Bills, finances, insurance, etc.

Several people have asked about our insurance coverage. With Lenore working just 2/3 time and me returning to graduate school we were looking ways to trim expenses and briefly considered the possibility that I might take my chances and go without health insurance this year -- since I never get sick! As an adjunct faculty member I don't qualify for benefits through BSU and as a part-time graduate student at the University of Minnesota I don't have access graduate assistant benefits either. After contemplating this possibility for a couple days we decided it wasn't worth the risk so fortunately I was added on to Lenore's plan, unfortunately taking a further bite out her paycheck. With the State of Minnesota's Jesse/IR induced budget woes, co-pays and maximum out of pocket limits have increased pretty dramatically and I would imagine we will reach the maximum before too long. We're just happy to do our part in helping the Federal government in their recent efforts assist our nation's struggling pharmaceutical industry! So far we haven't spent much time worrying about how we are going to pay for all this...just getting through it is the priority of the moment. Our friend Miriam has graciously volunteered to coordinate some sort of 'celebration / benefit / concert / jam session' once the chemo and radiation are behind me...more on that possibility later.

Still scheduled to start Round II of chemo tomorrow. Can't say that I am looking forward to it exactly but I do look forward to being able to say that 2/3 of my chemo is behind me. If all goes as planned, the third and final round should occur in mid-December; hopefully I'll be over the worst of the side effects by Christmas. Everything appears to be going well and I am optimistic that a complete cure can and will be the end result of all of this aggressive treatment. /dps