lorin wrote:Menolly wrote:
Thanks for that, lorin. I guess it will have to pend like continuing my guided fight against cancer, until I have medical coverage. I realized over the weekend I've gone half this first year of cancer treatment unsupervised; I can only ask for prayers that the level of medication I am at will keep it at bay until I can get coverage again.
Fasting levels yesterday and today were more normal for me: 103 and 104. But yesterday's bedtime reading was again low, though not as low as Saturday's was: 84. Will continue to monitor.
how in the world are you getting unsupervised cancer treatment???
I guess the way I phrased that was a little confusing.
The type of cancer I am being treated for, thyroid, is treated by removing the thyroid itself. Although is appears to have not spread beyond the thyroid, except for one lymph node directly behind the thyroid itself, because of my age I am classified as a stage II patient.
Follow up involved taking a treatment dose of radioactive iodine in January, being nuclear scanned to see if the iodine was taken up elsewhere in the body (B"H, at the time, not!) then being put on levothyroxine to control my TSH levels. I am supposed to be scanned again in January after taking a diagnosis dose of radioactive iodine (far less than the treatment dosage, but I still need to relatively isolate myself for three days. Will be far easier here than it was in Gator Town).
Treatment also consists of having blood drawn every three months to test my THS (thyroid hormone ...something or other) and T-4 levels. The levothyroxine not only helps prevent hypothyroidism due to having the thyroid removed, but keeps the TSH at a level which is supposed to prevent the cancer from finding other areas in which to spread. However, the proper dosage for each patient is hit or miss. The patient is supposed to be tested every three months and the medication adjusted until the TSH levels are appropriate.
I was last tested in March, under the Shands/UF charity/indigent program, which is how I received all of the treatment so far, including the surgery, MRIs, radioactive iodine, three day inpatient hospitalization, follow up specialists, etc. In June, I left hyperception and have become a member of SD's and Dam-sel's household, by choice.
I was supposed to have my TSH tested again in June, and now, three months later, it would probably be due again. So, it has been six months since the level of the medication that fights the recurrence of this cancer was properly adjusted. I was supposed to have another breast MRI last week for the suspicious area that started the whole thyroid treatment by the MRI scanning the whole body rather than just the breast area.
However, I have not found a program similar to the one I was on in Gator Town, and although legally not a member of household, since I am unemployed and have still not landed a position out here, I suspect they would be considered my support, and with their income I would be ineligible for any such programs, or even Medicaid.
But, I'll be damned if I am going to ask SD and Dam-sel to foot the bill for doctor visits, tests, surgeries, et. al. They already paid for a visit for me to see a chiropractor here, when I injured my knee somehow and it took far too long to heal. They're covering my prescription costs for now; thankfully my medications all fall under Fred Meyer's 90-day supply for $12.00 program.
I had arranged with my medical providers to write me new prescriptions on paper for my medications when I left Gator Town. When I arrived here, I transferred what was left of my old prescriptions here, and used those until it said "no refills." Then I used the paper prescriptions. Most are valid for about a year from when I had them started, around July for most of them. So, by "unsupervised treatment," I mean I have the medications I need at the level I needed at the time I moved away. But that may have changed by now.
I have been applying for jobs here that have benefits. I had one interview, and was notified a couple of weeks later that the position was reclassified from full time to part time. Part time does still include benefits, but I had to reapply for the position, which is still open for new applicants for a few more days. I have no idea how my own interview went over, but am hoping having been contacted to reapply when the position was reclassified was a positive sign. However, even if I do find a job with benefits, I have no idea how my pre-existing condition will affect coverage.
lorin wrote:Are you taking insulin
No, I am not on insulin. Currently I take two 1000 mg metformin a day, one at breakfast and one at dinner, as well as one 10 mg lisinopril at breakfast for blood pressure, which I was told by my primary care physician also helps reinforce metformin.
[Syl Embattled] wrote:And Menolly, I'm really sorry. I thought you had had cancer treatment but were out of it now. Sorry, not very good at keeping track of personal stuff. If I can do anything other than hope for the best...
<shrug>
Thanks sheriff. I knew pending my treatment was a most likely possibility when I chose to leave. And while I am a little concerned regarding my health, the hardest part was, and still is, being across the continent from Beorn.
Sorry for so much TMI, folks. But I figured if I was going to refer to it, y'all may as well have the full picture...
I did listen to a YouTube clip of Michael Higgins not long ago and found I had to concentrate to understand him -- but most likely it was because he was kinda het up about the thing he was talking about. 
(Hey, Wikipedia says Higgins attended my alma mater, Indiana University. He got there first, though. )
), but she was OK with it, since it meant she could be with the baby all day and make money.
