Best health system in the world?
Yes, that’s me laying on the radiation machine at the Peter Mac Cancer Centre just about to be nuked from both above and below.
The green laser beams are aligned with inked tatoos that they put on you so that they can relocate you exactly each time you receive the treatment. The alignment procedure takes about five minutes and the actual radiation is about five seconds top and bottom. There is no feeling associated with the treatment – all you hear is the buzz of the monster machine.
After the top has been done, the whole machine pivots on the wall and can be directed throughout the full 360 degrees to get to the area to be treated. (see next photo)
This is one of six machines at the clinic that are in full use every day. They have more machines at Box Hill, Monash and elsewhere that are kept just as busy.
And, you know, this treatment costs you nothing – as does the daily transport to and from the clinic by ambulance – or the accommodation required for your stay in the city.
Show me another country where terminal or chronic illness is treated by the government’s national health scheme without out-of-pocket costs to the patient. A friend, who spent many years living in the US was telling me today that she was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack. After an overnight stay and being told it was a false alarm, she was sent home with a bill for some thousands of dollars.
100 not out
Whilst we are down in Melbourne for radiation treatment at the Peter McCallum Cancer Institute, we took the opportunity to visit my fathers sister, Lorna, the last survivor of my fathers generation. She turned 99 last July and is so fit and well she will undoubtedly outlive me.
Widowed seven years ago, she now lives in a retirement unit but still cares for herself in every way – she even takes the empty dinner dishes back to the kitchen.
Lorna has fought off a couple of cancers, including having a breast removed, and is currently working on a melanoma on the side of her nose. Is she complaining? – not bloody likely! Her mind is as sharp as can be and she shows no signs of boredness or frustration.
She is a lovely old lady that makes you feel good just being around her.
My Fight: An old friend has a sad ending
The couple in this photo, Mary and Arthur Oliaris, were the owners of the “El Greco” coffee lounge in Balwyn back in the 1960′s. Back then, hotels closed at 6 pm and did not provide any facilities for our younger people. The local coffee lounge was the place to meet friends and Mary and Arthur were accepted as friends and mentors to us all.
This photo was taken in the mid 1980′s when we held a reunion of all the ex-teenagers we could find after a hiatus of around 20 years. That would be another 25 years to bring us up to date. (2011)
As I am 69 and these folk were older, Arthur would probably be approaching 80 years of age if he were still alive.
One of our teenage colleagues, Neil Morris, met Mary last year and was told the unfortunate story of Arthur’s passing. Another victim of prostate disease, Arthur had reached an incontinence level where he had to be on top of the toiletry situation. Out on an errand, he stopped off at a public toilet in a busy location, and subsequently suffered an attack of some kind.
Later in the night, an alert was put out as Arthur had been declared missing. It was some 24 hours before help arrived but it was too late … he was already deceased. Apparently, users of the facility assumed him to be just another drunk or substance abuser and simply stepped over him – not one of them was prepared to get involved and see if this old man/stranger needed any help.
Nobody deserves to be deserted on their death bed like Arthur was. We still remember him with a lot of respect.
My Fight: The significance of PSA readings
PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen is a protein which is secreted into ejaculate fluid by the healthy prostate. One of its functions is to aid sperm movement. Normally, only very low levels of the enzyme are able to enter the blood stream. However, because in cancer the normal structure of the tissue is disrupted, considerably more PSA is able to leak into the blood stream, and for this reason, a raised level of PSA in blood (or serum) can indicate the presence of prostate cancer.
The PSA level in a healthy man should register between 0 and 4 as determined by a blood test. One test does not make a diagnosis and the validity of the test itself is currently being questioned by the medical profession. A reading above the normal range is cause for investigation of potential prostate cancer.
I was diagnosed (April 2008) with an aggressive (Gleason score 9), stage 4 (terminal) tumour which had escaped the prostate and had developed tumours in the skeleton (metastases) with the only treatment available being palliative. At this stage, my PSA measured around 1,000.
