The week ended with an appointment with an attorney in The Woodlands. We've had multiple people seeking attorneys, so it was great to hear that someone was at least interested in talking to us. Turns out this is a guy who has a family member with cancer being treated at MDA who also is having some insurance woes. So he gets it. He is interested in the case, however, he cannot be retained until our appeals through MDA have been exhausted. For now he will collect materials, do some background work, and prepare in case we need him. We left feeling like we'd achieved some small victory.[...]

Now that treatment is well underway, I feel like the weeks are flying by. We officially have 4 weeks before the proton therapy is finished for this round. This morning we were once again at the proton center at a very early 6:30 AM. Jason insists on taking the bumpiest road in town to get there, he says it's 4 minutes faster. We are still always a few minutes late, so I say he just likes the scenic route. He's an old man in a younger man's body. Luckily tomorrow we can sleep in, my appointment is at 10:30.[...]

Good morning! Yesterday afternoon we visited with friends from Kentucky and had a great time at the Johnson Space Center. We tried to go to the zoo but it was so busy we couldn't even find parking. Plan B worked just as well. Today I have a special treat planned. No one but Jason and I know where we are going so I will tell you more about that tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a quick update on treatment, etc.[...]

After being very frustrated with yesterday's adventures, seeing the NCAA championship game was just what I needed. What an exciting win for Villanova over UNC! Sharing it with Bill and Claudia was even more special since their Texas Tech season tickets are next to ours and we really enjoy basketball. I still need to watch the highlights from last night's game.[...]

It makes me feel good knowing that we have such a vast network of people who love us. I again want to say how much we appreciate the donations on this site. I woke up very early this morning thinking about insurance so I got out my laptop and began typing out my arguments about how the insurance company is violating their own policies and how the state of Texas is wasting money in the long run and being lied to by United Healthcare. I got so angry that I just sent my first draft to Jason and said to hell with it for now. While I was in proton therapy Jason was on the phone with various attorneys and used my draft to send details of the case to said attorneys. We are now waiting to see if any of them are definitely going to take the case. This could obviously take years but this is not just about me, this is about everyone covered by United Healthcare. Apparently there have been class action law suits in many states and the insurance companies have lost this battle repeatedly. This is not an experimental treatment nor is it "off label" as United Healthcare has apparently told ERS. So infuriating![...]

Today was the last day of the week, which means the last proton therapy for the week. I resume on Monday. The highlights for next week include more blood work, a follow up with my oncology team, and my weekly follow up with the radiologist overseeing my proton therapy. I'm only a few weeks in and I'm already getting tired of the constant appointments, however, I vowed that I will wake up each morning willing to do whatever I need to do so I will show up each day with a smile.[...]

As is our new normal, I was at MDA for blood draw and labs this morning. I discovered that if I'm careful about portions, I can have cheerios for breakfast once in a while with flax milk. That was actually a great discovery. I prefer Honey Nut, but original will do just fine. [...]

Today was about the same as every other day this week. The neighbor at the condo told me that I may start to get tired in the second or third week of proton so I am going to watch for that (I had my 5th treatment today). My scalp is a little more tender from the burn of the radiation and I've been told that this might get worse before the end of my treatments. I also think my hair may be thinning some, but I couldn't care less about my hair. Hair is the last thing I'm concerned about. I'm also not interested in wearing a wig. Perhaps a nice scarf, but I'll wear my bald head and scar proudly![...]

We continue to be grateful for the donations coming in. I can see the names of donors but not the amounts yet, as that information goes to the site administrator (Jane). I will get some thank yous out as soon as I can after I see the official list from Jane. Again, so grateful to be building a backup fund for in case insurance never comes through. In the meantime, I will also be putting together a plea for the ERS board, state representatives, and United Healthcare. Once I have that together I will post it on the blog in case anyone wants to use my facts for their own letters.[...]

So, first of all, let me just say how overwhelming and humbling it has been to have so many people stepping up to help us financially. We hope that we won't need it and will be able to return it, however, it gives us such peace of mind to know that we have such a nice starter fund in just 24 hours! What amazing and generous friends and family we have! [...]