Ever Wondered How Much a Shot of Neulasta Costs?
The blood test and the shot I received this morning are the only medical procedures scheduled for the week. Gloria asked if my mouth was feeling better, and did the mouthwash help? Oops. I forgot to pick up the prescription, but I told her I was back to eating salsa without any discomfort. The thought of suspending my salsa consumption never crossed my mind. For me, it is one of the primary food groups. Also, I seem to be craving it more than usual, and since tomatos are loaded with all kinds of healthy substances, my body may be telling me something. Who am I not to listen?
My white blood count is still very low, even though it has been two weeks since my chemo. It is higher than last week but still quite a bit shy of what it needs to be to receive chemo next Wednesday. Not to worry. Gloria said we had two options: At the time of my treatment they can give me a shot that will boost the white blood count very quickly or they can adminster the chemo and then give me the shot of the Neulasta the following day knowing that the Neulasta will elevate the count.
If you will recall, when I was getting the Adriamycin and Cytoxin every two weeks, I received a shot of Neulasta 24 hours following the chemo to raise my white blood cell count before the next treatment. Since the Taxotere is given every three weeks, the thought is that my white blood cell count has a longer period of time to recover and that the Neulasta is not necessary - and it may not be necessary. We will know next week.
According to Gloria, Dr. P. was thinking because I am young (At 41 I don't hear that word used to describe me much these days, but I will take it!) that my blood count would recover quickly on its own. I asked Gloria if there were any natural methods I could use to raise it, and she said to eat white vegetables, like potatos. It was a joke.
Of course, as flattered as I am by her confidence in my youthful regenerative abilities, Dr. P's decision not to give me Neulasta may have nothing to do with my age at all. I received a bill from Dr. P's office last week. (The mailman delivers bills on a daily basis these days, and Bo has a few thrown in now too for variety.) It was four pages long, and I couldn't decipher it. It could be totally wrong, and I would have no way of knowing. One thing caught my attention, however, and I did call the billing office. "Hello, this is Mary Beth Gibson, and I was just reviewing my bill. I wanted to make sure that breast cancer isn't affecting my eyesight. I see a charge for one Neulasta shot, and it says that it costs $6892.00." "Yes, ma'am, that is correct." "You are sure the decimal is in the right place?" "Yes, ma'am." "There aren't extra numbers in that figure?" "No, ma'am." Whoa - thank God I have excellent health insurance, but what about all the people who don't?
Speaking of Bo, he has an appointment with his doctor next Tuesday morning. He called last week to find out the results of his blood work. They were running eight different tests. Dr. S said that some of the tests came back good and that she would discuss the results with him next week but that he shouldn't be concerned. Of course, he has been concerned ever since that conversation. "What does she mean by 'some of the tests?'" "Does that mean some of the tests haven't come back yet or that some of them came back bad?" I am hoping he gets some answers next Tuesday because his imagination comes up with possibilities that are probably far worse than the reality. Hmmm.... sounds familiar. Yes, I know, but it's different when I do it!
The family is headed to Virginia Beach tomorrow for three days and two nights of rest and relaxation. Okay, with three boys there may not be much R & R, but we will have big fun. The summer has really gotten away from me, and while I haven't been able to work full time, neither have I taken any vacation time. Since I am now my own boss, I gave myself a couple of days off.
My white blood count is still very low, even though it has been two weeks since my chemo. It is higher than last week but still quite a bit shy of what it needs to be to receive chemo next Wednesday. Not to worry. Gloria said we had two options: At the time of my treatment they can give me a shot that will boost the white blood count very quickly or they can adminster the chemo and then give me the shot of the Neulasta the following day knowing that the Neulasta will elevate the count.
If you will recall, when I was getting the Adriamycin and Cytoxin every two weeks, I received a shot of Neulasta 24 hours following the chemo to raise my white blood cell count before the next treatment. Since the Taxotere is given every three weeks, the thought is that my white blood cell count has a longer period of time to recover and that the Neulasta is not necessary - and it may not be necessary. We will know next week.
According to Gloria, Dr. P. was thinking because I am young (At 41 I don't hear that word used to describe me much these days, but I will take it!) that my blood count would recover quickly on its own. I asked Gloria if there were any natural methods I could use to raise it, and she said to eat white vegetables, like potatos. It was a joke.
Of course, as flattered as I am by her confidence in my youthful regenerative abilities, Dr. P's decision not to give me Neulasta may have nothing to do with my age at all. I received a bill from Dr. P's office last week. (The mailman delivers bills on a daily basis these days, and Bo has a few thrown in now too for variety.) It was four pages long, and I couldn't decipher it. It could be totally wrong, and I would have no way of knowing. One thing caught my attention, however, and I did call the billing office. "Hello, this is Mary Beth Gibson, and I was just reviewing my bill. I wanted to make sure that breast cancer isn't affecting my eyesight. I see a charge for one Neulasta shot, and it says that it costs $6892.00." "Yes, ma'am, that is correct." "You are sure the decimal is in the right place?" "Yes, ma'am." "There aren't extra numbers in that figure?" "No, ma'am." Whoa - thank God I have excellent health insurance, but what about all the people who don't?
Speaking of Bo, he has an appointment with his doctor next Tuesday morning. He called last week to find out the results of his blood work. They were running eight different tests. Dr. S said that some of the tests came back good and that she would discuss the results with him next week but that he shouldn't be concerned. Of course, he has been concerned ever since that conversation. "What does she mean by 'some of the tests?'" "Does that mean some of the tests haven't come back yet or that some of them came back bad?" I am hoping he gets some answers next Tuesday because his imagination comes up with possibilities that are probably far worse than the reality. Hmmm.... sounds familiar. Yes, I know, but it's different when I do it!
The family is headed to Virginia Beach tomorrow for three days and two nights of rest and relaxation. Okay, with three boys there may not be much R & R, but we will have big fun. The summer has really gotten away from me, and while I haven't been able to work full time, neither have I taken any vacation time. Since I am now my own boss, I gave myself a couple of days off.
posted by Mary @ 7:56 PM
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