Nov is Lung Cancer Awareness month. To bring more awareness about this disease, Stanford Cancer Center created this Lung Cancer video. Check it out at http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2011/11/lung-cancer-can-affect-anyone-but-not-everyone-is-listening/
Some facts
This week has flown by. Being busy with the kids and their activities as well as my own appointments makes the days speed by. I had my second round of Gemzar chemo this past Wed and this time, I decided not to take any of the premeds. Usually, with most chemo regiment, the nurses give you 2 pills of Decadron (steroids) and 2 pills of Zofran (anti-nausea) and since I dislike being hungry all the time, zapped with lots of energy, sleeping late and being constipated for 2 days, I decided to skip it. Personally, I just don't like meds and if I can handle things without it and fight through it naturally, I rather not take it. The less side effects the better. I guess I'm more of a "less is more" person. Simple is perfect. Although I was a bit tired after chemo, probably due to low blood counts, getting up super early like 6AM, not eating and then heading back home to care for the kids for a few hours, I did alright. My day nanny only comes to help for half of the day since it's what we can budget for.
This week I also did 2 sessions of acupuncture. I found an acunpunture place nearby and it had raving reviews from many patients that it helped them rid of pain, regain balance and energy or chi. Also, I had applied for assistance from http://sysfund.org/, a unique non profit that helps provide funding for personal pursuits and hobbies, as well as integrative therapies such as acupuncture, reflexology,
reiki, and therapeutic massage. In anticipation that I may get copay assistance, I was looking forward to getting a session in. But, soon found out that due to lack of funding, they can't help. But, since it had such raving reviews I wanted to try it anyways. For my health right? Anything to prevent pain and help heal me from this disease.
Now that I've 2 sessions of it, it's hard to tell if it worked or helped me in anyway. I'm still skeptical and ambivalent about the healing effects of it. She's scheduled me for more routine twice weekly sessions and also prescribed Chinese Herbal. Perhaps being almost "allured" due being so hopeful, part due to desperateness, I fell into the therapist "pitch" and paid almost $100 for the herbals which I'm supposed to take twice a day for a week. Aurgh. I think I fell under her spell for that one brief, weak but hopeful moment. I mean, what's $100 if this herbal medicine is suppose to help heal and strengthen my immune system and help sort of extend my life?
Anyways, now I'm out out of pocket so much now and to think about it, I'm coming to the realization that all of this is sort of big business of giving false hopes. I'm going cancel all my appointments and quit the acupuncture. Besides, I don't like being poked with needles. I get enough bloods draws and needle pokes every week enough already. Lesson learned. With our income limited, I have to be very careful to not overspend. I gotta make every dollar stretch and need to keep a good watch on our spending budget so that we can upkeep our current financial obligations, like childcare, preschool, mortgage, copays, insurance, basic living costs and on and on. How great it would be if we were in that 1% bracket where money is never a constant worry? Well, that's definitely not us and we gotta live like every other average working family. Savings seems so hard nowadays...Lots of Love.
Some facts
- 2/3 of those who get lung cancer don’t currently smoke
- 1 out of 3 people die of lung cancer
- Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancers of all the cancers out there, kills more than 160,000 people annually
- Approx 219,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the U.S. each year - over 103,000 women and nearly 116,000 men.
- Roughly 84% people diagnosed with lung cancer die within 5 years of their diagnosis
- More info can be found at http://www.lungcanceralliance.org/
This week has flown by. Being busy with the kids and their activities as well as my own appointments makes the days speed by. I had my second round of Gemzar chemo this past Wed and this time, I decided not to take any of the premeds. Usually, with most chemo regiment, the nurses give you 2 pills of Decadron (steroids) and 2 pills of Zofran (anti-nausea) and since I dislike being hungry all the time, zapped with lots of energy, sleeping late and being constipated for 2 days, I decided to skip it. Personally, I just don't like meds and if I can handle things without it and fight through it naturally, I rather not take it. The less side effects the better. I guess I'm more of a "less is more" person. Simple is perfect. Although I was a bit tired after chemo, probably due to low blood counts, getting up super early like 6AM, not eating and then heading back home to care for the kids for a few hours, I did alright. My day nanny only comes to help for half of the day since it's what we can budget for.
This week I also did 2 sessions of acupuncture. I found an acunpunture place nearby and it had raving reviews from many patients that it helped them rid of pain, regain balance and energy or chi. Also, I had applied for assistance from http://sysfund.org/, a unique non profit that helps provide funding for personal pursuits and hobbies, as well as integrative therapies such as acupuncture, reflexology,
reiki, and therapeutic massage. In anticipation that I may get copay assistance, I was looking forward to getting a session in. But, soon found out that due to lack of funding, they can't help. But, since it had such raving reviews I wanted to try it anyways. For my health right? Anything to prevent pain and help heal me from this disease.
Now that I've 2 sessions of it, it's hard to tell if it worked or helped me in anyway. I'm still skeptical and ambivalent about the healing effects of it. She's scheduled me for more routine twice weekly sessions and also prescribed Chinese Herbal. Perhaps being almost "allured" due being so hopeful, part due to desperateness, I fell into the therapist "pitch" and paid almost $100 for the herbals which I'm supposed to take twice a day for a week. Aurgh. I think I fell under her spell for that one brief, weak but hopeful moment. I mean, what's $100 if this herbal medicine is suppose to help heal and strengthen my immune system and help sort of extend my life?
Anyways, now I'm out out of pocket so much now and to think about it, I'm coming to the realization that all of this is sort of big business of giving false hopes. I'm going cancel all my appointments and quit the acupuncture. Besides, I don't like being poked with needles. I get enough bloods draws and needle pokes every week enough already. Lesson learned. With our income limited, I have to be very careful to not overspend. I gotta make every dollar stretch and need to keep a good watch on our spending budget so that we can upkeep our current financial obligations, like childcare, preschool, mortgage, copays, insurance, basic living costs and on and on. How great it would be if we were in that 1% bracket where money is never a constant worry? Well, that's definitely not us and we gotta live like every other average working family. Savings seems so hard nowadays...Lots of Love.
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