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Thursday, February 20, 2020

In Technology We Trust?

I've just completed 33 Monday-Friday radiation treatments at our local hospital following having a malignant tumor removed from my parotid gland in November.

Other than the inconvenience involved, and having to rack up a total of some 400 miles of travel back and forth over the six and a half week period, I can't say it was a terrible experience. There were some anticipated side effects, like dry mouth, some "sun burn" on the left side of my face, and an almost complete loss of appetite for the past several weeks, but this unpleasantness should all go away over the next several months.

But I do shudder to think what all of this will cost Medicare and my Everence health insurance, given the fact that the gigantic Varian Trilogy Truebeam linear accelerator used for a this cost the hospital a cool $4 million, according to one of my radiation techs. Speaking of, two of these fine people capably administered these treatments every day, and once a week I also saw the nurse assigned to my case, my MD oncologist and a nutritionist.

Overall, I see myself as truly blessed by being born at a time and in a place where this level of help is possible, all to assure that all of the cancer in my body is gone.

Of course, it could crop up somewhere else at any time, but meanwhile I am profoundly grateful to God, my loving family and friends, and the wonderful professionals at RMH/Sentara for all the good help and care I've received.

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