Update on Laura

CypressSlough · September 21, 2007, 03:55:11 PM

Thanks guys.

Stu, thanks. That's what I told Laura. As bad as the oncologist laid it out, we won't know for sure how it will react until the chemo starts. It may easily get it under control. It may not. It just came as a surprise from the optimistic outlook we had already been given. Laura had a great state of mind in thinking positive, and now this news has kinda knocked her back some.

Brian.

iahntr · September 21, 2007, 04:13:42 PM

Brian, sorry to hear this. Like I've told ya before, I'm not always the best with words, and I don't think I can say it much better then what Stu said. Sometimes with this stuff there can be a step or two back, as ya take a few forward. We'll do anything we can, and you guys are always in our thoughts and prayers. Scott

HaMeR · September 21, 2007, 04:18:03 PM

Thanks Stu!!

And Best of Luck Brian & Laura!!

Troy Walter · September 21, 2007, 05:10:29 PM

Brain
Be strong and we are praying for your family.

bowjunkie · September 25, 2007, 08:47:24 AM

man hang in there Brian and Laura the Good Lord works miricles every day and with all the prayers headed up there for you guys your in good hands

your both in our hearts thoughts and prayers

Ed

Jeb · September 25, 2007, 10:21:00 PM

Prayers sent from Ga.
Jeb

FinsnFur · September 26, 2007, 05:30:50 AM

The roller coaster effect has got to be draining you Brian. We'll pray this situations turns around, keep us posted.

KySongDog · September 26, 2007, 05:56:21 PM

Keep the faith, Brian. All things happen for a reason. Laura and you are in my prayers.

Semp

HuntnCarve · September 26, 2007, 06:26:24 PM

Brian & Laura, you will be in our prayers.

Lilminnesotangl · October 11, 2007, 02:57:27 PM

Prayers sent out from Moravia, Ny for you and Laura. May God be with you both in this time of sickness and may He speed recovery along.

Meridyth

NASA · October 17, 2007, 11:52:57 AM

Prayers sent from CO. Tell Laura we're all pulling for her here.

possumal · October 17, 2007, 05:33:41 PM

Brian: That is good sounding news. Sounds like she is going in the right direction, improving. I will start a prayer train for her that will reach over 30,000 people within a week. We have done this before, and it really helped a friend of mine's daughter and husband during a bad time. God bless!

CypressSlough · October 26, 2007, 09:06:16 AM

Thanks guys.

I have had my hands full over the past few weeks. Laura is doing ok. We went this past Monday for chemo, but her blood counts were a little too low for treatment. So, we go back this coming Monday to try again. Her doctor said if they are still a little lower than normal, he is going to change her chemo to every 3 weeks instead of every 2. She had almost zero side effects with the first round of chemo, but the second round knocked her on her butt. She was down almost the entire 2 weeks. She has had a cold the entire time as well. The doctor said that could be the reason she had such a hard time with it and why her counts were still low. She is feeling much much better this week. Even to the point she is going to start driving again today.

She had a head to toe CT scan. We got the results from it 3 weeks ago. She has a small pencil eraser size tumor in her liver and a lymph node the sits against her pancreas that is cancerous. Nothing else showed up. Just to be on the safe side, her ran a PET scan as well. The same 2 tumors showed up in it and nothing else. This is very good news. The only bad news is she is no longer a candidate for another surgery. The doctor said it would do her more harm than good to go in for 2 small tumors that far apart. He is very confident the chemo will kill it. It's just going to be a long road ahead to do it. She will have another CT in a month to see how the chemo is affecting the tumors. We've got our fingers crossed.

On another note, guys take a very good look at your health insurance policies. We are having a hell of time with her's. They are trying everything they can to not pay her bills. The original policy her old employer picked had a clause for pre-existing conditions. It says, Once we reach $1000 pay-out on any 1 condition, you have to provide a Certificate of Credible Coverage from your previous insurance provider, and there has to be less than a 63 day period between coverages to be considered a non pre-existing condition. We have provided them with the certificate, but they are dragging their feet now. Unitl they get their thumbs out of their asses, they have put a 1 year per-existing condition on her even though this was found during her surgery. Since her surgery, Laura's medical bills have hit the $260,000 mark and growing. Her chemo is $12,000 every 2 weeks, and he wants to add an additional chemo drug to speed up the process, and that will bump it to $22,000 every 2 weeks. Her doctor is aware of her insurance problems and is prepared to accept $10 a month for the rest of our lives, if he has to. He said she has to be treated, and he is going to be the one to treat her, no matter what her insurance company does. He got us approved for financial assistance, and the drug manufacturer said, they would cover the costs of the chemo drugs if her insurance company decided they wouldn't pay. I just wanted you to be aware of this little clause. If you were on a previous group health plan, you will need your group number, member number and coverage dates to get the certifcate from a previous provider. If your policy has this little clause, and you can't provide the certifcate or there was a longer priod between coverages, you are screwed if you have a problem. That clause is used to make the coverage cheaper for the employer. While it rapes the employee. So take a look at your policy. If the clause is there, get the certificate and fill out the paperwork before you have to go through all the headaches we have.

Thanks guys,

Brian.

bowjunkie · October 26, 2007, 09:55:06 AM

:shck: at the cost .. but Glad to here theres alot of good things comming from the dr's

your family is still in my thoughts and prayers thanks for the update ,

keep your chin up were all still pulling for ya both

Ed

HaMeR · October 26, 2007, 02:30:52 PM

1st off I'm very happy to hear the good news Brian!! I certainly hope this good snowball keeps right on rolling.

Thanks for the insurance heads up too. Best of luck with all of that stuff. It's encouraging to hear the Dr & the drug manufacturer are going to help out as well.

Just keep up the good fight & we are always here for ya!!

Hawks Feather · October 26, 2007, 03:28:56 PM

Glad to hear that Laura is feeling a little better. Insurance, you will get used to it because it will continue to be a problem. They will try to do whatever they can to keep from paying. As for the amount of your bill, it seems about par for the treatment. Maddie was over that amount before she made it out of the hospital the first time she was in. My daughter quit keeping track of the accumulated total pretty quickly. It just makes you feel bad. If the hospital has a social services worker, give them the insurance information and let them start working on the company. Sometimes they can say thinks or know things that most of us don't.

Jerry

FinsnFur · October 26, 2007, 06:30:33 PM

Man! that is a lot of money

It's sickening.

Great news on Laura, Brian

Thanks for the update

browning204 · October 26, 2007, 06:38:48 PM

that is great news. I am glad she is getting there!!! That Doctor sounds awesome!!!

Tell her she is getting lots of prayers from NH.

What Drug company is gonna cover the Drug costs?

I ask because I work for a Major Drug Company.

keekee · October 26, 2007, 06:58:58 PM

Good new Brian! You guys hang in there! And take it one day at a time!

Brent

iahntr · October 26, 2007, 08:53:46 PM

Thanks for the update Brian. That stinks having to fight with the insurance companies, and to deal with all the money issues on top of whats going on already.
I know the dollar amount itself could be overwhelming. Sounds like you have some great people workin with ya. Keep the faith buddy. Scott

Update on Laura

bowjunkie

bowjunkie