Terminal mum faces stark choice
Christine Hussey used to be a workaholic. Now, some days, she can hardly get out of bed.
The Te Awamutu woman is 47, has incurable breast cancer, and expects to be confronted shortly with a stark choice.
She’s been slowing the cancer’s progression with Vinorelbine for about six months ‘‘which is normally the limit’’.
‘‘I’m keeping my fingers crossed I get another few months out of it.
‘‘But the minute it stops working, then I’ve got to make the,’’ her voice catches and she finishes in a whisper, ‘‘the tough calls’’.
‘‘I’m on borrowed time now, with this particular drug.’’
She wants Government funding for Ibrance, which she says gives people an average of 20 extra months, with minimal side-effects.
As it stands, she’d have to fork out about $7000 a month for Ibrance and a companion drug.
The other option is ‘‘hard-hitting chemos’’ – ‘‘to me, having drugs that are going to make you feel like s... for two thirds of the time you’ve got left is not worth it.’’
Hussey’s part of a crowd of women with stage four breast cancer, who will descend on Parliament today to petition the Government to fund Ibrance (palbociclib) and Kadcyla (T-DM1 or trastuzumab emtansine).
Ibrance is being considered for funding after Pfizer, the drug company, made an application to Pharmac in February.
Health Minister David Clark has said he understands the call for drug funding, but Pharmac makes those decisions independently of Government.
In September, Pharmac asked for expert advice on both drugs, but it can’t yet say when a decision will be made. The organisation aims for the best health outcomes within its available budget, Pharmac operations director Lisa Williams has said, and looks at health need, health benefits, costs and savings and suitability.
Hussey was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, having picked up the lump not long after a car accident.
It had spread within her breast and to her lymph nodes, so both breasts ended up being removed and four rounds of chemo – and hair loss – followed.
‘‘Then I pretty much thought I was okay. We caught it early, I did all the right treatments and everything that was recommended to me.’’
Not long after she stopped taking hormone blockers – due to horrific aches and pains – her back collapsed.
Her T12 vertebrae had been eaten away by cancer, and was replaced with a cage.
Clinicians hoped they’d got rid of most of the cancer, but a scan revealed spots in her sternum, face, and the back of her skull.
She’s been through about four different medications, yet the cancer has spread to her liver and lungs.
The woman who was ‘‘pretty much a workaholic’’, whose life revolved around work and kids, went a bit stir crazy stuck at home.
Now she’s trying to juggle finances – medical insurance covers just $10,000 of unfunded drugs, so she’s set up a Givealittle page, and could pull some cash from Kiwisaver.
The march on Parliament will happen today , starting at 12.45pm. Two petitions – one for Ibrance and one for Kadcyla – will be presented, to be referred to the health select committee.