9th Cancerversary

Today is my 9th Cancerversary. It was hard deciding which date to celebrate such an important milestone. Many choose the date of diagnosis, but my cancer had been growing long before that date.

To me, the most important date was the day I had my first chemo treatment and began taking back my body and its cells from cancer. In the process, I lost my hair, my breasts, my uterus, my ovaries, and my energy. I racked up enormous medical bills.

Nine years later, cancer is still active. Bloodwork done yesterday showed my tumor markers rising. After plunging down into the normal range in February, the tumor markers began steadily increasing in mid-May after I had to deal with a stressful event. Please pray that my upcoming scans will have good results.

I had a big scare last September when the cancer spread very quickly and aggressively to my lungs, liver, and for the 1st time to my brain. There were so many cancer spots on my PET-CT scan that the radiologist simply wrote “innumerable”. I began Enhertu infusions immediately after this scan and once again, began taking back my body from cancer. My February PET-CT scan showed the cancer had greatly diminished and my Brain MRI showed the lesions were stable. I’m worried that the upcoming scans will show progression.

I am very grateful to my outstanding medical team headed by Dr. David Riseberg at Mercy Medical Center and also to everyone who sent encouraging messages, prayers, and donations for my medical expenses. I couldn’t have survived 9 years without you.

The costs of fighting cancer are enormous – even with health insurance. It has been called the hidden side effect of cancer. In addition to things insurance doesn’t cover, deductibles and co-pays reset every January. This will give you an idea of how expensive cancer treatment is:
Since my diagnosis in June 2014:
Total Cost of Treatment: $2,138,799
Cancer Drugs Cost since diagnosis: $1,711,023 (80% of total cost)
Insurance paid since diagnosis: $2,093,864
My family & donations paid: $44,935
Insurance premiums: $47,421 (ACA subsidies covered $21,747 of the $47,421)

Just 9 years of treatment cost $2.1 million. It is vitally important that lawmakers do not allow lifetime caps on benefits or determine that certain treatments can be excluded because they cost too much. Life is more valuable than money. Good health is not guaranteed to anyone. Cancer does not discriminate: No one is too young; no one is too fit; no one is immune. Everyone is at risk.

Below is a list of the procedures, treatments, and diagnostic tests I received in my 9th treatment year. Because cancer treatment is so hard on the body, numerous diagnostic tests and scans are ordered regularly to make sure the patient can continue treatments.
19 blood tests
1 liquid biopsy
8 Xgeva injections
13 Enhertu infusions
6 Taxol infusions
2 Pet-CT scans
2 Brain MRIs
1 Echocardiogram
16 physician visits

Photo by Dean Lake Photography
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