RAF Airman denied cancer drug

[Bluntend]

Hello All.

I haven't posted on Rumration before because I'm not RN but RAF, well ex RAF now RNZAF. Over on e-goat as well as PPRUNE and ARRSE there is a collection going for an RAF Cpl Nick Lock. Basically, he's been denied treatment to fight cancer, effectively because of the area in which he lives. If he lived soemwhere else, he'd get the treatment but sadly for Nick, his local NHS trust is refusing to stump up the cash to buy the drugs that could save his life. He's effectively been dealt a death sentence if he can't come up with the cash.

So, that really is the point of this post. In a few short days a collection has been established and as I mentioned earlier has spread from e-goat out to PPRUNE as well as ARRSE. We've raise over £700 already from people who have donated cash over the website and are really optimistic that we can make a difference. But we do need all the help we can get. The attitude displayed by our friends over at ARRSE is that at times like this, all inter service rivalry goes out of the window (sorry, port hole) and everyone stands together. So, if you have the time, please check out the links below - they give a far better picture of the situation Nick is in. And if you have the money to spare, we'd really like to have it.

Thanks for your time, and hopefully a few quid.

Bluntend.

http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6400&highlight=nick+lock

http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6461

http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6598&highlight=nick+lock

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=277258

 

[ukdaytona]

Already posted this on another thread but apart from me no one else has looked......

petitions.pm.gov.uk/Justice4Troops/

 

[Bluntend]

Oh well, we'll see if we get any response here.

Bluntend

 

[sussex2]

I know someone else this happened to and they got their MP to work on it, with success.
Surely there has to be some Human Rights issue about someone being denied possibly life saving treatment on cost grounds.
I wish you good luck and to hell with inter-service rivalry.

 

[Stripey_G]

Thanks for the links Bluntend...and good luck.

 

[Backpacker1uk]

I know someone else this happened to and they got their MP to work on it, with success.
Surely there has to be some Human Rights issue about someone being denied possibly life saving treatment on cost grounds.
I wish you good luck and to hell with inter-service rivalry.

Problem with sad events like this is the clock is ticking away as you fight your case.

Would he get treatment if say he was in prison??? All the legal aid toe rags would be fighting his case pronto I am a thinking.

This is not unique to the UK another the haves and the have nots episode.

My sis in law was sat in a chair for four hours waiting for a ambulance to transfer her to another hospital. After being diagnosed with a tumour. Firstly it was irritable bowel syndrome according to her comic of a doctor.

Yet we have piss head drugged up celebs being rushed to private hospitals. Exclusive photos!

Where is that petition lets hope we can make some impact for the poor soul.

 

[dondon]

ukel: :w00t:

I know someone else this happened to and they got their MP to work on it, with success.
Surely there has to be some Human Rights issue about someone being denied possibly life saving treatment on cost grounds.
I wish you good luck and to hell with inter-service rivalry.

Problem with sad events like this is the clock is ticking away as you fight your case.

Would he get treatment if say he was in prison??? All the legal aid toe rags would be fighting his case pronto I am a thinking.

This is not unique to the UK another the haves and the have nots episode.

My sis in law was sat in a chair for four hours waiting for a ambulance to transfer her to another hospital. After being diagnosed with a tumour. Firstly it was irritable bowel syndrome according to her comic of a doctor.

Yet we have piss head drugged up celebs being rushed to private hospitals. Exclusive photos!

Where is that petition lets hope we can make some impact for the poor soul.

Your so fxxxxxxg right mate , makes me sick how they appear in magazines and later held up as celebs who the younger generation look up to

 

[Bluntend]

Hi Guys, thanks for the feedback and words of support.

For info, this is a letter recently sent to e-goat from Nick. It explains his situation way better than I could but also explains why we need your help. Any donations of any size you can make will be greatly appreciated.

This is Nick Lock.

Firstly i'd like to apologise for not posting earlier, but between all of the reporters, photographers, telephone calls and film crew that have been here this last week, along with pain, which leaves me taking oral morphine and bed ridden my time has been very limited and my head not clear.

