Last one EVER!!!!!!!

Well hopefully anyway.  Dr Burt says that some patients may need more afterwards but hopefully that won't be me.  Oh, silly me I haven't told you the last one of what yet.  The last IVIG treatment EVER.  Anyone that has IVIG knows how much it sucks.  Basically you go into the hospital, get hooked up to an IV, sit there all day then leave with a head ache and feeling like crap.  Yes, it is like an outing to Movie World.

And I just had my very last one ever.  There were some differences between having the treatment here and in Australia some were better and some weren't.  On the plus side at North Western there was just one bottle of IVIG.  Admittedly, it was a very big bottle that contained 70gms of IVIG, but in Australia I have five bottles each containing 12gms and three bottles of 3gms.  It makes for a much longer day as there has to be seven change overs and a much higher probability of something going wrong.

IVIG

They also ran it through at a much higher rate of 300ml/hr as opposed to 240ml/hr so I was done much quicker than at Cabrini in Melbourne.  Lastly, the good nurses at North Western gave me paracetamol and Benadryl which helped a lot.

So where does Cabrini have the upper hand?  Well, quite simply, the day oncology department at Cabrini is simply more comfortable.  At the North Western blood centre I felt like I was placed in a broom cupboard that had three recliners in it and mine was in the door way.  Cabrini may have more recliners in it but there is also more room and a window that looks out onto a garden.  They also run fluids through with the IVIG which helps, but I did prefer the Benadryl and paracetamol.

Probably the most amazing thing is the service.  Now given my experience over the last month, I have to say that hands down, Americans are the kings of customer service.  But, not in this case.  The service you get at Cabrini is outstanding and the food is better too and the recliners are more comfortable.  Now it is not that the the nurses and staff were bad at North Western.  They were fantastic.  It is simply that there are more nurses on staff at Cabrini and the support staff are also a lot more visible and available (Yes Patrick, that means you).  And at North Western it is hard to get someones attention when you are stuck in a broom closet.

But back to the point at hand.  My last IVIG ever and I will take this opportunity to thank everyone that has given blood ever.  Your gift has given life and helped me every month for the last ten years.  It has kept me walking.  It has kept me functional it has even saved my life.  So thanks to all donors, you guys rock!  Until next time, stay well:)