Did you know that the side effects from Chemotherapy can be worse than the actual disease it is treating? I know for me I am feeling at this present moment like I have been hit by a small truck, not yet a semi trailer but a small perhaps 3 tonne version.

We leave the Hospital and head for Westfield, which in hindsight, is not a great idea.  I have an invoice to take to Medicare to try and get some cash back. We have spent well over $50k so far on treatment and surgery so we need to keep on top of what we can recoup. With no insurance kicking in yet it is financially trying.

Just stop and think what would happen to you if tomorrow you were told you could work again and for an undefined time? Would you be prepared? This will be covered in depth in a future post but please take the time to consider this for your self.

I asked this of a lady recently how would she cope if she became sick and was not insured. She looked me in the eye and said “Oh but I don’t plan to get sick.” My response straight back at her was, “Neither did I!” Sadly I still don’t think she got it.

I get to Medicare which most of you know, is a very pleasant experience. I get my ticket find a seat and wait, and wait and wait. Finally, a young woman who appears to be perhaps 24 years old calls me up. She holds her hand out and drones at me, “How can I help,” however the tone was anything but helpful. I try to muster a smile whilst my stomach is fighting the toxin recently overtaking my system, my head is buzzing, my body buzzing too and a weird hot pain is raging all over.

I say “I have this invoice to claim on please.”  I hand her the invoice and she looks at it, scoffs and spits at me “This is not the right invoice I cannot help you” and then waves to the next person.  I am outraged, but the inner assault on my body prevents me from doing anything but skulk away.

Now, anyone who knows me knows this is not how I normally handle a situation like this. I would usually quite assertively stand up and say “Sorry but that is not helpful, please explain what the issue is here.”  I would then remain until it was resolved to my satisfaction as a tax paying Australian.  I walk slowly to find Marc with hot tears of anger and frustration welling up inside me, how dare she be so rude!

I find Marc and try to explain, he hugs me and says calmly, “We will sort it out love.”  He has all of my goodies from the chemist and then says, “So are we off to the Pet store?” I agree and say “If we get there and she is not in the window we will take that as a sign that she is not meant to be ours.”

We approach the pet store window where “our” little pup is meant to be, we look and all we can see is an empty glass enclosure. My heart tears open as it sinks in my chest…..