Secondly, thank you just does not seem enough for what each and every single one of you is doing/has done for me. It is totally overwhelming what people who don't even know you are prepared to do for you. At the end of the day you can kind of understand it when it comes from your Squadron/Section, but from people at different Sections, Wings, Camps and even Services it really makes you sit back and think. It seems like faith has been put back in Humanity and all of the bad things you see on the news are not the only things happening as you guys have proved here, good things happen too.

Because of all of the good wishes, support and kind words, I feel you should all know exactly what I have been through, and why you are doing this...

I'm a fighter. And I know I can beat this, just like I knew I could beat my first cancer in 2003. When it came back I had 3 months worth of chemotherapy, this was very successful. It shrunk one patch of cancer from 17mm down to 6mm, more than half! I then had a month break before carrying on with the same treatment. Another 3 months worth, which unfortunately had no effect as the cancer had become tolerant to the chemotherapy.

My Doctor then applied for this drug, Cetuximab. We found out that funding had been denied 2 days before Christmas. At the time this wasn't as serious as what it is now as my Oncologists colleague (A professor in London who works in The Royal Marsden Hospital, pioneered the drug and writes articles for medical magazines) said that we could try another drug called Oxaliplatin. This is one of the drugs I had originally, so I was quite pleased as I 'thought' I knew what to expect.

I was to have my chemotherapy infusions once every 2 weeks, the same as before. The first session didn't go very well. I had a load of different side effects, but dosed myself up on morphine and slept through the night. So the time comes for my second session. I ended up not leaving the hospital. I became really ill during the infusion and was put on the specialist cancer ward in Torbay hospital, Torquay. That night my kidneys collapsed and I got rushed into the Critical Care Unit. At the time my Dad (who has retired and usually lives in Cyprus with my Mum) and my little brother were in Cyprus. The Doctors told my Mum and my older brother that they should contact them, tell them to come home as soon as possible because I had about 12 hours left to live, and it would be a medical miracle if I were to make it through the night.

At that time the Doctors felt that they couldn't give me any dialysis because they didn't think that I was stable enough to be tampered with anymore and that i'd end up poisoning myself in about 3 days. In the morning, when I was still alive when I wasn't expected to be, the Doctors then suspected I may be strong enough to take the dialysis and the other treatment I needed. So the treatment started and I got stronger and stronger. When I finally came round, a couple of days later, the first thing I wanted was a bacon sandwich

Then, after a few days I got moved to Exeter hospital as they have a better renal unit for kidney dialysis. This consists of 2 pipes that dangle off of your chest that run on top of your chest plate up and into your jugular vein. They took the blood out of one pipe, cleaned it and then put it back via the other. I got told my kidneys would never work again. The dialysis was 3 times a week, for 4 to 5 hours at a time. A big chunk of time out of your week...

Luckily, my treatment then got moved to Newton Abbot (where I live), so at least I didn't have to worry about the half hour travelling time to Exeter and the half hour back. Then to our surprise my kidneys kicked in and started to work again. Great news, another fight that went my way!

My Oncologist then told me that if they hadn't started working, he wouldn't have given me any further cancer fighting drugs, which would have meant it would have been left to it's own devices... Not good! So now there is only one thing left to try. The drug we have already been refused funding for. The reason we can apply for it again was that we had new evidence... The evidence was that Oxaliplatin wasn't a good drug for me to have, and that Cetuximab was our last option.

As you all know... We got denied...

Some of the facts and figures are incorrect, which is another reason why I wanted to share my story. I'll try to clear a few up.

I need 3 treatments of Cetuximab. After 3 treatments and a scan, the Doctors should be able to tell if the drug is working or not. For a company to come around to my house and administer 3 doses, 9 weeks worth, it will cost approximately £15,000 (not sure where the £36,000 figure came from). This includes all of the extra costs incurred via nurses and equipment etc. This is where the problem starts. If the drug works I will obviously need more... I may need a further 2, 5, 9, 15, 30 (who knows) doses. Basically I will need to keep taking it until the cancer gets tolerant to the drug, or my body can simply take no more...

