Sunday, 1st November 2009 - 09:54CET
Cancer victim spends €200 a month on medicines
Sonia Camilleri, 44, has to pay €200 a month for pain killers after her leg was amputated.
A woman who lost her leg to cancer must pay €200 a month from her own pocket for medicines that she will need for the rest of her life.
Sonia Camilleri, a 44-year-old mother-of-two, has to take phantom pain killers to remove the sensations in her right leg, which was amputated last April after she was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer.
"Sometimes I get pins and needles or pain in my knee, or even itching. It feels like my leg is still there," she said.
Moreover, these feelings can give her a false sense of security if she tries to use her leg, making the pain killers a necessity.
But Ms Camilleri was shocked to discover, after surgery in the UK, that she had to pay €95 every two weeks, apart from having to buy several other drugs which she needs for a short time.
"I do not mind having to pay for medicines which I will only need for now, but I am going to need the painkillers for the rest of my life, and I do not know whether I will be able to afford them in future," she said.
Ms Camilleri had to give up her job as a sales assistant and now relies on her husband's salary. Her trauma started on February 14, when after a Valentine's Day dinner with her husband, two children and their partners, she started feeling a throbbing pain to the left of her abdomen.
"I do not normally make a fuss, but I was so scared that I went to hospital," she said.
After waiting five hours at the Emergency Department, Ms Camilleri was seen by a doctor, who assured her that everything was fine after examining her and ordering an X-ray.
When the pain persisted, moving towards the middle of her abdomen and even affecting her ability to walk, Ms Camilleri took some blood tests, which also came up negative.
However, she was soon to discover that the original X-ray had revealed a lesion on her pelvis. A radiologist ordered a CT scan, which showed a tumour wrapped around her pelvic bone and right thigh.
It was then that Ms Camilleri was told she needed to go abroad for surgery, and although the word amputation was mentioned, she was not told she was going to lose her leg.
"The doctor told me that the tumour was localised and had not spread. In that panic I kept thinking that I wanted to live, even if it meant losing my leg," she said.
"I was praying for God to take my leg and keep me alive. I wanted to live for my children and my husband," she said, bursting into tears.
In April, days after her 44th birthday, Ms Camilleri flew to the UK's Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital with her husband and sister for the five-hour operation that removed her right leg, including her hip bone.
After six weeks at the UK hospital, she returned to Malta in June but was disappointed to find out that the drugs she required were not free.
According to a spokesman for the Health Parliamentary Secretariat, malignancy is included in the Schedule V, the list of conditions that entitles patients to free medicines. However, amputation, for which Ms Camilleri needs the pills, is not listed on this schedule, leading to confusion. "After the entire trauma, and having accepted losing my leg, it was a big blow to find out I have to pay for the pills," she said.
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Comments
Sure she's (unfortunately) suffering from a rare bone cancer but the medicine shes taking does not solely ease the pain for her disease; its also used for epilepsy and multiple sclerosis(when medicine has more than one function its generally cheaper) Neurontin is general neuropathic drug, strain-Gabapentin, it has a lot of side effects of paranoiac and suicidal tendancies.
If she's going to spend 200 euro a month on one medicine there are way safer and better drugs that her doctor can prescribe that are not supplied by those nasty people at Pfizer (whom I often get annoying spam from)
OK you have clarified that there is a confusion on the scheduling. You can humanely and clearly see that Sonia Camilleri is in dire need of this expensive medication. In the name of all Tax Payers cut the crap and immediately grant Sonia her much needed prescribed pain killers, then sort out your Secretariat's internal scheduling "confusion" ! This woman and her family have suffered something than none of us ever wish on us or our loved ones. Get your priorities right for heavens' sake !
Il-fatt li int tkellimt diga irbaht ftit mill problema ghax tkellimt. Il-Bambin mieghek u mal-familja.
I have nothing more to say, except we all share your sorrow.
Finally I have seen other patient who managed to passed through this, through pain though,but if Mrs Camilleri has the will she eventually pass through it.
They have absolutely NO right to confiscate her medication or anything you import from another EU country (except drugs etc) because of the freedom of movement of goods and services. Your friend should complain to the EU Representation in Malta and the EU Commission in Brussels and sue the customs authorities. They have been sued on other issues before and lost their cases including in appeals. SO COMPLAIN AND SUE THEM.
If anyone meets such instances at customs tell them straight away that they cannot do it and that you are going to complain to the EU Commission and holding them personally responsible. They should not be able to hide behind their uniform when they take such distasteful and arrogant decisions and illegalities.
I totally agree with your comments, and thank you for supplying the Webs addresses, HOWEVER a friend of mine bought generic medication over the internet, due to the cost of them in Malta, and she recieived a letter from the Customs asking her to contact them, upon contacting them she found that her parcel had been opened (which of course they are allowed to do) they told her, "you can buy the same medication in Malta" her argument was they are too expensive in Malta. They confiscated the medication. So for anyone buying medication over the internet BEWARE. You could have them confiscated.
I would like to offer some advice which my physios offered me at the time. It is to rub the stump with her hand as much as possible, The explanation being, that it sort of makes the nerves realise that the leg is not there any more. So maybe this will help in reducing these pains. I know each case is different but hopefully this will help
I would like to tell this woman to have courage. It is a long road but if you are a fighter you will win. I am still working, travelling, driving and leading an independent life. So good luck and hope my litte advice helps
Prices on the internet are much cheaper (half the price) both for the Neurontin and the generic Gabapentin. What I suggest is that the first person you know who goes abroad on holiday ask him to bring you a year's supply. Please note that the prices are half those quoted in Malta and these include shipping and other charges because it is a prescription drug. So if you buy it from a pharmacy abroad it would be really cheaper.
http://www.pharmacychecker.com/Pricing.asp?DrugName=Gabapentin&DrugId=18810&DrugStrengthId=30675
http://www.pharmacychecker.com/Pricing.asp?DrugName=Neurontin&DrugId=19059&DrugStrengthId=31061
So she should NOT pay for her medication. 200 euros a month is such a lot of money out of anyones pocket. She is not able to work, having to rely on her husbands wage, and still find 200 euros!!!!! The HEALTH PARLIMENTARY SECRETARIAT should be made to look at this case again and again until this lady gets the tablets FREE. Why is the Maltese goverment not looking after their nations health in a more sympathetic manner.