‘Welcome to my Catch-22: where a simple ground-floor flat might save my life’
EACH WEEK, UNTIL HE TAKES HIS LIFE AT A SWISS SUICIDE CLINIC ON JUNE 15, THE SUNDAY HERALD IS PUBLISHING COLIN CAMPBELL’S DIARY CHARTING HIS LAST DAYS. HIS FINAL ENTRY WILL BE PUBLISHED BY US ON THE SUNDAY FOLLOWING HIS DEATH
MY thoughts for this week’s diary have been overshadowed by another tragically pointless suicide bombing. On May 22, a pop concert venue in Manchester was targeted. As I prepare psychologically for my arduous journey to Switzerland I realise that within 20 years doctors in Scotland are likely to look back with incredulity that incurably ill and suffering patients were denied legalised assisted voluntary suicide in Scotland. And concerning my intended journey to Lifecircle in Switzerland I am meeting opposition from even those supportive of legalised voluntary assisted suicide.
One of the most vociferous is former Metropolitan police sergeant Rona Tynan. I have her agreement to name her and state she has ordered me to first try stem cell treatment. It is also her intention to try stem cell treatment as she, too, has multiple sclerosis.
But before I am accepted for this treatment abroad I will, for rehab purposes, need to be in ground-floor accommodation.
My multiple sclerosis has progressed since I first made my appointment in Switzerland in April. And now I may not physically be able to travel to Switzerland for June 15.
This week the NHS continued to contradict the evidence of successful multiple sclerosis treatments by making them unavailable in Britain. My multiple sclerosis specialist nurse told housing officials one year ago I needed groundfloor accommodation. I would accept a bedsit or a room in a hostel. There has been no offer from the housing department though.
I won’t hold my breath waiting for the intervention of Care Not Killing (which opposes the idea of someone taking their life to end their suffering) to offer me ground-floor accommodation.
They do not want me to choose legalised voluntary assisted suicide. Offering ground-floor accommodation to me might be an incentive not to travel to Switzerland.
Meantime, an NHS spokesperson said: “An individual care programme for MS sufferers is provided to meet the needs of the individual.” I await clarification as to how that applies to me.
I do believe the NHS mostly has good intentions. The reality, though, is that the NHS is now ranked 30th in the world for provision of healthcare.
My predicament reminds me of being taught the final months of the Third Reich. Like the Führer the NHS is deploying imagined resources for care of the infirm and elderly. The comparison is the Führer’s attempt to deploy armies that had ceased to exist against the Russia.
For me to rehabilitate after stem cell therapy I have been told I need ground-floor accommodation – if I don’t have that, I can’t get the therapy. Welcome to my Catch-22. All I require is one ground-floor room, preferably in a warden-supervised hostel.
While my thoughts remain on what method of stem cell treatment is best I had the good fortune to meet with a woman, Lucy, who two years ago had “immune system reboot” treatment in Moscow. Her being a graduate in chemistry gave credibility for me to her choice of the use of chemotherapy. After that process was completed she had the peace of mind to begin stem cell treatment without fear of the faulty immune system presenting again with multiple sclerosis.
It was an opportunity to make jokes about the advantages of having a chemist for a friend.
Many readers will have watched the drama Breaking Bad. The main character was Walter White, a down-on-his-luck chemistry teacher. The solution to his financial problems was to make the best available methamphetamine in New Mexico. Lucy assured me her chemistry knowledge was only to be used for understanding treatment for multiple sclerosis.
That brings me to the likely need for crowdfunding if I get ground-floor accommodation and am accepted for stem cell treatment.
The treatment costs vary considerably and treatment is presently available in Belgrade, Moscow, Mexico and India. Options are for inpatient or outpatient, stem cell therapy only or chemotherapy followed by stem cell therapy.
Contradictions make choices even more difficult. Lucy has the same neurologist as I do and he advised her against travelling abroad for the purpose of immune system reboot.
Now that she is back in Scotland he is very supportive of her and yet his NHS official stance is “there is presently no proven or accepted evidence base for the safe and effective use of stem cell transplantation in your condition and for this reason this treatment is not offered in standard medical practice”.
Also worthy of note is that many clinics offering stem cell treatment do not use chemotherapy. And the qualifier is the treatment is not a cure but will variably restore the patient’s mobility. It is clear that I have many unresolved issues to deal with as the intended voluntary assisted suicide on June 15 draws ever closer.