What is Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma (also known as MM, myeloma, plasma cell myeloma, or as Kahler's disease after Otto Kahler) is a type of cancer of plasma cells, immune system cells in bone marrow ...
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REVLIMID in Australia
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Just to let you all know that Revlimid has now been put on the PBS in Australia making it 'affordable' for most people. However, from what I have been told there will be no more Revlimid given to patients on 'compassionate grounds'. I have been on it for over 4 years now and it has been a miracle which has certainly kept me alive! I have been truly blessed and hope that others get the same results as I have had. I believe that the reason that it has worked so well is because I am on such a low dose -- 10mg, taken with aspirin and no dex. I had hideous side effects from all the other chemo's, but being unsuitable for a transplant I had to try each and every drug until we found the one that worked best for me -- and Revlimid has been that drug!! i pray that this continues for many many years to come. Best wishes to all, Cath
Posted on 10/31/09, 12:10 am |
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great my husband just completed his first round of revlimid and will be tested on cancer growth this week i am paying that it helps - 
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My thoughts and prayers are with you -- and I sincerely hope that his numbers will drop dramatically!! As long as he is not having serious side effects, then all should go well and continue to do so for quite some time. Keep having monthly blood tests, monitor any aches and pains, just to catch any sneaky blood clots, see your oncologist regularly and hopefully this will be the magic bullet that I have had -- best wishes to you both, Cheers, Cath
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ty cath i will let you know!
bunny
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Yesterday I just finished my second month of Revlimid/dex. Very minimal side effects, especially after about 3 weeks. The dex seems to be making me more and more energetic on the monday that I take it...and difficulty sleeping that night, but all in all, I'd love to stay on Revlimid if it keeps doing it's work.
Not a political question but out of interest...if you do not have insurance in the US, would you get treated differently than if you have insurance? Anybody know? I have to say that my insurance company is treating me way, way better than I anticipated.
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why would you be thinking that you will have to stop taking the revlimid??
I just get a new prescription every month with no thought to ever giving it up. In fact, when I spoke with one of the top Australlian Oncologists who specialises in MM, he said I shouldn't change a thing!! And that I should continue taking it with no thought to maintenance therapy or anything else. Stick with what you are doing as you are getting such fantastic results!! I agree with him and so I continue. Who cares if I ultimately become immune to Rev -- I have faith that there will be something else which I can ultimately use. In answer to your second question, I believe that the US is the same as Australia -- Insurance 'talks' and if you have it you get quicker servicel Here you can go into a hospital through the emergency service, be treated as a public patient and not have to pay for your treatment OR you can tell them that you have insurance and be treated immediately by the doctor of your choice. In the 'public' system you are assigned the doctor who is doing 'duty' that day. However if you are in a country hospital, often the duty doctor is the same as the doctor that you will see if you pay privately!! Funny system, but it seems to work quite well. I always had private insurance when I lived in the US, and I have it here now, but I don't always use it. I tend to pull it out if I'm in a situation where I need to WAIT for treatment and I'm in pain. then I'll say, hey I'm a private patient and people start to move very quickly to solve my problems. Of course, I then have to pay the first $200 dollars, but then the rest of the treatment tends to be covered. Whereas if I'm treated as a 'public' patient I don't have to pay for anything. Regardless of whether I'm public or private I have nothing but praise for all the medical staff that I have dealt with over these past 6 years since being diagnosed with multiple myeloma!! They have all been fantastic people and we are blessed to have them in our systems. Good luck to you, I hope that you are able to get the answers that you are seeking. cheers, Cath in australia
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