denise1962

Try contacting the hospital finical (sp) dept. They can fast track you for state aid. When you need a scan contact the the x-ray dept and ask for a cash price. You will have to pay on that day....check, credit card or cash but it is about 40% they will reduce the bill.

Hi Ladies

I will get my first SSI check in January, does my unemployment insurance stop?

Thanks

denise

Watson.

I just remembered I contacted my insurance company directly too get the ball rolling.

Bonnielv.

I don't know what state you are in, but in California it is a community property even if your name is not on the house it might still tie up assets.

denise

I took the accelerated death benfite. I received 50% on my life insurance. No you do not have to pay it back if you live longer than 12 months. It was a 3-4 pages application and 1 page for the doctor to fill out. As far as the insurance company is concerned the doc is making a judgement call. It did take about 5 weeks to get the check.

reguarding the credit card insurance, what they don't tell you is you cannot use your card if you activate the disabality or you are laid off. that is in the fine print.

denise

CalGal

I don't have any advice to give just wanted to say I'm sorry about the new.
denise

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with mets in June of 08: pelvis,chest,spine.  I have one more round of chemo left which is carboplatin, taxotere and zometa after this last treatment I will be having chemo every 4 weeks. I have gone bald for the second time. Does anyone know if the hair will grow back on the 4 week cycle? The first time I went through chemo I didn't brother to get a wig, but if I have to continue the type of chemo I am rethinking I might need to get one.

The second question is regarding scans. My onco wants to order another ct/pet, but the insurance has denied it saying to get just a ct scan and bone scan and if indicated the will approve the ct/pet. My question is has anyone call the insurance co to speak to the medical review doctors? How accurate is just a ct and bone scan? Do they cover all of the arms and legs?

I am really tempted to call the insurance co my self and argueing with them because my brother just passed 10 days ago from kidney ca which had spread to his lungs, brain and stomach, it was also in his hands which they didn't find out until he had done 12 weeks on wbr.

It was really hard to watch him go as I know that I will be following the same path some day as a cancer patient.

Thank you all for being here a letting me ramble on.

denise

Hi Kelly

I had a liver biopsy 2 years ago, when I was going to donate a lobe to my brother. It wasn't really that painful. More like the wind being knocked out of you. They did have to do it twice, but like I said it was't painful. The hardest part was lying on the side where your liver is for 4-5 hrs. They do not want you to move around as that might start the liver to bleed. they will take your blood before the biopsy and at least one more time, but I think it was twice. The following day the nurse will call and see how you are feeling. No exercise or house cleaning for the first 24 hrs.

Hope this helps and let us know how your test comes out.

Big hugs

denise

Hi Ladies

Just had my 3rd treatment and brought it up with the dr again about the hair growing back. Her reply was that it would of been mange looking. I would really wait and see how thin it really becomes.  I go every 3 weeks, So some time has passed. 

This last Saturday was the day we renewed our vows. So much better than the original (and that was fun) but by this time you know who you are really married too, who your family is and your friends accept you. I will try and post pictures when I get them.

Had the scan done yesterday and it show some improvement with the chemo, I'll take it.

denise

Hi Luann

I will try and keep this short. In May of 2006 I was diagonised with er+/pr+/her2+. Went through mast, ac, tax, and herceptin for 1 year along with radation. By march 2008 my ct/pet was completely neg. In May I started having really bad chest, rib pain that would move side to side. I was thinking maybe a hernia. Xray was neg. In June I was still having the pain and noticed a bb size lump on my scar line. I was really lucky and able to get in too see my surgon that day. She did a biobsy and it came back postive. The oncologist started me back on herceptin. Within a week I had another bump in armpit. In between this time I had another ct/pet which showed mastatsis to clavicle ribs, kidney, liver spine and pelvis. The brain and lungs are clear at this point. The path has shown I am know triple neg. ( I have yet to see this report though). The oncologist said she has never seen this and will be contacting Stanford. (she has been doing thhis for 20 years) At first she said 2-3 years survial, but now has changed it too less than 1 year.

Yes I know these are numbers and everyone is different. Beleive me I do not intend to give up, I will keep on fighting. I really want too prove her wrong and I know it can be done.

Denise

Hi CalGal

I will try this again, I wrote every thing out and the dang server kicked me off.

I was diagonised may 2006 with er pr her postive with her expressing at around 90%. I belevie 17 out of 21 nodes postive. Had bilateral mast chemo rads hercerptin and Arimadex. My last  pet/ct scan on 3-31-08 was completely negative. I have been having pressure on my chest which my primary doc did a chest xray for and showed nothing 3 weeks ago. I was thinking maybe a hernia. The when the pressure moved to the other side last week I went back to the primary doc and show her the bb size bump that had showed up along the scar line the side with the cancer. This appeared within a couple of days. She thought I was popping a stitch. but suggested I call my bc surgeon. who was able to get me in within 3 hrs. She took me into surgery that day a did a biopsy all the way to the chest wall. This is last monday. Tuesday it came back postive. went for a pet/ct scan on thursday. Got results back later that day. Postive to clavical. inner ribs. along the spine liver and pelvis bones. Not to mention it showed up in numerous lymph nodes though out these areas. Called the onc this morning and she went and talked to the radiologits who said he had never seen this happen before. I onco doc is starting chemo tomarrow because it appers to be multipling very quickly.

I don't think I am being too arlarmed at this point because the reaction of the onco and radiologist think we need to move now. I am going to fight this second round with everything I got, but at the same time I would like all of my ducks in a row.

Thank you CalGal I have followed your post and advice since I joined.

Denise