Cancer!.. Another reason to be FI

[protostache]

(I did get the cost of my Neulasta injections mostly waived by the manufacturer, since my health plan's drug coverage wasn't enough for that;  sounds to me from your Indiegogo site like you might have been prescribed that one, so do look into that).

Can't get into the full story right now, but Lynne, you kinda saved my life! I was researching this and called the program, only to find out I can have a SEVERE reaction to this medicine (something no one told me before).
THANK YOU doesn't begin to cover it!!  THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!  THANK YOU!!!

Ugh neulasta. I had to have one round of that and it was possibly the worst part of the whole chemo ordeal. It wasn't the worst pain in terms of degrees, but it just would. not. stop. And it moved! First it was in my breastbone and then it moved to my jaw and stayed there for days. Couldn't sleep, couldn't get comfortable in bed, couldn't really do  much of anything except lay there and moan.

[TrMama]

Hi there,

I turned 20 in December and was diagnosed with Appendix Cancer (less than 1,000 Americans diagnosed with it a year) in January.

Had an emergency surgery and undergoing 6 months of chemotherapy right now.

Honestly with my whole experience so far, I would recommend to get to FI  ASAP to anyone.

Cancer can hit anyone at any age. My cancer is obviously due to genetics based on my young age (no family history though) but regardless, cancer is simply one of those unlucky things that some people get and others do not.

I am seriously lucky to come from a country with universal healthcare but while my medical costs are thankfully covered my living expenses are not (no welfare or unemployment or charity available where I am from).

Day to day living is very interesting. I am again lucky to have had a mustachian parent (deceased) so we were already FI and my living expenses are covered. But due to the fact I am not working and cannot earn an income (besides still being a student) during chemo, I do notice my emergency fund depleting gradually.

Having cancer brings on additional expenses, in my case I have had to take a taxi to the hospital for chemo because I have no family and nobody who can send me (prices are highly inflated due to it being considered a luxury here), food expenses thankfully decreased (but due to incorrect information in the beginning of treatment, I wasted money on the wrong food products), staying at home all day meant having to go for cable and internet (no Netflix where I live) and a lot more.

As fellow new MMM @The Great Dane mentioned, having cancer truly is both financially and emotionally stressful. Being FI before being diagnosed with cancer will at least help eliminate one stress if possible for some people.

Than there is the post Chemo cost and expenses, having to suddenly buy exclusively organic products (optional but for people who want to avoid pesticides that could encourage cancer recurrence), medical cost of yearly check ups, possible risk of a recurrence which would mean surgery/chemo/radiotherapy again and lack of income if going for treatments all over again.

Here is my blog https://thebucketliststory.wordpress.com/ if anyone is interested, only on Cycle 2 of Chemo though so not much written in the blog yet.

I'm so sorry for all you're going through. It sounds like you've had a really rough go of things.

The one thing you may be able to save money on is cable. If you have a computer and internet you can download Google Chrome and an associated app called Hola for free. Chrome is just a browser. Hola is an unblocking app. Once it's running, you just tell it what country you want to be in so you can access anything that's blocked in your country. I've been using it for about a week and it works great. Check out Hulu in the US. It's like Netflix, but a lot of content is free.

[Lynne]

Well, you can have a severe reaction to pretty much any medicine;  you just have to weigh the odds of that against the benefits.  I actually found Neulasta to be the most mild thing I took through my whole cancer treatment;  no noticeable side effects for me at all.

(Not to minimize what zrail went through, but it's not going to be everyone's experience.  Unless you have reason to think you'd have a bad reaction to it, I wouldn't dismiss Neulasta just because a bad reaction is possible.)

(Tamoxifen, now, some people have a really easy time with, but I've been very tempted to quit that.  I'm supposed to stay on it for another three years, and I just don't know if I can.)

[The Great Dane]

Well, you can have a severe reaction to pretty much any medicine;  you just have to weigh the odds of that against the benefits.  I actually found Neulasta to be the most mild thing I took through my whole cancer treatment;  no noticeable side effects for me at all.

