Tuesday 5 April 2011

The First Post

So what is in store for me today? First stop is a trip to the hospital for some blood tests, they keep telling me I'm anemic but keep removing blood, you work it out, they don't seem to be able to make the connection. Then it is off for the weekly hell that is Tesco's. Actually this isn't as bad as it could be. My job allows me time off in the week to hit the shops so I rarely have to battle with the Saturday crowds. I've become addicted to Tomato juice lately, which is rather worrying, so I will be stocking up on that. Then it is back home to take one of the 9, yes that is 9 not a misprint, inhalations I have to do everyday. It used to be 6, wow, but recent events have pushed it up temporarily while the medics try and work out yet another drug regime for me. Not sure how this is going to pan out at work but as it is only temporary they might be OK with it.

The choices I have are simple, or would seem so on the surface. The preferred option is to add a drug to my already vast intake, however the PCT are kicking up a stink about this as they do not like anyone having more than one expensive drug at at time. At the moment my main drug costs £50,000 per year. To add another will cost around another £20,000. The PCT do not want to pay this. The second option, and to be honest the most likely because of cost, is to swap my inhaled meds for intravenous ones. Now this option costs roughly the same as the one I'm on now so the PCT shouldn't object, however for me it means having a thin tube inserted under my collarbone and into one of the main blood vessels to the heart and having this tube attached to an electric pump 24/7. Not MY first option by any means. The choice unfortunately is out of my hands, and also out of my medical teams hands as the decision will be based solely on cost and not necessarily what is best for me. Makes you sick, excuse pun, doesn't it?

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