Got Issues? Got Money?

After cancer, most if not all of us are faced with the inevitable costs of side effects from the treatment. It amazes me how the treatments and "cocktails" alone have such a negative and positive impact on our lives.

I remember the day when I was getting ready for my stem cell transplant and had to see a Radiologist. I recall him telling me that although the radiation would save my life and kill the cancer that I would also have some high chances of getting some other cancers because of the treatment. "You can get GI, breast, cervical, ovarian and lung cancer because of these treatments...." He said to me with a stern look. As I looked at him I thought to myself "What other option do I have? This is it." So I took the radiation.

For me, I wasn't told about the many other fun side effects of the radiation and chemotherapy treatments that I endured..... The early menopause, the loss of dental enamel, the bone loss, herniated discs, memory loss, skin problems, edema & Lyphadema (swelling), speech problems, etc. The list really does go on, I just can't remember them all right now. :) Lol. I was however warned that I would be infertile and wasn't given a chance to save my eggs, so there they went with my fertility in a boat in my sea of chemo.....

But with the fabulous and countless issues that I have succumb to because of my cancer, I have realized that not enough is covered by my insurance let alone other insurances. These treatments that are meant to save our lives, in turn give us more problems than we started out with. But the truth of the matter is, I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't gone through those treatments that gave me those side effects. So really, it's not a big deal in my eyes. Then it comes to the bucks.... Cancer is not only a horrible disease but it's also a financial burden. I'll give you some examples of my treatments, what they have caused and what I have had the pleasure of dealing with...

1.) The total body irradiation that I went through prior to my stem cell transplant not only gave me "radiation burn" but it also gave me another chance at life. On top of that, it gave me some memory loss and brain problems. I ended up getting tested by a neuro-psychologist type and after 8 grueling hours of brain games and tests, we found out that my learning skills were considerably slower and some areas I was low average, and the rest i was average. This issue caused me to forget conversations I was having, made me unable to remember things that were discussed recently, and I started having some speech problems and pronunciation issues. I couldn't for the life of me remember specific words that i was familiar with, how to pronounce specific words and forgetting conversations right after I began them. These issues were more discouraging than anything, but with some daily brain games they got a little better.

2.) I was lucky enough not to get too sick from my chemo treatments, but the radiation was the kicker and the side effects from the stem cell transplant were less than desirable. I had some mucositis from the treatments (this is where there are sores all over your mouth & throat), which made it hard for me to eat, swallow, drink & talk. I had to undergo some "breathing treatments" every day for over a week before that got better. This wasn't as big of an issue, but it was still uncomfortable for me.

3.) The best out of everything is what I am dealing with currently... the early menopause that I have been irritated with since 2008, right after my stem cell transplant. It was July 2008 when I had my last period, and haven't had one since. So, the menopause wasn't fun, being 28 and having hot flashes, mood swings and lack of energy and on top of it having friends that just didn't get what was going on with me. And honestly neither did I. After telling my doctor a few times over 2 years of the symptoms increasing, they finally scheduled me to see a Gynecologist. The gyno's suggestions was just what I didn't want, because I knew the side effects were not desirable. He put me on birth control - the kind that had the worst side effects. Despite my concern, he said it was the only thing he could put me on that would have the best impact and protect me in the long run. That was the end of February 2010, by the end of March I was experiencing pain in my left leg, which turned into swelling. My left leg had increased in size - nearly doubled, and the pain got worse within days. By the 30th of March, I was in my local hospital getting treated for a DVT- Deep Vein Thrombosis - A blood clot in my leg.- That was only the start. The birth control pills caused the DVT and I found myself in the hospital for 2 weeks, getting injections of blood thinner as well as taking pills. The end result, was that I would be on blood thinners for the next 6 months. Hmmmmm. Thanks!

4) Because of the results of me going on birth control, and getting the DVT, I still had yet to find a solution to my early menopause situation. So I found myself setting up an appointment with a local nurse practitioner. The nurse practitioner, ended up doing several blood tests on me to really fully diagnose my problem. The end results? A mixture of the chemo & radiation gave me: Not only early menopause, but also a Vitamin D deficiency, less than a menopausal woman's Progesterone levels, low levels of testosterone & estrogen and low calcium levels. :( She ended up putting me on some vitamins and pills, all of which I had to pay for myself, and all of which were costly. One bottle of specific multi-vitamins that she told me to get cost $50/month. Several bottles of pills were anywhere between $15-$50 each. The cost was just too much, and my visits to her were not always covered totally by my limited insurance. Unfortunately I had to stop going to her and there were no other options. So for now, I deal with the minimal menopausal side effects.

5) Herniated Discs in my lower back - L4 & L5 that were caused by the radiation. So, the result of these herniated discs, include pain in my back & right leg when standing, walking and sometimes sitting, and numbness in my right leg. So, I started swimming every other day at the gym. For me and my insurance - a gym membership is not covered, so this comes out of pocket- another cost for the month normally can range between $25-50/month. Another option is physical therapy- which is what I also do, but my insurance only covers 14 days of treatment per year- hmmmmm. So, the treatments we MUST have to save our lives, are the treatments that cause these life altering side effects and thus are not always fully covered enough to recover from these side effects.

6) Dental Problems - yes are included in my long list of less than exciting side effects from my treatments. The radiation did cause some damage on my teeth - like destroying the enamel & causing some of my teeth to break. I was put on some bone pills that would help me strengthen my bones. But the dental problems, broken teeth and temporary fillings that I have to purchase at the store to hold them together just don't cut it. And my insurance? Doesn't cover dental coverage anymore, and I am left here.... wondering what I am supposed to do next. The treatments have left me with problems that I cannot resolve easily and I hear this time on and time again from survivors. In addition, some of us because of treatments must get sedation dentistry- this includes me and the cost of this is pricey on top of the dental costs itself. Dental Sedation costs anywhere between $100-$500/hour. :(

Now here comes the crazy part that I am sharing with you, the costs of treatments for some of these issues.......

One Doctor Visit $205
One Pelvic Exam: $280
Doctor Visit: $215
Genetic Exam: $53
MRI Abdomen: $283
MRI Pelvis: $283
Chest X-ray: $36
Doctor Visit: $122
Specialist: $256
Doctor Visit: $167
Doctor Visit: $158
Emergency Visit: $411
CT Brain/Head: $140
Blood Tests: $90
BT-Menopause: $836.095
BT- Menopause: $271.50
Complete BT: $2,264.80
Complete BT: $2,585.90
MRI Pelvis: $4,342.00
MRI Abdomen: $3,602.00
Asstd Treatmt: $558
X-Ray/BT: $1,943
Doctor + BT: $1,166.30
Doc + BT: $606.80
Doc + BT: $1,295.50
Doc + BT: $1,475.90

These are costs for 2 months of treatments/appointments/tests/etc.
The total cost 2 months: $23,647
Now if we guesstimate this amount for an entire year of treatments & tests, it comes to: $120,000!! WOW! This doesn't include the costs of hospital stays or other treatments and tests not included in regular care.

Did you know that a Stem Cell Transplant costs: $360,000 for one person?
Did you know that one day in the hospital is between $10,000 and $20,000?
Do you know what your insurance company will cover and how much you will be required to pay?