LIVING WITH MCL

Just read this post on the Mulitple Myeloma (MM) message board I subscribe to, which I thought of value, as it points out how little most Americans know of how the US health care system works. I was in the hospital a few months ago and was asked if I wanted a flu and a pnuemonia shot. I thought it would be a good idea, since I don't want to bring any nasty germs into the house and subject my MM hubby to them. Before I was released, I was told my insurance (Blue Cross) wouldn't pay for the vaccines because I was too young. I am 48. What surprised me the most about this post, was not the fact her insurance company denied the claim, but that she seemed surprised they did. Doesn't she understand how the US health care system works? Unfortunately she, like many others, don't understand that health care in the US is controlled by a "for profit" health insurance industry, whose priorities lie not with their policy holders in insuring the best health care possible...

I sure hope I'm not getting too far ahead of myself here, by extending a big thank you to Millenium Pharmaceuticals ( MLNM ), the makers of Velcade. So far, Velcade is doing a great job of treating Edie's myeloma. All of Edie's counts are essentially back to normal, with the exception of some minor discrepancies, which I'm not going to fret over, and she has been off dialysis, since last Monday, October 15th. Edie has been experiencing some peripheral neuropathy (PN) which has been causing her difficulty in opening containers, and even writing, so the doctor has decided it is best to cut back on the dosage from 1.3 mg/m 2 to 1.0 mg/m 2 . The recommendation by Millenium Pharmaceuticals, when the PN is that bad, is to eliminate the Velcade altogether, until the PN subsides, but we really didn't want to do that, since the Velcade seems to be doing such a good job, and her kidney function has not returned completely to normal (only enough to get off the dialysis). So...

Well I think I've finally got the new bike dialed in. Yeah, I know it's only been just over 6 months since I got my last new bike , but hey, I wanted another one. I just love the curved top tube, on this bike, and had to have it. It also makes the bike look fast, even when it's just sitting there. And when you're as old as I am, you at least have to look good. And if you notice in the background, even Morris had to stop and admire it. I was going to sell the Torelli, but after riding the Specialized, I'm not so sure I want to. They are two very different riding bikes. The Torelli is a much stiffer and a better climbing bike, while the specialized is soooo much smoother. It's like the difference between driving a Porsche or a Cadillac. I'm just not sure which one I prefer better. They both have their pros and cons. And after struggling on todays climb up Turnbull Canyon, and beyond, on the "Cadillac", I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep...

Well, here it is Saturday morning, and it's raining, so you all know what that means. No bike ride and another post. The last couple of days have not been so good. It seems the cumulative effect of Edie's treatment regimen is taking its toll. Fridays are typically very draining for Edie, consisting of dialysis in the morning, then chemo in the afternoon, but yesterday seemed especially draining. After getting home around 4:30 PM, all Edie wanted for dinner was a chocolate milkshake from McDonalds, and then she was off to bed. I should say she tried to get some sleep, as the peripheral neuropathy, and overall body aching made that difficult to accomplish. Fortunately she has managed to get some sleep, and is currently asleep as I write this post. Hopefully all this sleep will rejuvenate her enough (like last Saturday, when she felt well enough to go out for dinner) to go to a friends 60th birthday party tonight. I used to think the AS9100 audits, I go through at work ever...

One of my passions, at least since my diagnosis, has been with health care reform. Fortunately, the majority of the population and most candidates recognize this is an important issue, maybe even ahead of the Iraq war, and it is gaining major prominence in California, with Governor Schwarzenegger's revised proposal for health care reform. I applaud the governor for his effort in bring this issue to the forefront, but his new proposal has some issues, the two biggest of which are the mandate that everyone purchase health insurance, and secondly continuing to place the burden for health care on the backs of employers. I don't think either of those two proposals provide any meaningful reform, but they do provide the fodder, for those with a vested interest in the status quo, to successfully fight the proposal. In that regard, I have written the following letter to Governor Schwarzenegger, outlining my suggestions for improving his proposal, which I believe can gain greater unive...

Today, I found myself reading excerpts from an interview between Lance Armstrong and Darren Rovell, and then listening to that same interview , to be sure my ears weren't deceiving me. It looks like Nike is going to launch a new line of Livestrong Apparel, and donate 100% of the proceeds to fund cancer research. That is just unheard of in the corporate world. I can't imagine another company doing that. [Even a health insurance company.] The only comment that seems appropriate now is, I know what brand of running shoes, running shorts, or any other piece of sports apparel, I'll be buying from now on.

I blogged yesterday, on my other blog , about what I believe to be an irrational fear of "socialized medicine" . Without going into the particulars of my thoughts on the topic, (you can read it for yourself if you're interested), I did get a comment from one of my loyal readers , who blogs in support of the health insurance industry , suggesting I am bitter about my situation, and that is why I feel the way I do about the current state of US health care. Have I ever suggested to anyone that I am bitter about my situation? Certainly, I'm not happy with the fact I have mantle cell lymphoma, but neither am I bitter about it. People get sick all the time, and there is no reason to believe I, or anyone else, should be entitled to some special dispensation not to get sick. Getting sick is part of life. Everyone will get sick sometime in their life, and we all have to deal with it as best we can. In some regards I actually feel it was of benefit, and helped put a differen...