My infusion clinic is located at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), on the Rutgers University campus (in picturesque New Brunswick, near the banks of the Raritan River). CINJ is affiliated with the larger Robert Wood Johnson-Barnabas Health network (gotta love medical mergers).
All of the “articles” for patients who have been newly diagnosed with cancer advise that when choosing a treatment partner/facility, to look for a university hospital with a teaching/research program; which RWJBH has. Not only does this offer access to the best and brightest minds in medicine (young and old), but these larger institutions aggressively pursue grants for various oncology drugs' clinical trials and studies.
To that point, during my monthly infusion session this past Saturday, I was approached to participate in a Study (talk about a captive audience). Without boring you with too many details, the research is hoping to identify a more accurate way to determine the correct dosing of IVIG for a patient’s needs (ImmunoGlobulins - intended to increase my antibodies); optimizing the balance of greatest efficacy and safety. I’m pretty excited about the chance to participate, and I welcome the opportunity to do whatever I can as a cancer patient to pay back all those before me who lent themselves to the development processes and ultimately contributed to the creation of innovations that have benefited me over the years of my journey.
There will be no disruption of or addition to my existing treatment routine (the Study charts my established monthly intravenous dosing sessions); no pain, drain or strain for me (what could be easier?); and I get a $50 gift card at the end of the two sessions of data collection (blood money which I intend to survive to collect - just kidding, there is no danger whatsoever, but I’m serious about the remuneration). Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Joan of Arc or Ghandi. But I do think it is important to do what can be done to pay it forward and advance the knowledge of medicine/science, especially when it’s so easy - and did I mention the $50!?!