Yes, I know and feel that way about most of the medicines involved in my treatment, they just give it to you and you see how you feel and weigh the pros and cons.  But because my insurance didn't cover this, and I had to go through the extra steps that you suggested to see if I qualify for this program and in doing that, I became aware of a life-threatening interaction because I have a specific blood issue.  So it wasn't one of the side effects listed in small print at the bottom, it was right up front on the first page in large letters that I am NOT supposed to take it! After that, I did some more research and it could really damage me.  But I just wanted to say thank you because YOU were the catalyst for this.  If you hadn't of given me the suggestion and the link, I never would have known. So thank you!

[protostache]

(Not to minimize what zrail went through, but it's not going to be everyone's experience.  Unless you have reason to think you'd have a bad reaction to it, I wouldn't dismiss Neulasta just because a bad reaction is possible.)

I was definitely not suggesting not taking it due to my experience. I'm glad I took it because it let me continue treatment, my body just responded too well to it and, the way my onc described it, my bone marrow expanded and went crazy, leading to bone pain in the larger bones. It brought my white cell count *way* up and let me finish treatment strong, which is the whole point, but it was painful.

...it wasn't one of the side effects listed in small print at the bottom, it was right up front on the first page in large letters that I am NOT supposed to take it!

Definitely a much better reason to not take it! :)

[The Great Dane]

Ugh neulasta. I had to have one round of that and it was possibly the worst part of the whole chemo ordeal. It wasn't the worst pain in terms of degrees, but it just would. not. stop. And it moved! First it was in my breastbone and then it moved to my jaw and stayed there for days. Couldn't sleep, couldn't get comfortable in bed, couldn't really do  much of anything except lay there and moan.
[/quote]

This is pretty much my daily existence right now. I thought it was the chemo, but I am also taking a neupogen shot everyday for 5 days that makes me feel terrible and actually isn't working. I have low wbc, low platelets, and anemia.  But I just realized that I may be having a bad reaction to the shots because of blood condition I have. I need to talk to my doctor.  Some days it just feels like too much! I am pretty much 'recovering' for like 10 days and then I have a good week and then starts all over again.  Feeling bad isn't so bad, it is all the lifestyle stuff like taking care of the family which makes it all the more exhausting.  But, it is working so I try to think positively about it all.  Pretty soon it will all be over and I will have a long and happy life and watch my boys grow up and spend my days becoming/being FI and teaching them the same!  :-)  Seeing others who have come out on the other side is so inspiring though. Thanks for sharing!

[protostache]

Ugh neulasta. I had to have one round of that and it was possibly the worst part of the whole chemo ordeal. It wasn't the worst pain in terms of degrees, but it just would. not. stop. And it moved! First it was in my breastbone and then it moved to my jaw and stayed there for days. Couldn't sleep, couldn't get comfortable in bed, couldn't really do  much of anything except lay there and moan.

This is pretty much my daily existence right now. I thought it was the chemo, but I am also taking a neupogen shot everyday for 5 days that makes me feel terrible and actually isn't working. I have low wbc, low platelets, and anemia.  But I just realized that I may be having a bad reaction to the shots because of blood condition I have. I need to talk to my doctor.  Some days it just feels like too much! I am pretty much 'recovering' for like 10 days and then I have a good week and then starts all over again.  Feeling bad isn't so bad, it is all the lifestyle stuff like taking care of the family which makes it all the more exhausting.  But, it is working so I try to think positively about it all.  Pretty soon it will all be over and I will have a long and happy life and watch my boys grow up and spend my days becoming/being FI and teaching them the same!  :-)  Seeing others who have come out on the other side is so inspiring though. Thanks for sharing!

You're doing great! Thank you too for sharing. Soon this will all be just a bunch of fuzzy memories and you'll be thinking "I made it through that!? I can literally do anything."

[Lynne]

I am pretty much 'recovering' for like 10 days and then I have a good week and then starts all over again.

Ohh yes.  It wears you down, too, knowing you have to go back again.  :(  Towards the end of my chemo I started feeling sick when I sat down in the chair at the hospital, before they'd even started;  just a visceral reaction.  But you'll get through it, sooner than it feels like you will.

Glad you caught the warning for people with your blood condition taking Neulasta - that doesn't sound like it would have been a good idea at all! Darn those white blood cells anyway.

[Secretly Saving]

We were told that if you have to take Neulasta, that taking Claritin a couple days before the Neulasta and continuing with it for about a week after makes the side effects much easier.   Maybe something to look into with your doc?