7 February 2015 The next plan

It’s been a fairly quiet week at home, and so nice to be able to hop around, although I am finding myself using the wheelchair more and more as it puts less strain on my back. At least it means I can do things like peeling the potatoes or even making play dough for Play Group. While I still have a bit of a niggle from the lower back, most of my back pain is being well managed by the assortment of medication that I am on, for which I am very grateful.

It has been lovely to enjoy visits from ‘the locals’ and keep up to date with all the everyday things that are going on.

There’s also been visits at home from support staff from the hospital and some home care in the form of house-cleaning for the next few weeks. As I am unable to do this, it is a huge help that Brian doesn’t have to feel pressure to keep up with the house cleaning when he already has extra responsibilities to deal with.

On Thursday we had an appointment with the oncologist who visits Portland on a weekly basis, so it is very good that we don’t have to travel for these appointments.

This specialist is putting me onto a tablet which he says is not strictly chemotherapy but rather ‘targeted therapy’. I gather it is not quite as toxic as some forms of chemo, but it is certainly toxic enough, with the same precautions needed as with chemo. The tablet (for the medically minded) is called Pazopanib and it specifically targets renal cell carcinoma. When Brian collected it from the chemist he asked me how much I thought it cost. I guessed around the $100 mark, but was stunned when he showed me that the cost was actually $4,673.98 (for 1 month’s supply)!! The cost to us was $6.10, so I have to say thank you to you all for your contribution through your taxes!

The plan is that I will take a daily tablet for 3 months, then undergo tests to see how it has been working. If it has been containing the cancer, I will be sent off in April to St Vincent’s hospital in Melbourne for hip surgery.

So it is good again to have a new plan (I like plans!).

I expect to be at home during the next 3 months, and hopefully there won’t be too many side effects from this drug. I begin tomorrow morning, so we will see.