No amount of family love prepared her for what happened next

MARGUERITE ANDERSON had surgery on February 25, 2016.

After surgery, the costs continued to mount. Anderson said that it was while talking to a friend on March 11, 2016, that she got some financial support from Consumer Brands, a distributor of women’s products. That made a big difference as by then, other bills were piling up.

Other costs, including hormone receptor studies for treatment purposes, were done. But for her husband’s insurance, the family would have found it difficult to meet these costs.

Her worst fears were confirmed on May 3 during her first visit with the oncologist. She was told that she needed chemotherapy. She immediately asked about hair loss. Said Anderson: “Cancer, OK. Mastectomy, OK. Chemotherapy, not so OK.”

On that day, she started six months of chemotherapy, which she described as horrible. She said that she experienced all predictable side effects and more. She recalled feeling depressed, distraught, and despondent. This was where the support from a loving family helped. Anderson, who kept a journal detailing her experience, said her eldest son would sit with her during the two and a half hours of chemotherapy.

Cancer, OK. Mastectomy, OK. Chemotherapy, not so OK.

But no amount of love from her family would prepare Anderson for what happened next. Home alone on May 18, Anderson awoke to find her hair on her pillow. She was totally bald, a side effect of chemotherapy. In panic, she called her husband only to be told, “Don’t worry, honey. It will grow back stronger and healthier.”

Not satisfied with the response, Anderson telephoned her sister, who told her the same thing. She admitted to crying for the entire day, but soon told herself that it was not the end of the world.

The chemotherapy sessions alone cost about $300,000. There are blood tests every three months at a cost of $10,000, and physiotherapy sessions cost $20,000 per week. These are among the costs for the breast cancer survivor that include a daily pill every day for five years at $20,000 per month and a bone scan every six months costing $30,000.

Anderson has since started a support group for persons affected by chronic diseases to share their experiences. She said that it is important to find someone you can share with who is walking the same journey.