Making a Way in the Wilderness

I didn't anticipate writing another blog post until my next oncology check-up in February. But Penn State's switch from Aetna to Highmark on January 1 has created medication chaos for me. I did not think I would have to spend hours making phone calls and writing emails to make sure that my very expensive targeted therapy medication (Tagrisso) and my blood thinner (enoxaparin/Lovenox) will be covered and that I have no gaps in doses. It has been very time-consuming and stressful. The short story is that I will still pay nothing for Tagrisso and I have 2 months of enoxaparin at the price I was paying with Aetna ($41). Here's the longer story. Due to the New Year's Eve holidays, I first called my oncology nurse on January 3 or 4 to get a new Tagrisso prescription submitted and pre-authorized with Highmark. Once it was approved I called the mail-order specialty pharmacy (Accredo) to find out the cost. $5000 per month. I was livid. After several rounds of phone calls with Hi...

I did not know until reading Kate Bowler's Advent devotional that the period between Christmas and Epiphany is called Christmastide--the 12 days of Christmas popularized in the song. She writes, "Christmastide (December 25 - January 5) is about the gradual departure of darkness and the gentle dawning of light at Epiphany." The symbolism of light and darkness was especially meaningful to me this year. We quoted this verse in our holiday card:  By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:78-79) I have felt the light begin to pierce the darkness -- in being able to travel to see family for Thanksgiving and Christmas, in the Weihnachtsmarkt (German Christmas market) indoor/outdoor party we hosted, in needing less oxygen than I did some months ago (I sometimes forget my portable concentrator as I'm walking out the door), in ...