November 21, 2003

I met with my oncologist to plan for the next steps. Since I am now done with the 14 day anti-biotic treatment for my infection, he wants to resume chemotherapy on Monday the 24th. I will have my 3rd treatment on Monday. I do NOT have to have another catheter inserted (YAY!!!!!) This would mean another surgical procedure, so I’m glad I can avoid that! The nurses seem confident that they can use a vein in my arm for the remaining two Adriamycin/Cytoxan treatments. Hopefully, all will go well! Taxol treatments can also be given in my arm, but they aren’t as dangerous as the AC cycle, so using the arm isn’t as big a risk. I will go to the office on Tuesday for my $6000 shot of Neulasta. Having the treatment on Monday will allow me to attend chorus rehearsal on Tuesday assuming all goes well. With Thanksgiving on Thursday, hopefully, nausea won’t be too bad this cycle.

I received a bill in the mail today from my oncologist, detailing every treatment thus far, and showing what my insurance has paid. One interesting piece of information: the shot for my red blood cells that I received 10 days ago costs $2120! I don’t know yet what insurance will cover and what I’ll have to pay. The total amount on this bill (which was 9 pages long by the way) was $936.39…hmmmm?????? Cancer treatment is expensive! Thank God for insurance, however. The bill before Insurance kicked in was: $18,210!!!! Yowza!!!!