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DX 4-12 going to Mayo on 7-23 for surgery.
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Jul 09, 2012 - 10:58 pm
I'm 55 Stage II no lymph involvement per pet scan. Going to Mayo in Rochester MN. for surgery. Chemo and rad were pretty tough on me, but I'm hopeful. I don't have any support here in NW Ia, as I moved here from Ann Arbor a few years back. Is it possible to be on my own after surgery? My insurance company is trying to deny coverage, saying they are investigating pre-existing conditions...Shocking, but just out of the clear blue, I couldn't swallow one night in March..4 scopes later, and the DX. |
Joined: Sep 2011
Hello Jan,
I am so sorry that you find yourself here, but welcome to our family.
You will find a wealth of support here and the answers to most questions if you have any.
We are a very positive group of people although if you do ask questions, you will get unadulterated honesty, so please don't be offended by that. I am a carer and my husband was stage 3 prior to his operation with 2 nodes affected. So far his scans have been clear and the news has been good.
I do think you will need some support after your operation, but you do not say what type of operation you are having. If you are having the MIE then your recovery would be much quicker than my husband's, but still I think that you will need someone.
I don't know about insurance, as I am in the UK, but the majority of people here are American's like you, and I am sure that they will be able to help you with that. For my part, I don't see how it is possible for the insurance people to say that EC is a pre-existing condition as you would surely have been diagnosed at stage 1 if that were the case.
I hope that the insurance gets sorted really quickly for you, as you don't need the additional worry at this stage.
May I make a suggestion? If you would like the answer to anything here, just put the question in the title of your post and I know that everyone will weigh in and try to help you.
The very best wishes for your coming surgery, my thoughts are with you.
Hugs and prayers,
Marci x
Joined: Nov 2011
Isn't that unallowable under the health care act? How could it be pre-existing? I'm sure your primary care doc, med onc, and surgeon can navigate this one for you.
Best of luck to you and please keep us posted - you are now on our radar and we will all be thinking of you.
Hugs,
Judy
Joined: Jul 2012
William--they haven't found ANY pre-existing conditions which would render me ineligible for benefits. Just dragging their feet, but when I get claims tallying 160k it gets frustrating. What can I do if they deny my surgery??
Joined: Aug 2010
Jan, Your case sounds familiar. I, too, am from NE IA and had my surgery at Mayo, MN. I was dx at age 58 , two years ago. I had the IL surgery at Mayo by Dr. DeChamps. He is now head of surgery. Dr Alberts is my oncologist. Mayo is a top notch facility and you will be given. Excellent care there. My recovery was at St Mary's, also an excellent hospital. I was Stage II also but one lymph node was cancerous so I had post op chemo at my local hospital. I am 2 plus years NED. And am doing very well.
I had tons of local support and a nurse wife who took excellent care of me postoperative. Recovery is tough and I would suggest help. Please write more and I will do my best to help. In the mean time, you are. In my prayers. God bless....
Gerry
Not sure how to handle the insurance questions.
Joined: Jul 2012
Yes indeed, we have much in common here. I want to thank all posters. A bit about my insurance company. They are investigating whether or not I had this diagnosis before. They are definitely acting in bad faith, and they haven't paid .01 towards any claims. I wrote to the Iowa Insurance Commission last week, so waiting to hear from them. I could get an attorney, but that would just prolong their non payment. Eventually, they will have to pay these claims.
I stopped smoking in 2007, and drank socially maybe a drink or two a week.
I'm looking for HHC nurses in area to stop daily after my surgery. I'm unsure of which procedure Dr. Deschamps and team will want to do...hopeful for the least recovery time, as we all do.
I have had my j-tube and port since 4-28-12,because swallowing was difficult up to a week ago. My mass has shrunk 80% from the chemorad, so feel pretty good about that. I'm eating really good now, just very small meals and Jevity at night.
I have my sad moments believe me--this DX hit me like a ton of bricks.
Joined: Jun 2010
Jan. the dx hits us all like a ton of bricks. What? who me? No, I can't have Cancer. We all have experienced this shock,and yes, we do have our sad moments. The future can get brighter. I was stage three with two lymph nodes involved. After 4 1/2 years, I am now NED. Life is almost normal again.
Insurance companies can be a pain. There's no way they can deny coverage.
If you could arrange for someone to be with you after surgery,it wou