Looking for info on Erbitux I have mostly found people begging for it and cannot get it because of the expense. A lot of insurance companies refuse to pay for it and Medicaid/Medicare will not pay for it. I run a non-profit organization (with no pay) and my husband was starting a new job in June (when he lost his job he went to school to get his CDL License). So - when this hit us in early May we had not insurance - we had just got word that he would get SSI for June on July 27 - no medicaid because we have a second home (which was up for sale). (Actually signed a contract at 5:30 on Friday which is another nightmare now). Doctors have not refused us anything and besides Meds I have only spent $290 total. We have had a Pet Scan, about 15 of his 35 radiation treatments, $1000's of dollars of medicines and things given to us. We were blessed with all of this. The only way John could have received this is from the sales rep he met on Tuesday night that told him about it. It would not have been approved for a charity case if someone was paying for it. Several things were denied to us and some less costly meds were used because we could not pay. Cisplatin is used regularly for this type of cancer but the ONC explained about it not having a patent and was the most affordable is why we would use it. I have read a lot of good things about Erbitux and It can work miracles. I do not find a lot of bad things but the things I do find ALL say John should not have had it or should have been on a simple heart monitor. Every time I have been in the hospital (even having a baby)I have had a heart monitor and the pulse thing they clip on your finger. I am not angry at the ONC he cared for John and knew our situation - we even had the plan for some things for him to just show up at the emergency room so he could get certain meds. I do believe that he took a sales rep at his word and the sales rep offered it for him to try (just like all the other meds given to us) and he saw it as a chance for John. I believe he read the package insert but nothing else. I blame the sales person for not telling him of possible dangers. The hospital said they followed protocol for chemo and they did. This is not chemo and the protocol is not the same. Shame on somebody!!!! My only goal here is to make sure this does not happen - I KNOW John is not the only one. If I can save one life then my husband died a hero - if he can save more then I can believe his death had a purpose. My husband cared so much for people that he would have given his life if it meant he would save many. This is not Rocket Science - this is arrogance, indifference and for the hospital pure stupidity!!! I AM VERY angry that no one at the hospital cared and I had to fight even to be told what time he died. I am ignorant and thought an autopsy was automatic and was at the funeral home to pay and he would have been cremated less than 24 hours after he died when I asked if he knew how John died and would he be doing the autopsy. He told me how to ask for one and was denied because John had cancer. Having NO money I begged and borrowed $6000 for the private autopsy before I got the local congressman to intervene. I cannot believe they were not even slightly curious why he had died when although he had cancer he had not even had a sore throat yet. I can just see what they would list as couse of death......Oh, he died!