Monday, January 5, 2009

running in circles

I feel like I have been here before - TIME AND TIME AGAIN. Brian had his oncologist appointment today and was supposed to start chemo. Well, it appears this chemotherapy regimen of Carboplatin and Avastin has not yet been approved by our insurance for Brian's diagnosis, so we have to get special approval. Approval for which we are still waiting. According to the oncologist office, they have checked a couple times with the insurance and are awaiting approval and were told today 5-10 days. Are you stinking kidding me??? This was scheduled Dec. 10 and this was the first we heard of an insurance issue. We could have been working this all last months. Now, we have to wait for Brian to get sicker while what? the insurance files a few papers and finally approves this because this is all we got left???? Can you tell I am fuming?

But more than the insurance approval issue is the lack of communication again. There was absolutely no reason for us to go into the office to find this out today - this is a phone call that should have been made to us before we left the house - "Hello? Mr. And Mrs. O'Neill? It appears your insurance still has not approved the chemotherapy Brian has scheduled for today. There is no reason for you to come in unless you are having another issue you would like to talk to the doctor about. Maybe you could call the insurance company yourselves to assist in our plight for approval. And let's go ahead and get you on the schedule for next week to make up for this. K?" Only that would be in LA LA LAND...

AND? We paid for the stinking office visit...

As it turns out, due to Brian's vomiting issues, he is currently undergoing a CT scan to see if perhaps the shunt he has is clogged or backed up causing him pressure issues.

Also? We have an appointment with the surgeon again tomorrow to discuss the surgery he mentioned. So, maybe this cancellation of chemotherapy today is God's way of telling us to think harder about the surgery.

It is very confusing and frustrating and I feel like we are right where we were mid-November. Not moving forward. Just waiting. And deciding. And struggling.

KEEP BELIEVING

13 comments:

  1. Unbelievable. You are so right. You deserve the courtesy of a phone call and I hope you made your feelings very clear.

    Continued good thoughts to you Angie.

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  2. Angie, I don't know what to say. We are praying for you and Brian and the whole situation. I pray that God will make it clear what the next step should be and hopefully one day you will be able to look back and see that all these frustrating obstacles were all part of His plan. Keep your chin up and keep believing.

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  3. You are a better woman than me. I would have refused to pay for the office visit. Smack the ball back into their court and ask why they did not call you and tell you these issues. I am at my end with drs. and I don't have to see them all the time. I can't imagine what you are going through!

    Hugs!

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  4. This type of thing makes me fume too. As someone in the medical field--pharmacy--I would never let this happen to a patient. This is so unfair and so unnecessary. I'm assuming the office staff are not familiar with the concept of karma.

    I wish I lived near you, so I could give them a talking to on your behalf. I have done this for my sister and had very good luck. I'm truly shocked because some of the kindest, most considerate people I've ever met are those that work in oncology.

    Keep your chin up.

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  5. Unbelieveable. How come dr's offices forget common courtesy? Wow.

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  6. Waiting isn't so bad.
    Psalm 46:10

    hugs to you all. Love you!

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  7. sigh.

    Your anger is righteous. Just don't let it fester and make you miserable.

    Steady on, my friend.

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  8. Jenn & I could clean some house if we lived near you. You have enough on your plate without reforming the office staff at your doctor's office, but I have a little energy I keep 'on tap' for medical staff, because they never fail to need a little of it!

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  9. Oh Angie.. you would think the Doctor's office could sympathize with all you are going through right now..

    Still sending you prayers and hugs from LI..

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  10. Oh Angie. The only thing worse than hurrying up only to wait some more is dealing with INSURANCE.

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  11. How profoundly frustrating.
    Praying.

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  12. I feel so angry for you and Brian. It's so unbelievably unfair that insurance is holding up treatment. I know this happens all the time, I hear about it, but never to someone I feel like I know.

    I'm sorry. Lots and lots of prayers (and maybe s few unkind thoughts a/b Dr.'s offices and insurance companies.

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