Mike and I decided to do a little shopping today while I still feel good enough to go out and I took my new 'do for a test run because I was a little tired of the stares. We went to Target, Dicks, and Macy's at the Mall. I'm looking for some yoga-type pants or some comfortable pants that aren't jeans that fit me with my smaller size and that don't cost a lot. Instead, I bought some cute tops to at least help me feel better. Shopping is therapeutic, right?!
After shopping, we were hungry so we headed over to Panera's for lunch. I have to be careful what I eat since I can't eat raw veggies or fruits so I had a plain ham and cheese sandwich with spicy mustard. I never really cared for lettuce on my sandwiches before, but now I really miss it! We ran into Jaycee and friend, Steve, and he saw Mike first but didn't recognize me right away with my new 'do. I look different that I did before, that's for sure! Steve sat and chatted with us while he waited for another Jaycee to meet him there.
I will say that I am not used to wearing a wig and I started to get a headache. I must wear a stocking cap on my bald head underneath the wig to protect my head because it is a little sensitive. The stocking cap looks like pantyhose without the legs attached. I jokingly asked Mike when I put it on if he was ready to go rob a bank with me. Once I got home, I took the wig off and put on my scarf. Ahhhhhhh, relief.
I head back over to NIH around 3pm for my daily pit stop and I must remember to swing by their pharmacy to pick up my truckload of drugs I'll need for the next couple of weeks. I'm so thankful that NIH is free because I can't even imagine to cost of the drugs I take each day. The price is probably enormous. I continue to be thankful that I have really good health benefits because I received a bill from Fairfax Inova Hospital yesterday for my week-long "visit" there at the beginning of April. It was a very large bill, but my cost was $0. I can't even imagine how people without insurance or not very good insurance pay for treatment. It breaks my heart. I think when I am all better, I am going to research some agencies who help families offset medical costs due to cancer and see if I can rally some fundraising support through the Jaycees. If we can even help one person offset some medical costs, that would be amazing. I want to turn my experience and knowledge into something good and help someone else going through a similar experience. It's a tough road already without worrying about how to pay for it later or even postponing treatment because one doesn't have the money to pay for it.
3 comments:
Wow. I started off laughing about the wig story and was ready to start asking for photos.
Then I got to the part at the end where you want to turn this experience into a positive for someone else.
It's because of that kind of stuff that so many of your friends think you're beautiful. With hair or without it.
In respect to the cost of medical treatment, I cannot tell you how many times I have felt grateful for the socialized medicine we have here. Cancer, bombing, serious hand injury--and I have paid almost nothing. I do co-pay for prescription meds (and I am grateful that I have the wherewithal to do so) but still... I cannot think how much this all would have cost me Stateside! People complain all the time here about the medical system and costs and so on and I just want to tell them, "no, it is not perfect but it is a lot better than it could be!"
Gila
Mike and I did the "light the night" walk for a few years afterwards. they do some supplements. They are more educational however.
Claire
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