I have savings which I can use, but sooner or later these will run out. I'll sell my motorbike, i'll sell my car. At the end of the day it's my life involved, and until you're in a situation like mine, you really don't realise just exactly how precious life is. You really should treasure each and every single moment. Treasure everything! I know I do!

I have read all of the threads and apologise again for not being able to get back to each of you personally as it is just too much for me. This is a personal thank you to each and every single one of you.

Take good care and stay safe, Nick.

 

[TheFOMz]

Blatent plug here from E-Goat..

We've already raised just short of £900 to help Nick still a long way off from the £15000 needed to give him the treatment privately.

If any of you guys fancy chucking a tenner (any amount will help though) in to help - E-Goat have set up a PayPal account...

Here's the link - http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6461

 

[TheFOMz]

BUMP - just to keep this in the public eye

 

[TheFOMz]

And another little bump.

I'm sure if it was you in this unfortunate position, you'd want the help of your mates. C'mon guys dig deep.

 

[TheFOMz]

Just to give this a BUMP, we just got a message of Nick yesterday, have a read and see just what a top lad he is. He's still fighting all the way. If you want to chuck a few quid his way, feel free to use the link earlier in the thread.

Over to you Nick.

I'm amazed at what you guys have achieved. It's truly outstanding. Like i've said before, thank you just really doesn't seem enough! I really hope you understand how much this means to me.

I was well enough to have a couple of days up at Coningsby to visit my boys with my older brother (thanks Skip for driving ) It was fantastic to see everyone and made me remember exactly why i'm fighting this and going to win! Thanks also for the framed Jag picture.. Luckily people have signed this in a fashion where I am able to display it....

Cheers Moose for taking over the cooking at the BBQ, saving us from Conrad's hot dogs a'la hello Mr toilet seat, where's the damn sink!!!

Smithy (someone might have to point him this way...) Sorry I didn't make it over on Wednesday morning... I managed to get some pictures taken though. I hope they were what you wanted and you're happy with them.

a MASSIVE thank you to the guys on BBMF who gave me a donation of £185:00 there and then. A donation from the T-bar and a collection bucket.

Thanks to Matty and Giles also for running the Coningsby 10K dressed as Tweety Pie and Sylvester.... Warning: I have pictures and video!!!

JEngO.... Although you look kinda cool now with a freshly shaved head, I never realised it was shaped like a 50p... Thanks for the charity head shave Sir!!!

As it stands at the moment I have one last chance to apply for this drug. Due to some new evidence from the Professor who pioneered the drug. If the decision from the Primary Care Trust (PCT) is a negative one, that's when i'll need to look into going private. Until then i'm trying to make my case as high profile as I can amongst the media and newspapers, also my MP has written to the PCT. When i've exhausted all of my resources in this field is when i'll put my application in. It's looking like it will be very soon.

Well.. Here come those words again... Thanks, thanks, thanks.... How many more times could I type them? 5 little letters that form one little word that means the absolute world...

Take care and stay safe, Nick.

PS: I tried to get you E-goaters some praise in the press/RAF News and on the radio (LincsFM), but they wouldn't specifically mention you, but you know who you are

 

[TheFOMz]

Just to give this a bump.


E-Goat has now raised over £1700 to help Nick. The unofficial total so far of all the fund raising efforts is now in the region of £7000.

Thanks to the guys from here who've donated. Those that haven't - please dig deep and help us save a mate.

 

[TheFOMz]

E-Goat has now raised a fantastic £23040 for the Nick Lock fund and has just started its on line auction, see here

There's only a few items there at the moment, but more will be added over the next few days.

 

[Bluntend]

To all at Rumration.

It is with great sadness that I have to post the following link. Nick put up a brave fight and did us all proud. May he rest in peace.

http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=8303

Bluntend.

 

[ukdaytona]

RIP Nick. Condolances to family and friends.

 

[dondon]

RIP Nick , thinking of your family at this time , I have a Daughter in the RAF so we are all linked somewhere , Duty Done Mate , Well Done , Stand Easy .