Wednesday, May 18, 2016

One Year In

One year ago today I was diagnosed with breast cancer.


It has cost $371,838.40 to “fight” my cancer this past year.
My insurance, for which I am grateful,
changed drastically in the middle of my treatment.
My out of pocket costs unexpectedly skyrocketed.
My insurance company won’t always pay for what my doctors say will keep me alive.
I am now the face of a previously uninsurable, pre-existing condition.
If I was diagnosed a few years ago, I might be filing for bankruptcy right now.
The national debates about Obamacare and insurance continue.
While you vote for yourself, I will deal with the outcome.


Social media has told me I caused my own cancer.
Agencies who decide these things have made sure I won’t get any pain pills.
The comment section is sure people like me deserve the karma we get.
The internet has told me I can cure my cancer with weed and turmeric and enemas.
Forum posters are convinced I am an idiot for listening to my doctors.
The TV news said the mammogram that showed my cancer is a useless tool.
The lady at the store said big pharma has the answer and they are hiding it from me.
People I don’t even know have advised me to chop them both off.


I’ve thought about cancer a lot this past year.
But I’ve also thought a lot about all of that other stuff.


The most stressful part of having cancer this past year wasn’t always the cancer.


Somehow, that just doesn’t seem right.

6 comments:

Tamara said...

The pain pill problem is terrible. Addicts have ruined it for cancer patients who REALLY need them at times. I am made to feel like a criminal every time I need to fill a prescription for my meds. There has to be a better way.

Shawn Peterson said...

OMG. You nailed it. Cancer is bad, but all this other crap is so annoying. I'm sharing this with my cancer group. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

My parents did have to file bankruptcy when my dad got liver cancer years ago. Like you, his insurance changed. Because he had a pre-exisitng condition, he was denied new insurance. It ruined them financially. He died because he couldn't pay for the care he needed. The stress on our family was unbelieveable. My mother died from a heart attack 2 months before my dad did from liver cancer. I'm sure it was the stress that helped kill her. No family should have to go through that. Thank good ness the new laws prevent denial due to pre existing conditions. I will gladly pay more in my premiums to make sure it doesn't happen to someone else.

supreeemly me said...

Bravo. So true. I hate the chop them off comments. People don't realize you can still get breast cancer even ifyou don't have breasts. For me, my statistics were NOT better with mastectomy. Lumpectomy with clear margins had a better survival rate for my kind and size and subtype and lymph status. People who weren't doctors and didn't know anything about the chemistry and specifics of my particular cancer sure had a lot of opinions!

Renea Jo Zosel said...

Melissa... Your words speak truth. Thank you for sharing with us...

Renea Jo Zosel said...

Melissa... Your words speak truth. Thank you for sharing with us...