are not available in the TRNC. He posted two boxes of these to the TRNC one month ago, air mail, one to my house address and one to my Girne PO box - neither have arrived as yet! Last week I contacted a company in the RoC who are an agent of the producer of these pouches, they did not have any in stock but contacted the producer in the UK. The producer in the UK sent two boxes of the product to the agent in the RoC and and they informed me that that they had arrived yesterday. Today I walked across at the Ledra crossing point and went to the agents offices. There they presented me with the two boxes of expensive colostomy pouches - free of charge!

Full marks to both the agent in the RoC who could not have been more helpful and to the producer in the UK who took the trouble to send them out free of P&P and purchase charge. This is a small episode in life but one that has restored my faith in human nature - not everyone is a bad person just because they are Turkish or Greek or British or any other race, creed or color! I never met anyone on my journey today who was not happy to help me find the agents place of business - no matter what language they spoke or I spoke or where I was in Nicosia.

The Cyprus problem is not driven by the public in my honest opinion, it is simply kept alive by the politics of many, many Nations and it should stop now!

[Cally]

What a refreshing post, having been involved with 2 people in my life that needed these bags I understand how important it is to have a ready supply.

Sadly I experienced a downside, when they were no longer needed an unopened box & nearly full one were not able to be returned, as in medication once left the chemist can only be destroyed. I could not bring myself to do this & enquired about charitable sources that might be able to use them but to no avail. I then took them to the hospital & left them outside the office of the stoma nurse, if they want to destroy them so be it, but not me.

[waddo]

Thanks Cally, I have known my friend for well over 45 years now and this is a big learning experience for both of us. The saving grace is that we are both ex military with an appropriate sense of humour so anything for us is possible and can be laughed at, even when one of his burst and I had to clean it up, it is only paste after all - but he told me not to try it on my toast, not even with Marmite - I will kill him one day!!!!

Apparently these things are free on the NHS as well, which is a really good thing and the customers do get loads of support - well he does anyway - from the stoma nurse (sadly she has not the same sense of humour as us two) but out here he is well on his own. People have to learn to laugh at themselves before they start to laugh at others!

I am still mightily surprised and pleased with the service I received from the RoC agent who has told me to return anytime I have a problem and she will sort it out for me. Can't say fairer than that.

[munchy]

Slightly off topic, I will be coming out to NC next month . I will be Renting in Karsiyaka. Due to an existing Heart condition I am currently on One Beta Blocker and Two Blood thinning Tabs as well as Lansoprazole for reflux. Where would I find the nearest Chemist who may supply these Tabs?

[wizardofmann]

Hi munchy

Coming along the main road from Lapta to Karsiyaka, just after passing Flippers on your left and as the road curves to the right, there is a new Pharmacy on the left (Approximately three to four hundred metres past Flippers) You cannot miss the big Eczane sign. It is run by a wonderful and always smiling young woman, who could not be more helpful.

[Keithcaley]

munchy, make sure that you buy Cyprus Today every week - it's absolute rubbish when it comes to News, but it does have the Chemist's late opening Rota, which can be invaluable if you run out of meds, or have an urgent requirement short of a hospital visit...

The Rota is also published online, but I have found that the online version is sometimes inaccurate

Each Chemist, when closed, should also display a notice on its door giving details of the nearest Emergency Chemist - just make sure that you have a good street map, and familiarise yourself with the street names - don't rely on asking someone else, 'cos no one ever knows the name of any street except the one that they live down!

[artistabroad]

Depending on where you are staying in Karsiyaka, there is a chemist on the main road, traveling west a few hundred meters after the square with the coffee shop on your right, it may be closer than the Lapta chemist.

[munchy]

Thank you guys for the useful information.

[waddo]

Munchy, Pharmacists here, both North and South are like a very friendly Mafia in the best possible way! They all talk to each other and if you have a need for a particular drug that shop A has not got they will phone around to find it for you at another shop. You may find that they will offer you a different brand of your drug, like a Turkish brand, but one that is identical in makeup to your normal brand. If that happens then try a different pharmacy and see if they offer the same thing - that is just to dispel any confusion you may have! Good tip: Bring with you the empty boxes of everything you may need - just cut the front covers off the box and write your dosage instructions on the back - then present them to the pharmacist. It saves you time and lets them know "Exactly" what it is you need. On the North/South issue, if the North do not hold the exact drug you need but it is available in the South they will have it sent across for you - no worries.

[munchy]

Thanks Waddo, that puts things "in a Nutshell".