Over the next nine months, androgen deprivation treatment (Zolodex + Androcur) brought me to remission with a reading of 0.6. The objective of this hormone therapy is to reduce the production of testosterone which is billed as the food supply of the tumour. First time around, it worked as anticipated although I reacted badly to the treatment destroying my quality of life. One often hears that the treatment for cancer can be worse than the disease itself. After that treatment, I agree with that belief.
In July 2009, my pain receptors were reset with ketamine (a detox program) and the remission lasted til the new year (2010) when the PSA readings began their inevitable rise again. The androgen deprivation was started again but this time it could not prevent the PSA progressing from 3 in Feb 2010, to 15, to 40, to 53, to 75, to 115, to 214, peaking at 957 at the end of July 2011.
So, how high can the PSA reading go and what are the consequences? Extensive inquiry indicates that the ever increasing level indicates the relative activity of the tumor which continually grows inside the body until all the available space is taken up. At that point, the tumor will likely attack the vital organs (liver, lungs, etc) but more importantly will consume all the nutrients that are taken in effectively starving the rest of the body which will wither and die. In my case, the bone cancer (metastases) has degraded my bones which appear to be ‘moth eaten‘ as shown on CT scans with the left hip bone socket fractured without any event having taken place. With the potential for fracture being like that, one has to remember not to move suddenly in case another bone gives out.
Obviously, this restricts my movements and threatens to cripple me if my bones can break that easily. The accepted treatment for this condition is the regular infusion of ZOMETA which can strengthen the integrity of the bones. One of the side effects can cause lockjaw if ones teeth are not healthy. Consequently, I have been to the dentist to have this checked out. To my pleasant surprise, I qualified for the federal Government dental program for chronically ill patients and have been able to undergo over $3,000 worth of dental procedures giving me access to the Zometa procedure should it become necessary.
Common side effects for patients with multiple myeloma and bone metastases due to solid tumors include bone pain, nausea, fatigue, anemia, fever, vomiting, constipation, shortness of breath, diarrhea, weakness, muscle pain, anorexia, cough, joint pain, lower-limb swelling, worsening of your cancer, headache, dizziness (excluding vertigo), insomnia, decreased weight, back pain, numbness/tingling, and abdominal pain. These side effects are listed regardless of any potential association with the medications used in registration studies of ZOMETA in bone metastases patients. So once again, one has to ask, is the treatment worse than the condition? How do make such critical decisions?
The most recent blood test (Oct 2011) returned a PSA reading of 440 which is a reduction of more than half that of that three months earlier. What caused the drop? The doctors are not prepared to speculate because I have not been on any treatment program designed to reduce the level of testosterone – they have nothing to hang their hats on. From where I stand, I suggest it could be related to the radiation I had in early June successfully destroying some of the tumour or the progesterone cream might have contributed to the decline. It doesn’t really matter … what is important is the reduction itself. If the continuing rise in PSA is a bad sign, this reduction has to be a positive.
The Peter McCallum Cancer Institute operates to the “World’s Best Practice” and every patient is offered the gold standard treatment for the category of the disease being treated. But then, some of us stretch the limits until the successes we may have achieved are then incorporated into the gold standard.
As part of that world’s best practice, the oncologist at Peter McCallum wanted me to return to the androgen deprivation program in an effort to slow down the spread of the cancer. He suggested that I might get an extra month or even two added to my longevity. So I asked the question, “Would that be an extra couple of months of breathing … or playing football?” Unfortunately, the answer was breathing. I cannot justify compromising the quality of life that I had to fight so hard for (when I was on the hormone therapy before) for the possibility of ‘breathing’ for an extra couple of months. At this time, I have refused this offer of treatment.
Having explained the loss of quality of life I had undergone on the androgen deprivation program, the oncologist volunteered the comment that palliative chemotherapy rarely benefits the patient as the side effects are so severe – and the hormone therapy is a chemical (chemo) process.
