Health care to be grateful for

In light of all the RA flares I've been having post-op, I was scheduled an emergency treatment session of Rituximab infusions at the St. James Medical Complex. Yesterday was part 1 of these infusions. Part 2 will be 2 weeks from now. 

For those who aren't too keen on reading up on all the medical fa la la, Rituximab is essentially a 'smart' drug that's main purpose is to seek out and destroy the body's B cells. The B cells are a very important part of your immune system. With an autoimmune problem, these B cells may be attacking the wrong things (i.e you) so that's why the good doctors and scientists out there created something to 'kill them dead'.

There are so many different slants I can give this story from... I pondered on it for quite some time and blogged each one in my head. Even as I am typing this now, I am not sure which twist/version I'm going to tell. I think... I think... I would give the positive spin version. Here goes:

I don't think people really realise how fortunate we are here in Trinidad to be able to receive free medical care at our public hospitals. I quote:

Citizens can access free health care at public health care facilities where health insurance is not required... Public Healthcare is free to everyone in Trinidad and Tobago and is paid for by the Government and taxpayers (wiki) 

I am infinitely blessed to be able to have access to drugs such as this rituximab, at no cost to me. I verrrrryyyy rarely ever look at things for its monetary merit, but I just had to sit back and take in this moment and really really be thankful and appreciative.

The cost of a single course of rituximab is £3492 (two 1000-mg i/v infusions).

That right there is over TT$35,000 (and that's for a single course. Patients may have to do 2 courses a year to 1 every 2 years).

I also have 2 brand new titanium hips now... another thing done through our free medical system. A single hip replacement surgery costs between US$40,000 to US$60,000... that'll bring us up to approximately half a million TT$ I did not have to spend to do both surgeries.

So all in all, despite all the 'crap' I've had to go through medically over the years ... God knows that I was blessed to have family and friends like I do, live in a country like I do, with doctors like we have and be able to have these surgeries and treatments done without having to sell my soul, car, house and left kidney. 

All we had to do was pay our taxes and I am alive today. 

 

PS: I apologize for the 'gruesomeness' of the i.v. line pic but I couldn't help myself... it's just so bloody awesome! 

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