Phil and I went to a Thing the other night at which we heard a myeloma doctor speak about the different treatment options. The event was sponsored by a drug company and there was free food. I told Phil to eat a lot... eventually we'll be paying $250,000 a year for those drugs and I wanted to get my money's worth out of that pasta salad right then, dang it.
At this Thing I realized how pleased I am with the care we've received thus far. Granted, we've not had to do much other than show up for visits and Phil gets poked with needles every couple of weeks, but I appreciate the way that Dr. J sees us- BOTH of us- as people with lives and ambitions and hope. He is kind and down-to-earth, yet very knowledgeable. And his PA, Tara, is fabulousness in a lab coat. I am grateful for our team and getting this very small taste of what (and who) else is out there made me feel even more confident with our decision to stay at U of M.
Being at this Thing also confirmed that our experience so far has been unique. Good unique. It hurt me to hear some of the struggles that other cancer patients have with their doctors and insurance companies and I pray that we will be spared that frustration and despair.
We're still taking things a day at a time, and appreciating the connections we're making in the wide world of cancer. It turns out everyone has a story of how they've been personally affected by cancer... who knew?
And totally off topic, but worth mentioning, did anyone see Barbara Walters' interview with Patrick Swayze last week? Watch it. He has some great things to say.
2 comments:
Just out of curiousity, what is this treatment he is doing? Best of luck!
Cassady, are you talking about Phil? He isn't starting any treatment yet, but the standard protocol for MM right now seems to be any combination of Thalomid, Revlimid, Velcade and/or Dexamethasone. This may or may not be followed by a stem cell transplant.
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