First anniversary

I almost missed an anniversary.  Yesterday a year ago, I headed to a doctor I didn’t know – chosen because his surgery is in the building next to where I work – to have my strange feebleness on the bicycle, the football pitch and the stairs up to my desk on the fourth floor explained.  There was also the strange issue of recurrent dull pain in my guts.  I expected nothing serious.

Exactly one year ago tonight, I underwent the world’s longest ultrasound, given without even a hint of what I’m sure the doctor suspected.  Later I prepared for the colonoscopy and endoscopy that were scheduled for the next morning.  The results have kept this blog busy ever since, but they didn’t throw my life in disarray.  The corona pandemic has been more effective in this regard.

I mention Japan to my boss.  He says, yes, definitely, we need to go.  Japan continues to say no.  I mention China.  We had planned to go there in early March, right when covid numbers became scary.  Now the country is closed.  I scheme to accompany one of our service engineers to Korea.  We don’t have much of a presence there.  My boss is all for it.  Korea says no.  I set my targets lower and start putting together a trip to the UK.  A week before that’s to take place, the UK put Switzerland on its risk list.  Rather than quarantining for two weeks, I stay in the office.  I have not traveled for work in nearly eight months, and I don’t see any opportunities on the horizon.

In the hospital on Tuesday, the doctor agreed to continue with chemotherapy but replace the antibody I was getting with one that is rather experimental.  This was contingent on the health insurance provider’s agreement to cover the cost.  My provider is the cheapest in the country.  Would they put up the money?

Today I received the confirmatory letter.  The treatment is covered for only three months (six sessions, I presume) and only thanks to the participation of the company that owns the patent on the drug.  Thank you, Amgen.  I’ll let you and the insurance company know how things are going.  Maybe we can continue beyond the initial three months.

I haven’t spoken with anyone at the hospital since getting the letter, but chemotherapy will probably resume next week.  I retained my appointment for Wednesday even though my therapy was suspended.  If the hospital confirms this tomorrow, I will start fasting again on Sunday night.  It’s not that I missed it but I’m happy to go back.  There is so much sense in this approach.

Besides the approval of the new therapy, I haven’t had any good news recently.  The disease has progressed.  That this was what the doctors had expected all along doesn’t make it any less upsetting.  Still, I rejoice in the fact that the progression has been slow.  I’ve survived the first year, and I feel good.  I’m looking forward to many more anniversaries.