Treatment 4

Treatment 4 is done. Dr. LaCasce was very impressed with my continually shrinking lymph nodes, and this time NO SHOTS! My White Blood Cell count was 24,000. The normal range is between 4,300 and 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter. So I’m virtually invincible now! (ha) I was very happy not to have another Neulasta shot because it sent shooting pains up my spine last Wednesday – bone pain is a side effect due to the body overproducing so many white blood cells. My red blood cells were up too, so I guess all that steak is working. Physically, I’ve been feeling pretty well in week 2 of the 2 week cycles. Right now I’m back to being tired after chemo, but I hope to be feeling normal again by Thanksgiving.

My sister Shelby was in town this weekend from Dallas, cooking up a storm and enjoying the last of the New England leaves. It was great to have her here keeping me company, and helping out with everything while I rest. Shel’s visit marks the 1/3 way mark for chemo treatments! Faithful David’s CD this time was simply titled Treatment 4 – “more music for more chemo…” how apt.

It’s now been a month and a half since the start of treatment, and bills are coming due. I have been very frustrated with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Daily “Explanation of Benefits” letters haunt my mail box and scare me because I they never seem to explain anything and claim very large amounts. I guess this is just one of the many things that stink about being sick. It has been made especially vexing due to local TV ads about a young breast cancer survivor from Cambridge MA, Isabel, who was treated so well by her personal representative at Blue Cross Blue Shield – certainly not the case for me so far. I know I’m lucky to have health insurance at all, but it appears that they are denying my port surgery and might not cover some other costs and I can’t even get someone to call me back with a reasonable answer as to why not. Thank you David for TiVO so I can at least fast forward over those ads for now.