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This is going to be a rant (and probably fairly whiny): what the heck is wrong with our insurance system? Ok, ok, I know everyone knows it is screwed up – it’s just I’ve never run into such stupidity.
So the doctor tells me at 3:45 Fri afternoon I have lung cancer but he can’t give me prognosis, treatment, basically any more info until I get a petscan. Which they called to get approved. Turns out that takes 48 hours. Which doesn’t sound like a lot of time but that’s not counting Sat and Sun. And everyday it’s a little harder to breathe. And it hurts more and more when I cough – and sometimes I cough so hard that I vomit. Not to mention that the pleural effusion is probably building back up. Plus I am stressed out of my mind – is my cancer treatable? Curable? 5 year prognosis? 10? Will I need surgery? Inquiring minds want to know!
Plus there is no point seeing the local oncologist until I have the scan results so they made me an appt on Nov 8th – yes, a week and a half from now. Again, whine, I really don’t know how I’ll be breathing by then. I can barely get through a day at work now. Had to have a friend foster my chinchillas since I couldn’t really take care of them.
So I contacted Sloan-Kettering today and am waiting a call back. Often times they seem to get the approvals needed and will do multiple things on the same day. Cross your fingers they can see me some time this week.
Funny thing is – I saw a cat Sat AM who was breathing hard. Did an XRay – cat had pleural effusion so immediately did a thoracocentesis. And I got the result back this afternoon by 3:30. Growl. I had to wait 4 days (and nothing would have been done over the weekend). Vets rule, insurance companies drool!
Sorry if this was whiny – I’m just feeling very frustrated right now. Once I have more info – and hopefully feel better – I’ll be much more able to cope.
ddvm wrote:This is going to be a rant (and probably fairly whiny): what the heck is wrong with our insurance system? Ok, ok, I know everyone knows it is screwed up – it’s just I’ve never run into such stupidity.
So the doctor tells me at 3:45 Fri afternoon I have lung cancer but he can’t give me prognosis, treatment, basically any more info until I get a petscan. Which they called to get approved. Turns out that takes 48 hours. Which doesn’t sound like a lot of time but that’s not counting Sat and Sun. And everyday it’s a little harder to breathe. And it hurts more and more when I cough – and sometimes I cough so hard that I vomit. Not to mention that the pleural effusion is probably building back up. Plus I am stressed out of my mind – is my cancer treatable? Curable? 5 year prognosis? 10? Will I need surgery? Inquiring minds want to know!
Plus there is no point seeing the local oncologist until I have the scan results so they made me an appt on Nov 8th – yes, a week and a half from now. Again, whine, I really don’t know how I’ll be breathing by then. I can barely get through a day at work now. Had to have a friend foster my chinchillas since I couldn’t really take care of them.
So I contacted Sloan-Kettering today and am waiting a call back. Often times they seem to get the approvals needed and will do multiple things on the same day. Cross your fingers they can see me some time this week.
Funny thing is – I saw a cat Sat AM who was breathing hard. Did an XRay – cat had pleural effusion so immediately did a thoracocentesis. And I got the result back this afternoon by 3:30. Growl. I had to wait 4 days (and nothing would have been done over the weekend). Vets rule, insurance companies drool!
Sorry if this was whiny – I’m just feeling very frustrated right now. Once I have more info – and hopefully feel better – I’ll be much more able to cope.
your not whining , Insurance is a bunch of bull $h1t . I also know about the 48 hours crap , i was told that if a TX was available i would have to wait 48 hours to get it 😯 , when the organs only live for 12 outside of the body .
Before my TX i had to get a simple Xray ..so i thought . we went to radiology place where the insurance covers , and was turned away ..seems i have to go to one in the same county as my Doc and since he is one county over i had to go there ..unless it was an emergency 🙄 , and we all know Aspergillus is no emergency ( its a bacteria that eats your lungs)Long story short it took 8 hours to get an Xray , traveling all over not being able to breath little lone walk into the place , get undressed and stand there for them to shoot .
