Still Boring

Two days ago was the third chemo session, and once again, I came through it without any ill effects. From a superstitious and illogical perspective, I wonder if it's working. If I have cancer, why don't I feel worse?

The CT scan I had a couple of weeks ago was unremarkable. The only thing the doctor is worried about right now is that I continue to lose weight. I rarely experience the sensation of "I'm hungry," but I'll eat a decent portion if it's put in front of me. I think the problem is that when I'm feeling good I want to be doing something -- working in the garden or sewing or even taking care of mundane things that every household needs attention to. Cooking isn't on the list. Somehow I've got to get it on the list. 

Speaking of sewing, I've been pumping out chemo hats and scarves like crazy, but no sign yet of my hair falling out. The doctor said I'd lose my hair about 3 weeks into chemo, and we're now at that mark. Wassup?

Here's a good news/bad news thing. My rheumatoid arthritis is in 100% remission. No symptoms whatsoever, which has allowed me to be making all those chemo hats. I wondered if the cancer had scared the RA away, or maybe science would find that cancer cures RA. Whatever the cause, it's been a wonderful relief from the pain in my hands and feet and sometimes knees.

But Friday I figured out why the RA is sleeping. The nurse at the Chemo Spa printed out all the information on the four different drugs they were pumping into me that day. And guess what? Yep, you guessed it. One of the drugs is sometimes used to treat arthritis. So dang it all, I'll be sorry to see the end of chemo. Now how's that for weird?

I think I want to do a short rant on Health Insurance in America. There's no telling how long the cancer was growing in me, because I hadn't been to a doctor except a couple of times for specific purposes in four and a half years. For some of that time I was unemployed, then got a part-time job with a small organization that doesn't offer health insurance. I looked into the possibility of buying insurance on my own, but with the gap in coverage coupled with preexisting conditions and even including a high deductible, it would have cost me about $1800 a month. Umm, I don't have that much money.

So now I have Medicare and I love it, and am eternally grateful. Every few days I receive a stack of EOBs, the notice from the insurance carrier about what bills they've paid. The EOB shows the original billed amount, minus the Medicare discount, and what my portion is. The EOBs run quite a bit behind the date of service, but adding up the original amounts I've received so far comes in not much below $150,000. And the chemo isn't even showing up yet.

About 1 person in 7 in Washington is uninsured. What is happening to all these people? Some have chronic medical conditions that are going untreated. It's a myth that somehow people without insurance can get free medical care. Yes, emergency rooms are obliged to treat anyone who shows up, but neither the hospital nor any healthcare professional is required to provide ongoing medical care. Does anyone out there think that I somehow could have obtained free treatment for my cancer?

I'm receiving treatment and will probably survive because I have Medicare. The alternative is too awful to contemplate. 

Yes yes, of course I know that the Affordable Care Act enters a new phase in 2014. While I'm absolutely in favor of the concept, I've yet to learn exactly what the "affordable" part of the plan is going to mean. My skeptical side fears that decent insurance will continue to be out of reach of many, many people.