Appointment Tuesday

I have resigned to the idea that I won't get exactly what I want...so I have made an appointment to see Dr. Yee. Dr. Newman (my surgeon) says he likes her and she works out of many hospitals. I will see her in her Arcadia office on Tuesday. They were kind on the phone and bumped up the appointment once I expressed the amount of pain that I am in. Feeling, empathetic staff....what a concept!!

DENIED!!!

Appeal has been denied! Moving forward....feels like more in circles than forward but it is what it is! Good news is that they did not deny the treatment just the doctor giving the treatment. He is out of my network but then again so is Dr. Eckardt. I don't understand managed care. The doc they said I could go see is affiliated with the jokers who gave me radiation. So while I am resigned to the idea that I won't get exactly what I want....I will not go back to the three ring circus of Inter-Community hospital for chemo.

Moving on....

Pending..

I did hear from Blue Shield yesterday letting me know that the appeal is in process and I should hear a decision no later than Thursday. I am not sure exactly how the appeal works but atleast they are communicating with me. That's one for the lonely positive column :-)

More BAD News!!!!

I put a call into my medical group to inquire about my authorization. It has been denied for the doctor that Dr. Eckardt wants me to go see and it has been re-directed to a doctor in my network and approved for that doctor. I am not interested in being any one's guinea pig any longer! I want to be treated by a doctor who doesn't have to go on the Internet to research my condition while I sit and wait in the exam room. I have been patient...obedient...a model patient. I don't question, pester or harass. I have done everything they asked of me to expedite my treatment and healing but that approach has not worked. I will not settle because they think it will be cheaper. In the long run how has their approach saved them money???? I don't believe we would still be dealing with this if I had been directed to the appropriate doctors long ago but in an effort to save money....we cut corners! And at my expense!

I have formally appealed their decision. So I wait for what I am sure will be a failed attempt but I had to try. The other option that I think may work will be to change my primary care doctor to the network that these doctors belong. I really don't know if this will work though...suggestions anyone. I need help with this one.

Tomorrow is another day and IF Tara calls me back, she may be able to guide me. Wishful thinking but miracles do happen, right? I haven't lost hope just frustrated beyond words! I am getting a real education in the finer workings of the health care system in our country and it sucks! We have been wanting to ditch the HMO and change to a PPO but with my problems it's too risky. Couple that with Cameron's heart problems....well it's just too risky. We could wind up with no insurance at all.......

No Dice!

Time got away from me and Tara didn't call. I will have to wait until Monday..

Waiting Patiently..

I still have no word regarding the status of my authorization to see the new medical oncologist, so I called Terrific Tara to inquire about the status. As you probably imagine, she hasn't heard anything either. I don't this they usually take this long. She instructed me to call my medical group but since they just merged with another company I don't have the info. I asked her to give it to me and she volunteered to do it for me. Hmmmm! Maybe someone got in trouble for being so RUDE to everyone! Things are looking up in the world!

I should expect a call today to let me know how things are going...

Waiting for an Authorization

The lovely assistant to Dr. Eckardt has kindly done her job and submitted my authorization for approval. We are waiting to hear back from the insurance for approval for me to see a new medical oncologist at Cedars. Shouldn't be a problem BUT this is me we are talking about so that means we should expect a problem... haha!

Still haven't lost my sense of humor :-)

Chemo It Is!

Heard back from Dr. Eckardt yesterday and he says they want to try chemo with methotrexate and velbane for 12 months. I should hear back from his office on Monday regarding the treating oncologist, Dr. Forscher. He works out of Cedar Sinai and specializes in sarcomas.

I am not going to lie, I am having trouble digesting all of this. It is too much right now. Baby steps...

Test Results Are In..

Tests results from last Friday are in and as expected, my ovaries are not functioning. Radiation menapause. It could be temporary because of my age but for now, I am in radiation menapause and only time will tell if it is permanent.

Good News???

If you came here for good news, I don't think I can deliver but did you really expect that I would? Me neither.

After sitting in Dr. Eckard's office with Scott for FOUR hours, he didn't really give us a definitive answer. The studies weren't done at UCLA so it is difficult for him to compare the studies and definitively decipher if indeed the tumors are larger BUT given the fact that the report states they are AND I continue to have pain, chemo is probably next.

He will present my case again at the Tumor Review Board and render a decision either for another surgery or chemo. He agrees with Dr. Newman that the consistency of these tumors are so similar to the muscle tissue that they are sandwiched between that it will make it difficult to take them out completely. I understand what they are explaining better after having seen the MRI images yesterday. The tumors aren't that pronounced but you can see the little spiny edges that they have always been so worried about.

This is the same approach he took when he recommended radiation so I am very sure that he will come back saying chemo. He called it a low dose chemo and even gave us the names of the drugs but it was all too much to take in and I don't recall. Scott wants me to stay off of the Internet so if he recalls he isn't saying so.

The one positive thing that came out of yesterday was that he HAS seen and treated similar cases and eventually he got the tumors to stop growing. Hopefully I will fall into that category soon.

The Tumor Review Board meets today so I should expect an answer the beginning of next week. The staff over there isn't too swift so I will keep after them to remind them about little ole me :-)

Tomorrow is the BIG day!

Well, tomorrow Scott and I will travel to Santa Monica to see Dr. Eckardt and hope he has a few trick up his sleeves!!! Many thanks to all of you who offered to help with the many Wheeler kids tomorrow. It was tricky to figure out but I think we got it all worked out. My friends, you have been amazing and I am so very lucky to have you to see me through this maze!

Dr. Kassar, my ob-gyn says that the radiation has put me in pre-mature menapause :-( so that explains some of the things going on with my body. It would have been nice if someone had told me so the news threw me for quite a loop! The symptoms have been there for a couple of months but who would have supected menapause at 38 years old. Certainly not me. So I am sad...not that we were planning any more kids but it sure would have been nice to be in the loop instead of thrown for a loop! My doctor will get back with me with test results that he took on Friday and we will deal with this, too.

Ah! It never seems to end! This past week has been emotional for me, duh, right!?!?! I'm a fighter...I will get through this...but I need you all more than ever. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some positive, INFORMATIVE feedback. I need a game plan and the unknown is really killing me!

I'll be in touch