Rollercoaster climbing UP

Starting this post with the words "you are not going to believe this" would seem glib... this whole journey has been unbelievable. But, this one is *really* unbelievable.

This evening I went to Dorit for my lymphatic draining/ reflexology treatment. We always chat a lot during the treatments. She knows me really well.

Today I was talking about the whole surgery problem, and I said "what I really need is that medicine I told you about- Imatinib- you know- Gleevec". She turned completely WHITE. I said "what? what's wrong?!"

She then told me about an email that she received just this morning... from an organization that is non-profit, and collects and redistributes medicines for those who need them and cannot receive them from the Israeli health ministry's "basket of medicines". They now have in their possession A YEAR'S SUPPLY OF GLEEVEC of which they are spreading the word to GIVE AWAY. That is worth 145,360 shekels, or $35,000 US dollars. Enough for me for A WHOLE YEAR. Free. It seems from what is written in the email that one only needs a doctor's prescription. The website from the organization doesn't elaborate how to be the receiver of these medicines. (If you go to the site and are not a Hebrew speaker, at the top right of the page you can click for English. That word is written in English. :-))

As my good friend wrote in a note to me last week when my surgery was suddenly canceled, and I quote, "un-buh-leev-uh-ble"!!!

It was already evening when we got this news, so the organization's office was closed, but since I called Robert from Dorit's treatment table, Robert immediately called the organization and left a message that said that his wife needs it immediately for an inoperable tumor. We'll try again tomorrow, but Friday here is a day off for many businesses, and Sunday is the first day of the week, so it may have to wait till Sunday to know if it is still available. But we will, of course, try tomorrow.

Absolutely and preposterously unbelieveable. I am trying so hard not to get too excited about this...

[here is the text of the email in Hebrew, if anyone wants to see it themselves]

ברשותנו, ב"ארגון חברים לרפואה", תרופת גליבק למסירה חינם למי שנזקק!!!

התרופה משמשת בדר"כ לריפוי סרטן, לפי הפניית הרופא, במקרים רבים התרופה אינה בהתוויה של סל הבריאות, והחולה נאלץ לשלם עליה בעצמו!!

חבילה של 100 מ"ג עולה 9186 ₪.
ברשותנו 6 חבילות בתוקף למסירה, ששוויין סה"כ 73,488 ₪!!!

חבילה של 400 מ"ג עולה 17,968 ₪ !!!
ברשותנו 4 חבילות בתוקף למסירה , שווי סה" 4 חבילות 71,872 ₪!!

סה"כ שווי כל התרומה 145,360 ₪!!!!!

אנו מעוניינים למסור את התרופות למי שנזקק להן ומשלם עליהן מכיסו.
התנאי היחיד הוא מרשם רפואי!!!