Day 18 - Please Sir, May I have some more ?


W 0.1 / N 0 / H 74 / P 14

Yikes, Big Drop !  Too much exercise ;)

Got a bag of platelets today, and one bag of blood, since there was not enough time to squeeze in the second.

The kids were at Gran and Papa's last night (Thank You !), so Sonja was able to spend the night at the lodge since the space was available now that my roommate is out in another room.

We went up to the mall to get some diner for Sonja, and then headed back to the room.  A little tour of the place, and a meet and greet with the guests I am familiar with, and then back to the room to eat and relax (the low hemoglobin was hitting me).  I managed to download the episode of The Office we both missed, and we watched that, and turned in for the night.

Sonja got to experience the cafeteria food this morning, but much to my dismay they managed to cook up the rare provision of hash-browns pretty good today.  Now it seems I am being too picky.  Prison food probably tastes pretty good on the day the Media is visiting too.

Once again, I had to beg for my injection.  Beg is pretty strong, but yes, I had to go through the same rigamarole about not being able to pay for it, etc.

I know that there are many people who have come forward saying that they could help with getting the drug, but it's about the principal more then anything right now.  This is not an experimental drug or anything, and it is not some new cutting edge stuff.

I refuse to pay for this.  We either have Universal Health Care, or we don't.  I may have family and friends that can help me out, but what if I didn't ?  Even with a very good extended medical program (Insurance On Insurance) they only cover 80%, so that's still $640 that has to go away.

Sonja could go be a Substitute teacher for a few days, and we could make the extra $640, but then the government would just take the $640 off of the Social Assistance funds we get.  We are not even allowed to dispose of any assets to pay for the drugs.

It's not the same in every province.  In quite a few provinces, prescription drugs are just paid for - no questions asked.  In a few it's worse.

Again, I will beg each day they need me too.  It is wrong on principal, and wrong in cost logistics (prevention is cheaper then fixing) for them to make anyone pay for this.

Cost prevention is critical to keep everything running.  I don't waste my drugs, and any leftovers I carry over to the next round.   I agree with the Doctor having to get special approval and needing to explain why it is needed for my case, but for this, the drug is simply outright not covered unless I am in the hospital.

As the nurse said today, "it's just that we have to take from our emergency supply for other patients", to which I responded "Then don't give it to me, since I obviously DON'T need it"

They gave me my injection.

Comments

Jasmyne said…
We had to get the GCSF for Justin too. 7 shots every two weeks for 14 cycles = expensive!!! It cost us $650 every two weeks.

I have been following along your blog. Sonja and I are birthday buddies and know each other from kidswap. My husband Justin was diagnosed with Cancer back in Feb and as since finished 14 cycles of chemo and is half way through radiation now with surgery still ahead.

I hope all continues to go well for you and that you will be free and clear after this last cycle!

Jasmyne
11/14/2009 9:59 PM
Dude said…
See, that's just wrong. This has financial drained us and our families already, and that is exactly what our system is supposed to prevent. There is nothing left - why do I now have to be made to beg on top of all this.

It's going to be $1200 just to stay here this month - more than our mortgage payment ! And that is only slightly more expensive then actually driving which I can't do anyway.

Social Assistance will not even let us get that extra money by selling stuff, or working, or by gift.
11/15/2009 12:04 AM
Al & Bren said…
Richard,

Unfortunately when health care patients became clients and the administration took over it became a business and a very rich business for a lot of CEO's and their counterparts. So now we all have to realize that it is not universal and we are going to have to put money away for extras or for life saving drugs. When my father had cancer he had to pay an huge amount of money for the cancer drug. My parents could not afford all of it and an arrangement was made but that was almost 30 yrs ago. When Al got sick we had to pay for the drugs and only way to make it cheaper was to buy all of it before the new year because the price was going up in the new year..and trust me $6000.00 was alot of money, however if Al had been in hospital or an inmate everything paid for...go figure!! so richard try to go to jail and then you might not be able to see your Tv from your bed but aleast everything is paid for!! heheh
11/16/2009 8:59 AM
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