Holy Expensive Batman

I had no idea that chemotherapy was so freaking expensive. Finally got a billing for my first couple of treatments. It is absolutely crazy how much some of this stuff costs. Just one drug, oxaliplatin, costs over $10,000 per treatment. Per treatment! That's $61K racked up. There's another drug that is nearly $8K a pop, one at $1,400, and lots of two to three hundred dollar charges per visit for the port flush, the anxiety meds, other meds and liquids I didn't even realize were getting pumped into me, the visit itself, etc., etc. Thank goodness for health insurance. We're paying a lot more now than when I was on my own work's plan, but it is still saving us a LOT of money in the long run, even the short run.

Since I changed health insurance halfway through the year, I've had to meet a second deductible (ugh). But on the plus side, this latest bill already puts me at the maximum out-of-pocket expense for the year. So from here on out, other than co-pays, everything should be covered. Perhaps this year will be the one where I get to deduct medical expenses on my taxes. I've certainly paid enough out already. I figure there is at least one fancy European adventure I could have taken for the price of medical care so far. But don't think I'm just here to complain... we've been able to afford everything that has come in and the big round numbers of some of these bills are nowhere near the small percentages I've had to pay. There's still that moment of sticker shock when you look at the full totals though.

I recognize, and appreciate, how lucky I am to have had health insurance and to have been able to get continuous coverage with the changeover. There haven't been any mis-billings and I've not had to call and deal with the insurance company over coverage (knock on wood). Again, I feel like I've gotten out pretty lucky and easy with a potentially difficult situation. It also makes me feel that much more proud that I was responsible enough to have put myself in a solid, stable financial situation before this all started. The last couple of years have been years of saving and putting more into retirement funds. I was never in a better spot to have something like this happen.

My biggest financial hope right now is that I can get back to saving a little bit every month in order to afford the traveling I hope to do once I have beat this. I know I can get there, just have to be smart and stay positive.