Health care costs

Kind of a sad day today. I got ANOTHER bill from UCSF... They want another $700.00! Now don't get me wrong, they gave me great care and attention and I trust them. However on unemployment it is eating my savings alive! I consider myself blessed that we were able to save when I was working. I have the $$ for now.

I applied for Government run health care, VA benefits, they were also very nice... they nicely showed me the door. No help there. I have to be homeless and on the street for another full year before they will even consider me for health care. Plus Jenni works and because of that I still don't think I would qualify. Maybe I need to divorce her and then just live in sin...Just kidding Sweetheart!

So some decisions need to be made. I'm smoldering and at this point, not needing any treatment. The quarterly blood tests are all I need until next December, very affordable. They want me to do a bone marrow biopsy once each year with bone scans. My M-Spike is 1.9 right now. If my M-Spike stays below 3.0 I think I will forgo the biopsy, very high cost procedure. I can call Dr. Martin and get the whole body scan prescription and re-new the blood tests until I go past 3.0. That will save me all the high cost testing and hold the money in savings until I really need it. I know that comes with risks. I know of one M/M patient who's M-Spike was low but was at 80+ on the plasma count! However; nobody ever told me life was W/O risk. We need to manage that risk and move ahead...

I get emails from the support group in San Francisco and they offered help with deductibles and co-pays but I don't think I'm there yet. There are patients who couldn't get much needed "treatment" without that help. I don't want to go there and maybe prevent that help from being used for a person who is actively treating this cancer. I know with smoldering myeloma I'm in a strange category and being in this situation doesn't make it any less weird.

Soooooo....I'm keeping a smile on my face and a spring in my step knowing that today is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it! He will take care of me or call me home... Both are acceptable options!

The body is sick, but thanks to Jesus the soul is alive and well...