aLive @ Stage 4!

   People wonder why I'm a fan.  Why I watch the old series every Saturday night at 8:00pm.  Why I took her on our most recent family vacation (she was our version of Flat Stanley).  The short answer is that she reminds me to be strong. She reminds me to be strong, even when I want to throw in the towel. Every time I have to make multiple phone calls to try to schedule multiple appointments for the same day, which entails going to multiple departments within the hospital.   The other day I realized I could find my way from the Lombardi cancer center to the Bles Infusion center to Cardiology without looking at the directional signs on the wall or asking for help. Glad and sad about that at the same time. Every three weeks when I go for my IV infusion.  Every six weeks when that infusion is coupled with an appointment with my oncologist. Every evening at 7:00pm when my alarm goes off reminding me to take my daily medication. Each and ev...

The Monetary Cost Cancer is expensive.  I have good health insurance.  Really good health insurance.  Even with very good health insurance, though, cancer is expensive.  Every time I visit my primary care doctor, which is about every four months, I have a $10 copay.  No big deal.  Every time I visit my oncologist, which is every six weeks (down from every three weeks while I was undergoing chemo), I have a $15 copay.  Every time I have treatment (Herceptin and Perjeta infusions), which is every three weeks, I have a $30 copay.  In addition to these routine things, I see my cardiologist, my surgeon, my gynecologist, my ophthalmologist, and my oncology rehab specialist periodically.  That's $15 each visit for each specialist.  On top of these copays, there are other medical costs.  Luckily, for my Tamoxifen prescription, I am able to receive a 90 day supply, which is no cost to me.  My other prescriptions, however, are be...