Immigrating with a long term condition

[Bulbasaur]

Hello!

I've been hunting around trying to get a good idea on how well it would work out for someone like me to stay in Japan (for a year or whatever, longer than two weeks preferably!).

Unfortunately, I have a life-long medical condition that requires me to regularly stock up on my medicines so I'm quite lost on the likelihood that I can even consider doing it. I am fully mobile and healthy despite this condition; people cannot tell I have it really unless they know me or witness me medicating on the off-chance if they don't. My condition does not have a cure.

I am not necessarily talking about staying in Japan for the rest of my life at this moment in time (though it would be nice to be able to confirm this possibility as well), but I want to find out enough so that if my partner and I wanted to go out there for a year for some work experience, how possible would it be for me to do it comfortably when it comes to the medical side of things?

I know have other things to look at (like visa, etc) but I will worry about those things later - this is the first huge hurdle for me because it will affect my day to day living.

The main resource I have looked at is this Live & Work in Japan Book. It has been a great source of information but I feel that I still don't understand what it involves for me on the health side of things.

I have never been on private care because I use the UK's public NHS Services. I do not fully understand how it works when getting hold of my vital-keep-me-alive medicines through the Japan system, eg, if I cannot buy them, do I suffer by going without until I can buy some more? If this happens, and I end up going into hospital, what happens to me?

I do understand that most get their medical insurance through their employment - is this still correct even now? Are there other options?

Obviously, some of this thinking is drastic sounding, but I have to consider these things as a vulnerable person.

From looking around on this forum, I see that most discussions that bring up long term health conditions are often regarding retirement or pensionable age future plans. This is of no use to me considering my condition is already present and I'm no where near retirement.

So here I am, I would be grateful for any experience or advice you can give me - or just having a discussion about it and what it means for anyone like me to do this move. I'd love it to be a helpful source of information for others like myself, even if the news is... heartbreaking.

Very many thanks in advance for your replies and taking the time to read this.

 

[FrustratedDave]

Your situation will entirely depend on what medications you will need and if they are approved here in Japan. So assuming that you can get the medication here your next problem will be getting a job that will have health benefits or ﾂ坂?倪?督ｯﾅ停?卍康窶｢ﾃ崘陳ｯas it is refereed to in Japanese. Now assuming you can get that your next step will be to get your current Doctor to write a referral, won't matter if it is in English as Doctors here are required to have understanding in English here (And I am not saying that all Doctors can "Speak" English, just they need to have understanding of it to pass the exams to be a Doctor)

BTW I am in the medical field here in Japan if you need any more advise.

 

[Mike Cash]

You need to find out if the medicines you require are available in Japan and learn about possible substitutes or equivalent brands, if necessary.

Being more forthcoming about what the condition is and what the medications are would probably help people answer your questions better; cryptic questions don't help others help you.

How often do you need to "stock up" on your medicines? I've never received more than a 28 day supply of even the most mundane prescription drugs here.

 

[FrustratedDave]

You need to find out if the medicines you require are available in Japan and learn about possible substitutes or equivalent brands, if necessary.
Being more forthcoming about what the condition is and what the medications are would probably help people answer your questions better; cryptic questions don't help others help you.
How often do you need to "stock up" on your medicines? I've never received more than a 28 day supply of even the most mundane prescription drugs here.

It is now the law that Doctors can not prescribe more than a months supply of meds without a consult, unfortunately.

 

[Glenski]

I do understand that most get their medical insurance through their employment - is this still correct even now? Are there other options?

Employers with over 5 people are obligated by law to offer shakai hoken (national health insurance plus pension plan) to FT employees.

If they don't, or if you have other arrangements for work (self-employment, e.g.) you can still get national health insurance, but of a different variety called kokumin kenko hoken (pension plan is separate).

What are your work plans? This is a bit vague:

I've been hunting around trying to get a good idea on how well it would work out for someone like me to stay in Japan (for a year or whatever, longer than two weeks preferably!).

 

[Bulbasaur]

Thank you all for your replies. I apologise for being vague about my condition but sometimes people, even doctors and nurses, get my condition confused so I thought I would see what the general attitude was towards long term conditions first.

I have Type 1 Diabetes, which means my body does not produce any insulin of it's own so I have to manually inject it myself many times a day to keep my blood sugar levels as stable as possible. I also have to do blood tests - many more than someone with the more common Type 2 Diabetic will need in comparison. How many tests or injections I do can vary from day to day because illness, exercise... well, generally living! On an typical and predictable day, I can blood test around 4 times a day and inject insulin 5 times a day (once each meal and two doses of "background" insulin).

The sort of things I need to restock are (off the top of my head):
2 boxes of 5 Levemir cartridges
2 boxes of 5 Humalog cartridges (3ml I think)
300 6mm pen needles
300 finger testing lancets
200 blood testing strips for my blood testing machine
20 ketone testing strips (I have a blood testing machine for this currently - because I'm not ill often, I don't have to stock them much)

These are totals that I can have without any problem with my doctor. As far as I'm aware, we do have a months worth restriction on the NHS so I must be well within the limit if the same applies in Japan.

If I had a lot more confidence that this health bit would work out okay, then I would start looking at my work options a lot more seriously. I am prepared to work hard towards this but I don't want to waste my time too!

Sorry about my short reply right now. Anything I missed now, I shall add in another reply.

Thanks all!

 

[undrentide]

Bulbasaur, there are also people who are diabetic in Japan (both type I and type II), and medication you've mentioned should be available from doctors without problem.
I did some quick research on the net, and found Levemir cartridges and Humalog cartridges are available.
http://www.dm-rg.net/1/002/02/010707/*Levemir cartridge 5th from the top, Humalog cartridge 2nd from the top

Also testing lancets
http://www.dm-rg.net/1/005/011005/Various testing strips
http://www.dm-rg.net/1/005/011002/
These are from "Diabetes Resource Guide Japan" and there are a lot more detailed information but they are all in Japanese.
I'm sure you'll be fine as far as you've got a referral from your doctor.
But medication can be very expensive if you are not under Japanese insurance system.

 

[nice gaijin]

Each time I go I see more and more advertisement for diabetic testing equipment... seems like a condition that's growing in popularity.

I'm kind of surprised you withheld your condition like it's something you don't feel comfortable sharing with us. I was about to respond with "yes, valtrex is readily available here."

 

[Bulbasaur]

Thanks for your helpful post undrentide! I'm so happy and relieved to get some confirmation that it may not be as much of a problem as both and my partner initally feared!

I am fully aware that diabetes as a whole is a very common problem across the world, so I would have been very surprised if my items were not avaliable at all. I was very concerned about how I go about getting hold of them consistantly but the pointers I've got this thread have been helpful to clear up some of the confusion! If we did decide to go and make plans either for a year or a future together there, I feel that maybe we can do it!

I will have a good look at that website you've linked to undrentide. Keeping in mind about insurance policies is a definite (it was also touched on in the book I was researching with), though the idea of getting a referral didn't pop into my head before this thread; it does make sense! Whenever I've visited Japan I've always had to have a note to get my medicines through in my hand luggage!

I have so much to research - may even have other questions but I cannot think of them right now! ^0^ Thanks you all for your help!