Introduction
Sarvs Falefitu is a 40year old NZ born, Auckland bred Samoan/ Niuean. Sarvs is mother to four teenagers (Kroydon 19 years, Denae 16 years, Kendra 14 years, Grayson 13 years) and has been married to her 'Samoan warrior' for 19 1/2 years.
I have breast cancer and so...
This blog has been created in the hopes that I could raise awareness of this 'evil influence that spreads dangerously', according to Collins English Dictionary, Compact Edition, to fundraise to cover the majority of my Herceptin treatment and hopefully this might help other women even in the tiniest way who might be living and dealing to breast cancer also.
I have Grade 2, HER2 positive type cancer and my cancer has moved away from the primary spot and invaded other parts of my body via my lymph vessels and blood vessels. Along with chemotherapy and radiotherapy I will also need Herceptin. NZ only funds Herceptin for 9 weeks but a full 12 months is recommended. I have opted to take the recommended 12 months and it will cost exactly $96,273.60. While some specialists are 'comfortable' with 9 weeks of Herceptin, I am not. I want to attend my teenagers graduations. I need to wave them goodbye when they go on their OE's. I wish to witness them all walk down the aisles, be present at the births of my grandchillens and finally do my big OE with my hubby too - of course without the grandchillens!!! Clearly I have far too much to live for and I implore anyone with time to please support my fundraisers or send any fundraising ideas our way.
Your support will make a lasting difference to my quality of life and I sincerely thank you all in advance for your love and support.
Accolades
Sarvs wishes to acknowledge the amazing staff at St Marks Clinic who at the early days of her breast cancer diagnosis helped and coached her through one of the darkest days of her life.Thank you Michelle, Beverley, Jenny, Tracey, the wonderful surgeons Stephen and Stan. Most importantly Sarvs would like to acknowledge 'Johnny' for having the foresight to establish a beautiful haven such as St Marks Clinic many years ago for women such as herself.
Breakdown of Herceptin costs
Since day dot Dr Mike McCrystal my oncologist has been apologetic of the horrendous Herceptin costs for HER2+ women. Nothing to apologise about Mike it is out of your hands and ours however look closely at what Pharmac and NZ Government are blissfully content in handing to a cancer patient and their loved ones -
Loading dose cost: (1 loading treatment)
Drug cost, delivery (+GST) 500mg $7018.65
Nursing $250.00
Medical $350.00
Consumables $35.00
Hospital charge $100.00
GST $969.20
Sub-total $8722.85 for loading dose at 8mg/kg
Maintenance dose cost: (13 maintenance treatments)
Drug cost, delivery (+GST) 370mg $5251.35
Nursing $250.00
Medical $350.00
Consumables $350.00
Hospital charge $100.00
GST $748.30
Total $6734.65 maintenance dose at 6mg/ kg
Overall total for full course: $96,273.60
So dealing with the diagnosis of breast cancer, losing a breast, having major surgery, being put through chemo treatment, being hospitalised 3 times, going through radiotherapy, getting through the remission period, dealing with the emotional side of this all and then having to fundraise endlessly for Herceptin do you think Pharmac or NZ Government have the right to play God with our lives?!!
I am FECing it now...
My cousin's wife Lizzie who is heavily pregnant was my companion for chemo cocktail number 4. It was a mini girls day out catching up in between flicking through gossip mags, munching on lollies and nuts, drinking coffee, laughing, texting, looking at photos and swapping hilarious hen's night stories - the normal things gals do when they get together except we're at the Cancer and Blood Services, Day Stay Oncology Unit. It was perfect that morning having Lizzie there as the morning started off badly. Soaking my arm in hot water twice I knew that it wouldn't be smooth sailing. The first attempt at finding a vein was very painful, it was like someone had crawled into my arm and was hammering the lure through my very thin collapsed vein with force; the second attempt was still painful except no lingering hammering. Fifteen minutes later we discover the saline isn't getting through my vein but we persevere because I didn't want another attempt at finding another. I should've just let Beth find another then as ten minutes after administering the first of five chemo syringes we have to stop, pull out the lure and call another nurse in to find another decent vein to be able to continue with the FECing regime. They have a unwritten law in oncology, two attempts only and then call another nurse. The second nurse Roz strikes it lucky on the first attempt and finally I can get FECing.For the FEC regime, there's three syringes of Fluorouracil (red drug), then two syringes of Epirubicin (clear drug) . These drugs are manually administered very slowly by Beth via the lure. It's then finished off with a full bag of Cyclophosphamide which is done via IV. I belched through most of the chemo which I found out was normal with this regime..so lady like, NOT!Immediately after I literally felt drunk (or drugged), the fatigue and the nausea settled in and each time I would get up I was dizzy. This continued through to day two.Premeds are taken slightly different with this regime too. Day two after chemo you start your lovely array of steriods and continue for four days. I feel like a high as a kite African elephant calf climbing the walls (ghastly sight and of course absolutely impossible but never under estimate the effects of steriods...!). Tomorrow I will probably be a depressed calf stomping round throwing my weight around (and there is a lot of that lately). Day after that I will be moody as heck and everyone will want to avoid me and then I will start getting all paranoid and start crying that nobody loves me anymore...blah blah blah. Then the day after that I will probably be as high as a kite, slightly depressed, moody as heck, paranoid and an absolutely exhausted FECing woman going through chemo - all this on top of the fatigue, nausea and dizziness. I could be wrong....we play it by ear but I am mean who FECing knows.
My cousin's wife Lizzie who is heavily pregnant was my companion for chemo cocktail number 4. It was a mini girls day out catching up in between flicking through gossip mags, munching on lollies and nuts, drinking coffee, laughing, texting, looking at photos and swapping hilarious hen's night stories - the normal things gals do when they get together except we're at the Cancer and Blood Services, Day Stay Oncology Unit. It was perfect that morning having Lizzie there as the morning started off badly. Soaking my arm in hot water twice I knew that it wouldn't be smooth sailing. The first attempt at finding a vein was very painful, it was like someone had crawled into my arm and was hammering the lure through my very thin collapsed vein with force; the second attempt was still painful except no lingering hammering. Fifteen minutes later we discover the saline isn't getting through my vein but we persevere because I didn't want another attempt at finding another. I should've just let Beth find another then as ten minutes after administering the first of five chemo syringes we have to stop, pull out the lure and call another nurse in to find another decent vein to be able to continue with the FECing regime. They have a unwritten law in oncology, two attempts only and then call another nurse. The second nurse Roz strikes it lucky on the first attempt and finally I can get FECing.
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