Livin' on the Edge

I've only seen "Forrest Gump" once.  Doesn't he say in there somewhere that life is like a box of chocolates- you never know what you're gonna get?  I think he forgot to add that some have really strange flavor combinations. Some work.  Some don't, therefore leaving a pretty nasty taste in your mouth.  Then there are those that are complete perfection, whether they be caramel, peanut butter, dark chocolate, etc. (Must stop, I'm now salivating). 

We had a 3 week delay between the last phase of treatment and the one we're currently in.  Derek's blood counts were too low and therefore needed to rebound enough for his little system to handle more chemo.  I gotta admit, the break was kinda nice, the kind of chocolate from the proverbial box that you can never get enough of.  Even the first bit of this current phase haven't been too shabby.  He's been going to school all day.  Benjamin has adjusted, and we've experienced a hint of routine and normalcy.  We've gone a few hikes, visited friends and family, played outside a lot, harvested the garden, went to a Halloween party for cancer kids that we'll definitely go back to next year, and lived in the moment (I'm learning to do that a lot more these days- quite the feat for me, the Eternal Agenda Maker).

This past Thursday we knew Derek was in for a long day of chemo.  One of the drugs he had to get is an infusion of more than an hour.  Then he has to stick around for surveillance in case of an allergic reaction.  He also needed a red blood cell transfusion. Paradise-like streaks don't last forever.  About 15min in to the infusion, Derek went in to anaphylactic shock.  He was surrounded by nursing staff within seconds as they took care of business. Some of the future chemo meds are in the same class as the one he reacted to, so he runs the risk of anaphylaxis again.  Glorious. I'm still unsure of what kind of flavor this "chocolate" left in my mouth.  I just know I don't like it and hope to never taste it again. 

When Tyler went to the pharmacy to pick up the prescription for an epi-pen, he was told our insurance wouldn't cover it. Wait, what?  #1. We met out out-of-pocket maximum quite some time ago.  What gives?  #2. There really isn't another drug option here.  Any suggestions, morons?  #3. (My favorite) Tyler called the insurance company and was told they cover the epinephrine for double Derek's prescribed dose.  He frankly told her that would kill our child, therefore NOT an option.  Who made such an asinine decision, where do they live, and where are the tar and feathers?  Thankfully our hospital social worker had a voucher to cover the $400 epi-pen.  The same insurance agent called back the following day saying she'd spoken with the head pharmacist there and he decided to override the lack of coverage.  Clap. Clap. Clap.

Let's just say it's a darn good thing I LOVE chocolate.  Perhaps I ought to pick up surfing so I can learn to ride the wave better.  Utah is land-locked.  Somewhat of a problem.  Guess I'll stick with chocolate.