That’s the name of the medicine I’m getting the day after each chemo to boost my white blood cell count. It is a brief shot in the arm that I have to drive to Albany and back in order to get. Dr. C. the oncologist says that it is basically prophylactic–it eliminates the risk of me having so few white cells that I get a regular infection and it turns fatal. He told us it was expensive, but I’ve learned some more about it since I got the first one.

It costs around $2,800 a shot. I am tempted to leave a lot of white space around that sentence to emphasize the shock value, but I’m trying to get over it. So. Onward. It was recently approved by the FDA for chemo regimens in which there is a 17% chance or more of a fatal infection. I think this TC regimen has a much lower risk of that. Which brings me to wonder–having recently been informed that our health insurance only covers 60% of chemo and labs up to $10,000 billed–is this fancy-dancy shot covered by our insurance at all? Gotta find out. Not that I won’t be taking it, but I’d rather find out myself that we’re paying that cost than get told the news when I’m not braced for it.