AGED CARE FAIL: Will you let your parents die of neglect?
Google Aged-Care in the news but be surprised for an avalanche of disheartening stories where not only are our aged being mistreated, but in many cases being neglected to the point of death … and no one is being held accountable. It really has come down to this!
Over the three years of terminal cancer diagnosis, I have been a great advocate of our national health system that has not let me down throughout my illness. It is so much better than anything the United States can offer but it is far from perfect.
Here is a small collection from today’s news services that represents three unnecessary deaths and a couple of other stuffups that our aged have to tolerate every day. Will you wait until it happens to your parents before you take this issue seriously?
Woman dies of heart attack while strapped to toilet
A Victorian coroner has called for better education for aged care staff after an 89-year-old woman died while strapped to a toilet.
Elderly lady’s death ‘tragic and distressing’
The SA coroner says an elderly woman who was under her daughter’s care need not have died in the way she did.
Barbara Piro died at her Plympton home in 2008 while her daughter was in the United States.
Patient died after ‘harsh’ treatment
South Australia’s Coroner has found staff at an Adelaide nursing home were harsh and unsympathetic towards a dementia patient who died after being heavily sedated.
- 96yo wins right to stay in Australia
Posted | Updated
An ailing 96-year-old British woman has won the right to stay in northern Tasmania with her only surviving relatives.
Free Live Music in Euroa
On the first Sunday every month, the Middle Pub at Euroa has a great Jam Session where local musicians come along and play from 4 pm onwards.
Of course, the pub soon fills with those of us who appreciate live music created in our midst.
The bass player Jan (Yahn) is the local music teacher and there were no less than three of his pupils playing tonight including his youngest student seen her making her show biz debut completely lacking in nerves … a true little professional.
Jan on bass, Neale Watson on guitar and Gary on the drums form the basic three piece blues band that starts the afternoon off. Soon, the amateur musos start arriving with their saxaphones, trombones and guitars. To complete the picture we have a few local girls, including one of my visiting district nurses providing both backup and solo singing performances. It truly is a great evenings free entertainment. Why don’t you come along some time
Bob Brown … devil’s advocate?
I have had a gutful of Bob Brown today. I woke up to hear him spruking on behalf of gay marriage and then, by lunchtime, he was criticising the government over the refugee swap program. lets look at each of these ideas separately.
Gay Marriage
I have no problem with Bob Brown being gay – that is his choice – but I protest his determination to advance the concept of marriage for gay partners. He will not marry his partner if gay marriage is legalised in Australia – an event the party founder has predicted will occur in the Gillard government’s first term.
As a married man, with grandchildren, I give thanks to the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. Marriage is a religious rite between a man and a woman that is enshrined in civil law throughout the world. Historically. marriage is the accepted/preferred union for the procreation of our species and is still enshrined in civil law.
Without procreation, society withers and dies. Those in gay unions cannot make a valid contribution to the survival of the species. Don’t give me the crap about gay couples producing children by surragacy which is still against Australian law.
I am offended by the very idea of two men – or two women – being granted the equality of recognition of marriage that is currently reserved for the union between man and woman … as it should be.
Refugee Swap with Malaysia.
Bob Brown claimed the Greens to be the “humanitarian party” and criticised the “two major parties” for being hellbent on exporting Australia’s problem with refugees arriving by boats to other countries. Whilst I agree that the Australian Government has walked away from it’s responsibility all the way back through the Howard years.
However, when asked if he would bring down the Gillard Government over this issue, he said no because it would mean the ascension of the demon Abbott to become Prime Minister.
How can he be genuine to his beliefs if he rails against the inhumanity of the Gillard Government sending unattached children to Malaysia and not be prepared to do anything about it whilst he holds the balance of power in our government.
Record your religeon on 2011 Census
There have been recent attempts by Muslim clerics to convince politicians that Sharia Law should be introduced into the Muslim community in Australia. Experience gained overseas shows us that attempts would then be made to spread the influence of Sharia law beyond the Islamic community as Muslims gain a greater voice in society. There should only be one law for all people in Australia.
