I arranged my consultation at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York for Friday, Jan. 6. My new insurance plan will have taken effect by then, and hopefully it will be as reasonably comprehensive as the old one, which was dropped by my employer because of escalating costs. What else is new, right?
Meanwhile, today I filled prescriptions for my three medications before my old insurance runs out.
My eldest sister will come with me for the consultation to ask any questions and take down any information I might miss. I've been through these consultations before, and they're harrowing because literal life-and-death issues are being discussed. So, an extra pair of eyes and ears and a fairly objective viewpoint will be most welcome.
Ironically, I got the confirmation call from Sloan-Kettering yesterday afternoon during the funeral of my favorite uncle, a veteran of World War II's Battle of the Bulge who died last week at 90. (Luckily, the phone rang while we were waiting for attendees to arrive, and not during the service.)
I know that sometimes I can be maudlin and too wrapped up in the negative aspects of any given situation, but the timing of this call was exquisite, no?
2 comments:
Thank you Michael, i really appreciate what you say, the way you say it and see it. It soiunds and looks real maybe just because you are more aware than any of us of your-our mortality. The fucking difficulty and the grace of it.
I respect immensely your contribution and again, thank you for this written voice that you leave like a drunken bird on a snow field.
gassho
Thank you, Pierre, for your comments! Of course, I'm not thrilled with the fact that Mother Nature (or whoever or whatever) has chosen to start teaching me about mortality at this point in my life. At times, it consumes me with unhealthy anger, but who can I complain to?Right now, I think it's deceptively easy for me to accept the reality of my situation because, thankfully, I feel fine physically.
I hope I can remain circumspect when and if things become more difficult.
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