Apologies for not posting on Friday -- I was playing the role of soccer mom. Load up Kurt and the dogs, drop Kurt at chemo, take dogs to the vet (with a walk through lovely Baltimore before hand to settle them down), back to the hospital, conference call for work, load Kurt up, drop dogs at day care, lunch with Kurt, pack, drive to Williamsburg to give a speech, dinner with conference organizers, race to finish speech, bed. Whew!
Last week was a bit of a challenge, medically speaking. We met with Dr. D. on Tuesday to make sure that everything is remaining coordinated as we start moving toward more aggressive treatments. Unfortunately, he was a giant wet blanket on everything. He is very leery of giving chemo while we do the SIR-Spheres, but admits that he doesn't have experience with them. We would like for all three of the doctors - Hopkins, UMD, and NIH -- to talk, just to make sure that nothing is slipping through the cracks. But, Dr. D. sees no point in that. Grrr.
We also have to go through some kind of approval/appeal process to get insurance to cover both the Erbitux (because we are going off trial) and the SIR-Spheres. And, quite honestly, the insurance company is being more helpful than the doctors. Which is pretty freakin' backwards, if you ask me. So, our helpful case manager at the insurance company is working on the approval, and Kurt and I are debating whether he should get chemo at UMD, if they are more experienced with the SIR-Spheres. But, we would hate to leave the Hopkins nurses behind.
So, onward and upward. Kurt has a PET-CT this week, to begin the staging for the SIR-Spheres. We are going to do more information gathering this week, both to get the insurance approvals and to try to figure out the path forward. Kurt wasn't feeling well most of the weekend, but is better today, so he went to the Ravens-Browns game....which probably did not make him feel better, judging by the score. ;)
Also, Colonial Williamsburg licks. Do not ever plan a vacation there. It is the worst. Impossible to get to, weird colonial garb, streetlamps sometimes lit by candles and sometimes by CFLs....just don't ever go there.
September 27, 2009
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2 comments:
I don't know about anybody else, but I hate it when you guys miss updates. Get it together will ya!!?
Alright, we'll forgive you this time.
Keep up the good work.
BMR.
From what I am hearing around doctor's offices, the whole threat of public health care is causing the insurance companies to step up and do what they are supposed to. So, if there is ever a time to have to fight your insurance company for approval it sounds like that time is now. Good luck - let me know if you need any help. My billing rep has contacts with most all payors so she can pull a lot of strings sometimes.
Love you both!
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