Round 6 is Done and Cancer is Political (who knew?)

Chemo round 6 of 12, though delayed a few weeks, is complete. I now have 23 days off before round 7. I've learned that a person does, indeed, build up a tolerance for the chemo. I had done progressively better and by round 5 I had no longer had any residual throwing up or as much fatigue. This time was fine as far as energy, but I did have one episode of upset stomach/ throwing up. I figure that at least it always follows the same course. My stomach gets this weird upset, I feel like I've been eating soap, I go to the restroom and sit while throwing up in the trashcan. It's almost always just water, which is just odd to me. Being the control freak that I tend to be, it's comforting to know that I can at least see it coming, predict how it will be, and have a method for handling it. It's the small things.

I promise that this blog is not going to become a political platform, however, there are a few important things that I (and the rest of the cancer community) will need everyone's help with. Just so everyone knows, I have it on good authority that the American Cancer Society is also lobbying on these issues because they affect so many cancer patients across the country. If you or someone you know has cancer and has benefited from either of the items described in the two paragraphs below, or if they/you are just concerned about this, the ACS wants to hear the story of how these provisions and programs have affected you. Contact your local ACS chapter.

Yesterday Paul Ryan stated that they are definitely repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. I realize this program has issues. There are things that need to be fixed. However, there are a few things that help those with chronic diseases (like me, and maybe you). Please contact your senators to tell them there are 2 provisions that help working people that we need to keep: 1) According to the CDC, 1 in 2 Americans have an illness that qualifies as a preexisting condition. The ACA prohibits insurance from charging them more, dropping their coverage, or refusing to cover those costs. We pay insurance and it's a group plan for a reason. 2) Before the ACA, insurance companies could and did employ annual and lifetime limits for what they would cover. Once that limit was met, the insurance stopped covering you. Again, we pay for insurance. It's almost a betting game. They cover us and a lot of others betting that they will still make money because not everyone will be sick at the same time. And they do make money, as can be seen by how they pay their executives and build their infrastructures. They are not hurting in any way, however, I believe that these profits should not be at the expense of people like us.

Another issue that desperately needs support is the Cancer Moonshot Project. If you are not familiar with this program, you can find a lot of background on Google. Joe Biden was asked to head this program by Obama. In case you don't know, Beau Biden (Joe's son and a U.S. Senator) and Ted Kennedy (I will assume you know who he is) both died of Glioblastoma, which is what I have.  Biden has been overseeing the development of a program that brings the top researchers together to share data, collaborate, etc. This program, being constructed with the top cancer centers, is meant to help the researchers across the country move faster toward a cure for cancer. When I got to MD Anderson in February I was told they were so close, 5-10 years away from a cure for all cancers. They already have found cures for some childhood cancers. Since then I have been told that the CMP has the potential to move up the timeline quite a bit. Obviously it needs to be structured well, but it also needs to be there. The current administration had hoped to have congress fund it before they left office, however, congress has made no movement in that direction. If they do not, and the current administration chooses to let this fall apart, we have another lost opportunity. With over 1 million new diagnoses of cancer each year in this country, investing in the cure is the right answer spiritually, socially, and economically.

Ok, so now that you have probably more than your fill of healthcare politics, I will again promise to keep these political appeals at a minimum. I feel strongly that these are non-partisan issues. Let's hope the new administration feels the same. Contact your representatives and lend your support for me, for yourself, for your neighbors, and for your children/grandchildren.