So, first thing this morning we went to the GI clinic for an appointment at 8 a.m. with the surgeon, only the surgeon was in surgery and didn't end up seeing us. We met with his physicians assistant and received a 15 page report on their time caring for Mike. He looked at Mike's open wound and told us we need only to pack it for one more week. I told him I was trying to follow the Home Health nurses advice, and try to pack the wound tight enough to have it adhere to the black "scab" inside the wound, so that when I removed it each changing, it would pull out the bad tissue. That's when I learned the black "scab", wasn't a scab at all. It is sutures. No wonder they weren't coming out. They are self asorbing. The Home Health nurse told me incorrectly. So I think we're going to take care of this wound ourselves for the last week. We were given the option of seeing the surgeon another day but I think Mike is ready to move on.
From the GI clinic we went to the Cardiology clinic to meet with the doctor who did the heart catherizations and who has put Mike on his new beta blocker heart medication. (Topral) We waited to see him, because we were having trouble getting the MD Anderson pharmacy to fill another hospital's prescription. So Mike's doctor was coming to MD Anderson this morning anyway, and just decided to meet us there to write the prescription out on the MD Anderson prescription pad to take care of everything.
While we were waiting for him, we got a call from MD Anderson saying they were trying to get authorization for the CT Scan Mike's oncologist wanted done today, but were told our insurance coverage was cancelled. Here it is Friday, with treatments starting on Monday. That CT was needed before Monday. So Mike got busy trying to make calls back to Goody's to find out what in the world happened. They thought they would have things resolved in a hour. Mike called MD Anderson back and was told to go ahead with the CT scan, they would get authorization later.
So we were heading back to our hotel, because Mike was going to have his CT in a location directly across from our hotel. We decided to stop in the lobby to ask for an extension on changing rooms until after the CT scan was done. Only, we found out that the conversation Mike had yesterday with the front desk, didn't end up reserving a hotel room like we thought it did. Some one goofed up and promised something to us that they didn't really have. Mike didn't take that very well, and a supervisor came up trying to figure out what was going on. She eventually changed us into a room we could keep until November 4th, but that's all she could promise, and we had to change out the room immediately. So I walked Mike across the street to where he needed to be for his CT scan, and I came back to the hotel and packed up everything, and moved us. Problem solved.
After Mikes scan I needed to run back over to MD Anderson and fill four of his prescriptions. I waited the amount of time they suggested it would take, but our name never got called. I waited and waited and finally just returned to the hotel, figuring I could come back this evening since they were opened until 8 p.m. After dinner, Mike and I decide to walk over to get Mike's medications only to find out that we had no insurance coverage for those either. Mike's chemotherapy pills alone were $1500. We told the attendant to keep the medication, that we would return on Monday before the radiation treatment's began, to see if things got ironed out with the insurance company. But we did go ahead and pick up Mike's heart medication and just paid the cash price for that, so he could start on lowering his heart rate again.
I'm trying to find the good in all of this, but it's not very easy to do. The stress surely isn't healthy for either of us, and it's catching up to me quickly, after an already stressful week with Mike's biliary exchange and heart catherization. But, we have to take what we're given, and just do the best we can, and that has been our goal, and continues to be. Tomorrow will be a better day, I'm sure.
We truly appreciate the prayers of so many of you, and the support you continue to give us. We are so humbled by your thoughtfulness and kindness. Please pray that this next week might go more smoothly. I know Mike is really concerned about how painful his radiation treatments might be, being during the simulation last week, he was in a lot of pain stretching his abdomen out so flat, with his arms over his head for a long period of time. The new chemotherapy side effects might be mouth sores, nausea, and finger tip discomfort. The goal we were told today, is to "sterilize" the tumor. More radiation for Mike is a huge risk, so we pray the doctors hands will be guided divinely, and that no further damage will be done.
"O God, I want so much to please You, to walk in Your ways, and to carry out Your purposes. Nothing is as important to me as being in the center of Your will and living with Your design for my life." Psalms Now/Psalm 119
No comments:
Post a Comment