By FEFOC FUNDACIÓ, our Spanish member organisation
FEFOC (private not for profit Foundations sited in Barcelona, www.fefoc.org), started its prostate cancer support groups in 1998. Since then on it has been one of the most rewarding experiences for us, both patients and professionals. The number of attendants was growing up, not easily because some patients were reluctant to share their problems and open their hearts to others. On the other hand, some urologists were not very happy with our task.
Nevertheless, the things were going on quite well until Covid19 appeared in our lives. During the first year of pandemic few patients came to the group. Online activities and telephone consultations were the main substitutes. Second year was a little better, but we never reached the previous level of face-to-face participants.
Right now, in Spain the authorities tell us the epidemic is near to become a soft disease, the number of hospitalized patients is going down and many patients have few symptoms, like a flu.
It was then that we open gladly our doors to the Group members but, to our surprise, quite painful surprise, the fear to Covid-19 was very present on the heads of many of them. Those patients who do not come again they confess the true to us. Trying to resolve the situation we phone them, asking them to come again, month after month. A lot of excuses (we can write an article about), but few attend again the sessions. More or less a third part of the previous numbers.
So, we are going to resume our task locking for new patients. The old one seems definitively lost.
What is the experience as regards in other Europa Uomo countries? If we share different experiences, we could find solutions for the new era post-Covid 19.