Friday 11 September 2009

The percentage game

I'm six months into my trial comparing Rebif and Campath. Which for me means six months of Rebif. 78 injections. 78 Chinese hamster ovaries. Plus a combined total of 156 paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets. Should've got the Boots Advance card. I'd have enough points for a hot water bottle by now.

I was explaining this to someone the other day. (not the hot water bottle) So is it working? they said. Good question. Is it working? The theory of Rebif is that it won't cure you. It will reduce your symptoms and relapses by up to 30%. Which means it's really rather difficult to state that it's definitely working. How bad would I be without the hamsters? As I haven't had a relapse since I started does that mean the minus 30% has occurred already? Am I 70% more likely to have a relapse now that I haven't had one? Two fingers in my left hand have been numb for some time now. Is that just a 20% success rate? Actually 7 numb fingers would make more sense. Then it would be obvious that the 3 feeling fingers were a 30% direct result of the 3 injections a week. How do I work out the maths for 2 numb fingers being 30% better than they would be without injections? Would a third of a third finger be feelingless? Or should I have a numb thumb?

Am I get getting 30% less sleep because I'm 30% less fatigued or am I getting 30% less sleep because the injections give me insomnia? Am I 30% less likely to forget what I'm talking about? Now that is the question. And the answer is as confused as the question. I think.

1 comment:

  1. Thought I'd stop in and say hey. It's always a tough one to answer, are the shots working? I sure hope they are, if not I wasted the last 13 years! Good luck,

    Andy

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