Decision is Made....

I met with the oncology team in London this past week, the verdict? Simple, stay in Canada. Their position is quite different from that of the other oncology team here in Windsor. Which for me and my care giver was mind boggling. The much anticipated meeting to discuss my care was long and exhausting. Unfortunately most of my questions were thought of after I left the office and had a chance to digest all their information...grrr.

The thing I learned is that even in medicine there are politics and red tape. Here in Ontario we have a very small (but renowned I might add) research team that deals specifically with Neuroendocrine tumours. The funding for the research into treating or curing this disease is hard to come by. Now if my oncology team that also does research sends me out of the country then it may make them look bad and jeopardize their research funding.....perhaps. The other reality is that cancer research dollars raised in this country is predominately for “popular” cancers. Rare cancers that have a high mortality rate are not a priority. Cancers as rare as mine... (most die shortly after diagnoses), and the numbers are so low that there is no motivation, “pharmaceutical” wise to develop a drug to treat or cure. 


Cynically put...there is no profit for the drug companies to research and develop expensive drugs for a few patients; there is no return on their money.... Health care is a business. Try and tell me different. If it wasn’t, there would be no one in this country paying for their own medications or going without because they couldn’t afford their treatment.

I am a true believer in Health Care regardless of income. Each and every citizen of this country should have a right to health care, drugs and treatments for illness. If our country does not provide a critical service that an individual requires for survival, our government should pick up the expense and send that patient to where the treatment is. My opinion? Yes, and if you were a patient that required a critical service you would say the same thing as me.

So back to my decision.... I am not doing surgery, as bad as I want this shit out of me...I am taking a different route. For the next 90 days I will be taking a drug; an inter muscular injection (chemo)that will suppress tumour growth and reduce the symptoms caused by my cancer. The tumours that I have growing in my liver in particular secrete a hormone that makes me quite ill. This drug will NOT cure me but it will supposedly suppress the hormone secretion. This has happened in 50% of the patients that have used this drug. I have opted to try this first. Each month I will be scanned to have the tumours measured to see if in fact the drug is suppressing the growth. I will also have access to a care access nurse who will monitor my symptoms, weight, diet and diabetes. I will begin a physical regime to help develop my muscle mass and to help me maintain a healthy weight.

This 90 day period will allow me to prepare myself for my trip to Switzerland if I so choose to. This next 90 day period is a crazy time for my children as well; proms, graduation and milestone birthdays. I am wanting to be here in Canada for that, and I am sure me being present for all of this will do good things to my mind. The children need me here as well. Mindset is key to beating this disease. I will begin this treatment next week. I know it will not cure me, but right now if I can have a functional daily routine I will take it. I am looking forward to trying this, as I am leaving no stone unturned. I am willing to go anywhere and try anything! I just love me that much.lol
~Christine~