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Janey235's avatar
Janey235
Member
12 years ago

An Imperfect World!

Just a thought on the ridiculous nature of the pharmaceutical world. As some of you know I developed a blood clot in my calf after my surgery a couple if weeks ago and I'm now on daily clexane injections for three months. The dose of clexane I have to have is 120mls. But unlike in hospital, we can't get it in 120mls unless we pay around $236 for a pack of ten needles. Though we can get it in two parts, 100mls vials and 20 vials. These cost us $36 a pack of ten each. I am at a loss to know why! Seems illogical really. This means I would have to have two needles every time, one after the other every morning. Yuck! I was not looking forward to that at all. Some wake up hey! Fortunately I had my Herceptin infusion yesterday and I was talking about the clexane with the chemo nurse. She went away and came back with a huge bag full of empty vials and needles and said we can transfer the two clexane vials into one empty vial and only administer one needle. Yay! She showed my husband Ian how to do it and he did it this morning and it worked beautifully. Still stung but hey I didn't have to have another one straight afterwards. She also told us that the pre-packed clexane needles were quite blunt and that's why they hurt so much going in whereas the needles she gave us were sharp. I actually didn't feel it when Ian pushed it in, only the stinging when the liquid went in. Ian said if we are pulled up by the police on the way home and they found this huge bag full of needles, we'd end up behind bars LOL. One would think that the medical world would be trying to make it easier for the patients out there but yes I'm being delusional in thinking this aren't I. Obviously they don't care about anything other than how much money they can make. Oh well. We live in an imperfect world. Just wanted to get that off my chest (pardon the pun) Love Janey xxx
coping
surgery

4 Replies

  • Janey235's avatar
    Janey235
    Member
    12 years ago
    For sharing your story with me. I'm glad you are going to see Mich who seems like another lovely woman. Sorry I'm not able to meet you both. Maybe one day. Lots of love to you Mel. Janey xxx
  • Janey235's avatar
    Janey235
    Member
    12 years ago
    You poor darling. I feel like a woose complaining about ONE needle a day. I don't think I could do it twice a day! And my husband gives it to me as I couldn't give it to myself. He just did mine then and thank goodness for my chemo nurse giving us extra vials. After one needle, I couldn't do another one straight afterwards. Goodness, 18 months! Has your oncologist said when you'll be able to stop? I was freaked out when they originally told me 6 months but relieved when they said I'd have to take it initially for 3 and then have another scan to see how it's going. My script is for 3 boxes at a time so I guess that's not bad. Mel how are you going. I have read some of your posts and know that your journey has been a long one. I am sending you big hugs right now. Love Janey xxx
  • Melg's avatar
    Melg
    Member
    12 years ago
    What a bugger that is about your clexane I have taken clexane twice daily since being diagnosed with bilateral clots on my lungs days after my second chemo which is about 18months ago I am very fortunate that I need to take 80mg twice a day and my preloaded syringe comes in 80mg doses. Dosage is based on weight so I'm lucky in a way that it limits the choccie I get to eat as I don't want to put on weight and go up My gripe too is that the needles are shocking. I still can't jab myself so place the syringe on my stomach and slowly push it in... Still with my eyes shut as I still hate needles. Some times I can't break the skin so have to waste a syringe and start again. My other gripe is silly but after injecting twice a day its real. The bloody plastic on the packet never peels off easily and always ends up ripping andi have to break it with force to get at my needle. I think clexane is a lot easier than fiddling around with the glass vials of some of the other blood thinners in the market. My oncologist told me don't ever let anyone talk you into another blood thinner. Clexane is the best choice for cancer patients. I have had to swap over to others before surgery as clexane cannot be reversed if complications arise in surgery but it is easy to swap for a few weeks before any surgery. My oncologist gives me an authorisation for a larger supply of pre filled syringes as I was sick if going to the chemist every two weeks. Ask your oncologist if they can do that for you I get 4 boxes per script now All the best Mel xxx
  • Melg's avatar
    Melg
    Member
    12 years ago
    What a bugger that is about your clexane I have taken clexane twice daily since being diagnosed with bilateral clots on my lungs days after my second chemo which is about 18months ago I am very fortunate that I need to take 80mg twice a day and my preloaded syringe comes in 80mg doses. Dosage is based on weight so I'm lucky in a way that it limits the choccie I get to eat as I don't want to put on weight and go up My gripe too is that the needles are shocking. I still can't jab myself so place the syringe on my stomach and slowly push it in... Still with my eyes shut as I still hate needles. Some times I can't break the skin so have to waste a syringe and start again. My other gripe is silly but after injecting twice a day its real. The bloody plastic on the packet never peels off easily and always ends up ripping andi have to break it with force to get at my needle. I think clexane is a lot easier than fiddling around with the glass vials of some of the other blood thinners in the market. My oncologist told me don't ever let anyone talk you into another blood thinner. Clexane is the best choice for cancer patients. I have had to swap over to others before surgery as clexane cannot be reversed if complications arise in surgery but it is easy to swap for a few weeks before any surgery. My oncologist gives me an authorisation for a larger supply of pre filled syringes as I was sick if going to the chemist every two weeks. Ask your oncologist if they can do that for you I get 4 boxes per script now All the best Mel xxx