Over two
weeks have passed since my last surgery, but I'm still very much recovering
from it. The biggest hurdles left to overcome at this point are side-effects more
than anything else. My various incision sites are all healing well, and my
right shoulder—which has a cool new scar from the thoracotomy—is getting less
sore and becoming increasingly mobile. I'll need to continue stretching and
exercising it, but it's progressing well for the most part. The tougher
challenges are rib soreness and a weird, superficial numbness around my ribs
and across my chest. The combination of the two means that my breathing has a
lot further to go yet; normally I can easily inhale 4+ liters, but right now I’m
barely able to get 2. It’s definitely a work in progress still.
But at least
I can focus on surgery recovery and, for now, don’t have to worry about the
prospect of losing healthcare coverage. I can remain on my $40,000 a month
chemo and continue to incur an average $1million a year in treatment costs
without getting cut off for being too expensive. I can again look forward to
someday completing treatment, working, and buying my own insurance without fear
of being rejected for my numerous pre-existing conditions.
The news that
the AHCA would not even be put up for a vote elicited far more than a simple sigh
of relief from me, though my joy was tempered somewhat by the knowledge that a
key part of its failure came from numerous representatives who thought it didn’t
go far enough in stripping consumer protections that enable me to have at least
a semblance of a fighting chance against my cancer. It boggles my mind, but
such is the world in which we live, and such is the consequences of rampant
selfishness cheaply-veneered as virtuous self-reliance and personal
responsibility, rather than an emphasis on caring for others and recognizing
our shared responsibilities. For now though, I’m going to take a little break
from thinking about the possible destruction of healthcare in this country and
work on my incentive spirometer. Next goal: 2.5 liters.
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