Two protest groups have been formed to contest the religion question on the census – one seeking to deny God – the other to argue that Australia must declare it’s Christianity in the face of the onslaught of the Islam faith as practiced by Australia’s one million Muslims. Following either path will be a manipulation of the census results because people will be making choices based on fear rather than fact. If, in fact, Australia is losing it’s Christian heritage, it is important to know so that people’s belief systems can be better understood.
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IMPORTANT AUSTRALIA WILL BE HOLDING A CENSUS ON 9th AUGUST 2011. DO NOT LEAVE THE “RELIGION” SECTION BLANK. BE SURE TO AT LEAST TICK CHRISTIAN (OR THE FAITH IN WHICH YOU WERE RAISED). 1,000,000 MUSLIMS WILL TICK THEIR BOX. MILLIONS OF AUSTRALIANS WILL LEAVE IT BLANK THEN WONDER WHY THE FOLLOWERS OF ISLAM ARE HAVING A DISPROPORTIONATE VOICE IN AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY. AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY DOESN’T need SHARIA LAW TO BE INTRODUCED IN ANY FORM. AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY DOESN’T WANT UN-AUSTRALIAN ISLAMIC CUSTOMS TAKING HOLD IN AUSTRALIA. PLEASE DO NOT INDICATE “NO RELIGION” OR LEAVE THE SECTION BLANK UNLESS YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AT ALL. Politicians will be influenced by Census data Please pass this on to all your friends |
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For further information on this section of the 2011 Census please follow the link below |
SATIRE: Is anything Australian Made?
A challenge … How many Australian made items can you find in your home?
John Smith started the day early having set his (JAPANESE) alarm clock for 6 am. While his coffeepot (from CHINA) was perking, he shaved with his Electric razor (made in HONG KONG). He put on a (SRI LANKAN made) dress shirt, designer jeans (from SINGAPORE) and Tennis shoes (made in KOREA).
After cooking his breakfast in his new (INDIAN made) electric skillet, he sat down with his Calculator (made in MEXICO) to see how much he could spend today. After setting his Watch (made in TAIWAN) to the radio (made in INDIA), He got in his (EUROPEAN) car, filled it with GAS (from SAUDI ARABIA) and continued his search for a good paying (AUSTRALIAN) job.
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his computer (made in MALAYSIA), John decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (made in BRAZIL), poured himself a glass of (FRENCH) wine and turned on his (ASIAN made) TV and then wondered why he can’t find a good paying job (in AUSTRALIA).
He is now hoping he can get some help from the government who are going to create even more jobs overseas with a carbon tax designed to destroy ever more Australian jobs because it is in the natural interest according to our Prime Minister (who was made in WALES).
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Greg’s Garden
When visitors see the productivity of our vegetable garden, they cannot understand how we can get such results when I am so ill. The photo above was taken on 1st August and shows broccoli ready to harvest along with lots of fancy lettuce in the foreground, french shallots in the middle of the bed with Pak Choi going to seed surrounded by a ring of cauliflower … there is no bare space available – not even for weeds.
The bed was set out in early march with three rows of strawberry plants from last season interspersed with lettuce seeds also from last years garden. Down the middle of the bed, small french shallot bulbs from last year were planted into three rows followed by three rows of snow peas which failed miserably. Cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli seedlings were purchased in a punnet.
The secret to this success is entirely due to the previous owner building the bed and filling it with three parts pig poo to one part topsoil. It is the most nutrient rich garden I have ever had. The excess of pig poo is the reason why the peas failed. Their leaves just curl up and wither. Beans react in the same manner.
We are growing much more than we can be expected to eat so we give some to any sucker that comes our way simply to get some space to throw a few more seeds at the garden bed. The lettuce will soon have to be removed to allow next seasons crop of strawberries hiding in there somewhere to see the light
