One more week...

...until my exchange surgery. That is all. Oh! Except for this photo from our girls' weekend in Atlantic City.

The high cost of livin'...

...ain't nothing like the cost of livin' high.

Properly raised as I was, I know there are three things one never discusses in polite company...

Money

Politics

and Religion

But here's the thing. Cancer is a lot like the Real World. Sometimes you have to stop being polite and start getting real (could somebody get the phone?) So here's the real deal on the high cost of living with cancer.

With the claim amount charged to my medical insurance provider in calendar year 2012, Rob and I could have bought...



this 3,800 square feet house.

Or, for every round of chemo we could have a brand new one of these...


2013 Fiat 500 Abarth.

Can you imagine SIX of those sitting in your drive way?

And a shot of Neulasta? I could be carrying a Birkin bag to each one of those...



My closet needs SIX of these.

If compact imports and Birkins aren't your speed (see how I did that there) how about this Rolex...

One of these? Or a double mastectomy with overnight hospital stay? The choice is yours.

So say what you will about the ACA. For us it meant paying about this much in premiums last year...


One pair of Manolo's looks about right.

And about this much in co-pays and deductibles...


How's about a week at thisprivate villa in St. Maarten?

If it weren't for the FMLA and the healthy balance of sick leave I'd accrued (sometimes I really crack myself up), those 42 cumulative days I had to take off from work would have cost us one of these...

Gibson Custom Limited Edition Les Paul

By comparison, 2011 only cost my medical insurance provider 2 tickets to Coachella...


If you don't love the Black Keys, you may need to check your pulse.

And my copays were a mere bottle of this 1961 cabernet...


Mmm...vintage-ey goodness.

Small change compared to the $102,800,000,000 direct medical costs the NIH estimates for the 3,672,794 Americans living with cancer. Can you imagine life for one of the 4,928,450 living without health insurance when there are 1,596,670 new cases of cancer diagnosed each year?

And with that, I will jump down off of this....

Nothing says "Will you be my Valentine?" like a little MJ

Your eyes do not deceive you. That is, in fact, a man who earns his living dressing, singing, and dancing like the King of Pop.

Rob and I spent the weekend in Charlottesville with nothing but a hotel reservation and long list of "must visit" vineyards. Funny how vineyard visiting becomes much less appealing when it's 30F out and snowing / raining. So instead we saw Die Hard, ate some amazing food, and watched the Michael Jackson tribute band. 

Click HERE for more pictures of this weekend's shenanigans.

If there's a better way to celebrate St. Valentine, I just can't think of one.

Lucky Number 13

What better way to pass the time at the infusion center than with a DIY manicure?

Not too shabby

You can stick a fork in herceptin number thirteen 'cause it is D.O.N.E. done. Only four more treatments stand between me and having every third Friday back to myself. But like Dr. B said "Not that I'm counting or anything." 

Speaking of Dr. B (surgical oncologist), I had a great check up with her on Friday and she's given me the okay to come back every 6 months now. She also mentioned that some patients prefer to alter their 6 month check-ups between her and Dr. F (medical oncologist). Seeing one the first six months and the other the second six months. That makes for less doctors appointments throughout the year and less of a reminder of all the suck that is cancer. The other option would be to stagger the 6 month check ups with each doc so that they fall quarterly. Which I'm totally on board with. Two hours out of my day and a $35 co-pay out of my pocket is time and money well spent for someone to tell you Hey... you DON'T have cancer.

My funny Valentine...

 

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Real housewives....

...of pretty much anywhere.

This weekend Rob pointed out I've got some very Real Housewives- style few weeks coming my way. Starting with a much-needed get-away to historic Monticello. Then a girls' weekend in Atlantic City with two of my favorite ladies (Kristen and Anna!). Then... Spring Break complete with new boobs (if that's not Real Housewives I don't know what is). And top it all off with tickets to see P!nk (Kristen and I saw her open for JT in 2007. Uh. May. Zing.)

And in true Housewives of Chemotherapy-fashion, all that awesomeness kicks off with lucky number 13 round of herceptin. Oh my, has it been 13 already?





Guess what today is...

...if you guessed "exactly one month until my exchange surgery" then you'd be right. That's just four short weeks. Twenty eight little days.

But that's not all. Today is also World Cancer Day. And that, according to the Huffington Post, means "hope, courage and inspiration for cancer patients, caregivers, survivors and supporters." Check out the Stand Up To Cancer placard you can download at www.standup2cancer.org in support of World Cancer Day.

And if you're looking for two more great sites, try two of my favorites (I promise you'll find no pink ribbons here)...

Fuck Cancer at www.letsfcancer.com

and

Stupid Cancer at www.stupidcancer.org

Check out all that hair!

My hair, not the baby's.

Okay, you've probably figured out this post is just a shameless ploy to show off more photos of our nephew. But! I do have enough hair now to be rockin' a faux hawk. I know, I know, 2008 called and it wants its hairstyle back. But speaking of faux hawks...

Rock On!

 In other news: Friday's visit with the medical oncologist was every bit as uneventful as expected. I got the everything looks good and come back in another 3 months from Dr. F. Next Friday is a check up with the surgical oncologist where I expect much more of the same. The good news is that once I've finished herceptin, my check ups with Dr. F decrease to every 6 months. Woohoo!