Summer 2012 RADS HANG OUT

Thank you so much for your welcome.

Crap! I never thought about deductibles for rads either. I've got $100 for every chemo session. $50 for the actual chemo and then $50 for the shot the next day. That wasn't too bad on dd, but taxol will be weekly. $400 a month. Ugh. If I can't keep working throughout, Im screwed. Going to call rads today to see if I can find anything out.

Just got off the phone with the insurance company. I DO have to pay a co-pay every time I go for radiation. I think he said Id be 7 weeks of radiation. That's $1750. My husband called back to talk to someone else and got the same answer. Our deductible is $9000, we are at $5000 right now, but co-pays do not count. SOOO glad this came up. I never would have thought about that and I would have been screwed. 

We are doing a withdrawl from our 401k, but can only do it once, so if I did it before this it would not have been good!  

They (insurance) certainly do make mistakes! I too got a "mystery bill" a couple of weeks ago - not a $6 K one, but one claiming that I owed quite a bit of money above and beyond my published copays for procedures and my hospital visit, all of which I had paid at the time of service. Luckily, one phone call was all I had to make to clear it up. Turns out they had started using new software and had entered several incorrect codes.



Melrose, I hope yours turns out as well.

Hello everyone. I started rads 3 days ago and should finish by the end of july. I'm not sure if the fatigue is residual from the chemom (finished a month and a half ago) or if rads is really kicking my butt. been taking 5 hour naps each day. Although I enjoy the rest, I'm a single mom with three kids and moving in three days. What can I do for a boost of energy. Luckily I have a lot of support. As far as insurance, I feel for all of you in a financial situation. My ex dropped from insurance and never told me. I found out bevcause my pharmacy wouldn't my script for a breast infection i developed. UGH! It was realy scary to be going through cancer and worrying about money. Good luck to all of you, Hugs and prayers being sent. Thank you Stacie for starting thid thread.

Hello everyone! I have one "big" chemo left on July 6th and should be starting radiation sometime in August. I look forward to being a part of this group and learning all I can. Been so focused on getting thru chemo I haven't even thought about radiation.



Have a great Sunday night all!

KJ: thank you so much! Congrats to you as well. What a journey it's been! I'm sure you are as anxious to get done as I am!

If you ladies haven't already done so, make sure ou bookmark and join the 2012 Summer Rads Hangout.  That's our next step in this journey WE WILL GET THROUGH!  Lots of great gals on that one too.

ButterflyLady - So sorry to hear you have to go through this again.  That is really unfair!

I had my 4th of 30 treatments today.  So far it is a piece of cake compared to chemo.  I am 4 weeks PFC and finally regaining some energy, though I was lucky enough to catch an upper respiratory infection a few days ago.  Try laying absolutely still on the rad bed and not cough when you have a tickle in your throat...it is not easy.  I do get to breath and they let me suck on a hard candy so that helped.  The RO showed me my cat scans and the beams miss my heart by a mile but catch a sliver of lung.  I guess the radiation doesn't worry me as much as the chemo did because I've worked with radiation for many years in a different (research) capacity (though the doses were much, much lower than I'm getting now).  I am medium-skinned so am hoping I don't burn much, but I am using Aloe every day.  As for co-pay, no one has asked me to pay a co-pay where I go for treatment (I have no idea why, because I pay a co-pay everywhere else) and I'm not going to ask about it!  I just pay for parking every day.  

Hugs to everyone! 

Hi ladies - so those who are already into rads - has your hair started to grow back or does radiation slow it down?

Yea I keep looking at my legs and pits knowing they will be the first to grow!  I haven't missed shaving these last few months!

Slak:  Thank you for the info.  It is much appreciated.  How soon after your chemo did you start with your radiation?  

Stacie, thanks for starting this thread! I've been in chemo since March and most of the time was following the March 2012 Chemo thread but also would try to keep up to date with your April/May 2012 thread. Lol I feel I know some of you ladies just by reading the posts. The support and love on these threads have made this journey much more bearable for me. Thank you!! I finish my last Taxol on July 5th and am scheduled to see RO on the 17th. I m sure he will start rads in July! I also believe I will have 33 treatments. Looking forward to helping each other get though this new phase of our journey back to normal life!!!