Also you should have a Social worker now , ask your doc who it is and get their number , they can usually get stuff approved with in the day . Thats what i had to do for Transplant since every thing was now now now. It doesnt fix every thing some stuff United Health Care wont budge on but we always had a way around that , over night admission and they cant deny any treatment your doc sees necissary
Sorry, DDVM, about your frustration with your insurance company. 🙁 Like you really need that on top of everything else you are going through. Our health care system is definitely in a sorry state >.<
Just an update – been doing medical things the last couple of days.
I went for another doppler on Wed – I have a blood clot (DVT) in my right calf which was a little worse so I was put on Lovenox, an injectible blood thinner twice a day. I have to inject myself in the abdomen -not as much fun as it sounds! Plus talk about sticker shot – two weeks was $1990! 😯 Insurance will cover part of it but I could have bought an OOK OW for what they didn’t cover.
Finally got my PET scan yesterday afternoon. The scan itself was fine but I was supposed to drink 2 bottles of barium – 1 in the morning and 1 right before the scan. I ended up throwing up part of the 1st bottle and feeling really sick. So when I went in I told them at the desk I would definitely not be able to keep the 2nd bottle down. They said drink it anyway. Got down 1/2 the bottle – fortunately the guy checking me in saw me turning green and got me a basin in time! When I went in to see the tech for the test (a very nice woman named Joanne) I told her I didn’t think I could drink the rest and she tossed out the bottle for me. Thank you, Joanne. She said the 1st bottle was the most important. So I should have those results next week.
I was trying to go to Sloan Kettering for an opinion – I only live about 45 minutes from NYC. But the earliest they can see me is Nov. 12th. 😯 I really don’t think I can wait until then – my chest is filling up with fluid so I have an appt with a local oncologist next week.
That’s about it for right now – I appreciate all the good wishes!
I’m so sorry, ddvm. Not only do you have bad news, but the circumstances make the situation worse. Insurance is so expensive, yet the companies that provide it, always have some excuse *not* to provide it. Ugh. And the waiting…
You’re in my thoughts and prayers.*gag, retch, gag on barium* I’m so right there with you ddvm, I can’t keep it down either. Hang in there, you’re in my prayers.
twindragonsmum
tdm
ddvm wrote:Finally got my PET scan yesterday afternoon. The scan itself was fine but I was supposed to drink 2 bottles of barium – 1 in the morning and 1 right before the scan. I ended up throwing up part of the 1st bottle and feeling really sick.
if you cant stand the drinking that nasty barium , ask your doc if you can do the IV contrast or just drink the contrast (it tates like over sugared lipton premade tea) because of my G.I. issues i cant drink the barium so the contrast is the next best thing . You have to drink about 36 ounces of the stuff but the taste is ok like i said , but if you cant drink that much or it buggs your stomache they can do it through an IV , it burns a bit going in since its concentrated but it only takes a few seconds . Hope you get all the test BS outta the way soon they are a pain in the arse .
Man, I hate insurance companies, here you are really sick and needing treatment and they are busy throwing up roadblocks left and right. Grrr…they really should not be allowed to do that.
Anyway, hang in there, hopefully your oncologist can clear your lungs a bit and make breathing a bit easier in the meantime.
*hugs*
Kyrin
Well, I saw the oncologist yesterday. He started me on a new drug that shows a lot of promise in 40something, nonsmoker females with lung cancer. And I’ll probably start chemo in a couple of weeks depending on my response. They can’t start it now since I’m going into the hospital for a chest tube this morning – I’ll be in for 2 to 3 days. And I need to heal before starting immunosuppressant drugs. Plus I have to go for an MRI Tuesday to make sure the cancer hasn’t spread to my brain – the PET scan showed that it has got to some ribs.
I asked about practicing while on chemo and he expressed “serious concerns.” I think it will depend on how I feel, myself – I would take precautions. But since he said I have a few months (if I don’t respond at all to the drugs which isn’t likely) to a few years to live I should do what makes that time worthwhile. And there is hope – two of the best drugs available now didn’t exist 2 or 3 years ago so who knows what might happen? So I’m not planning on selling my Windstone collection just yet. 😉 😀
Anyway, my ride to the hospital is here. See you all in a few days!
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