Day 10

Mondays are always a bit stressful as I start a new week of radiation. The morning starts with a blood test at my Oncologist's office. There they check the red and white blood cell counts as well as the hemoglobin level. Today all were lower than they had been but not low enough for them to worry. I of course worry what will happen next week when they poison me with some more chemo (can you tell I can't wait for next Monday...).

Also on Monday I actually talk to the Radiation Oncologist. I get about five minutes to ask if the terrible things coming out of my nose are normal (yes it's the dead cancer cells YEAH), if in the mornings I should look like the elephant man (it doesn't happen to everyone but facial swelling isn't out of the ordinary), and what can they give me for the cough that's keeping both Baby Chang and I awake at night (yet another trip to CVS is in my future). Inevitably I always forget something. Luckily Dad Chang is usually with me and has my back.

I was surprised today at how tired I was though. I ended up going into work about four hours later than planned so I could get a little more sleep. They told me the low energy would come I was just hoping it would be closer to week 6 than week 3.

I got another surprise in the mail today when there were five notices from the hospital where I had my surgery. Luckily they weren't all bills. Included however was a statement that itemized the actual cost of my surgery. THANK GOD FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. Ponder for a moment if you will what you think an outpatient sinus surgery might cost. If you guessed $40,000.00 you are a winner. Yes that is forty thousand dollars. Now of course the insurance company has some insane deal where it appears they will pay about $2,800 of that. WHAT? You say the insurance company pays less than 10% but if you didn't have insurance you would be responsible for the entire $40,000.00. I invite those who think health care reform unnecessary to pay my medical bills for the last year and for the upcoming year. I definitely would be declaring bankruptcy if it weren't for my health insurance.

On a lighter note at work tonight we got to shoot five guns loaded with pyro, hang a dummy, shoot a tenor and watch a soprano stab herself. How was your work day?