PET scan

bulldogbruce

well tommarrow is my halfway point of 8 treatments of my hodgkins lymphoma stage IIA which i been being treated for. tommarrow i have my halfway point PET scan to see if the treatment is working or not. If the treatment is working i will have 4 more treatments before i get a cancer free where i need no more treatments. if the cancer has not reduced or gone away i then have the choice of continueing on with the current ABVD chemo treatments and another PET scan after 4 more treatments or i can go an aggressive route where i do different chemo and radiation for 21 days. which would also include me to be hospitalized. i am kind of nervous and scared for the PET scan tommarrow. As i know this is only one of the many more PET scans i will have throughout the rest of my life as i am only 41. but i am afraid of the what if and if the cancer treatments havent been working as well as they should have. do i want to just do the 4 more treatments or do i want to struggle and deal with the 21days of treatment and radiation which have a much better cure rate. i can go either way as the choice is mine. all i know is i am sick of being sick the way it is and i just want to be cancer free. i am hoping for the best for tommarrow. i just wish there was some financial assistance programs out there that would actually help. i have applied with 4 different ones and cause i have insurance they say i am not eligible for assistance. ok so i have insurance and copay for my meds. but what about all the other expenses like rent, heating bills, electric and water, food, car insurance and expenses. i mean i am unable to work due to the cancer and my sickness from treatment and my lowered immune system and yet they say i am ineligible for any assistance. why do i make donations and support the american cancer society and programs when in times of need they are quick to respond with NOT ELIGIBLE.. what a crock. i am really disappointed in how they treat people in times of need and want to know where all those donations go and the thanks for support is. its just like all you ever hear about or alot about on tv is breast cancer. well there are so many more cancers out there why is there never any tv or big promotional campaigns for other cancer other then breast cancer. i just want to know why all cancers aren't campaigned and promoted as hard as breast cancer. i can bet if i was female and single and applied for financial assistance i would not be ineligible but since i am a single male and white and don't have breast cancer it makes me ineligible. just a personal opinion there.

bulldog

Hey Bulldogbruce
I know how you feel. It is very scary and frustrating dealing with doctors concerning treatment options and trying to get financial help.
I am sure that every case is different.
I had stage 4 hodgkins and had to go the aggressive route. 10 months of chemo, then high dose chemo with stem cell transplant. My results were good because today i am cancer free.

as far as the money, i owe everyone and wont be caught up on bills for a long time.

The most important thing right now is your health my friend. there are other resources out there. check with your hospital for other cancer organisations. Your local town may also have some resources.

Just
Bulldog

KatMat

Financial Assistance
Have you applied for social security disability? It is a lot of forms and a lot of waiting on the part of the government to process it (we are into the 5th month since my husband applied and they are "still processing" but the money is retro-active. Definately look into that. You are definately eligible.

I understand your thoughts about breast cancer promotion becuase I have had the same thoughts. Not discounting the seriousnes of the disease but there are other cancers out there and they should get just as much attention.

I hope your PET scan results are good. My husband gets his results today before heading to transplant. It always makes one anxious. I wish you the best!

bulldogbruce

KatMat said:

Financial Assistance
Have you applied for social security disability? It is a lot of forms and a lot of waiting on the part of the government to process it (we are into the 5th month since my husband applied and they are "still processing" but the money is retro-active. Definately look into that. You are definately eligible.

I understand your thoughts about breast cancer promotion becuase I have had the same thoughts. Not discounting the seriousnes of the disease but there are other cancers out there and they should get just as much attention.

I hope your PET scan results are good. My husband gets his results today before heading to transplant. It always makes one anxious. I wish you the best!

katmat
thank you for understanding what i was trying to say about other cancers. everything seems to be revolving around breast cancer and breast cancer is the worse. well to me any cancer and stage of cancer is the worse not just based on what kind. so why cant it be about cancer as a whole and not a specific cancer. financial assistance should not be based on what kind of cancer or if you are male or female. of coarse they wont come right out and say that but its funny how a wealthy married female with breast cancer can get financial assistance while me be a single white guy with a low income job can't get financial assistance cause i have insurance and low copays. how is that fair. this is one of the problems with America. we sterotype and treat people based on there financial status not who they are as a person. Oh and im a VET for this country.

dixiegirl

bulldogbruce said:

katmat
thank you for understanding what i was trying to say about other cancers. everything seems to be revolving around breast cancer and breast cancer is the worse. well to me any cancer and stage of cancer is the worse not just based on what kind. so why cant it be about cancer as a whole and not a specific cancer. financial assistance should not be based on what kind of cancer or if you are male or female. of coarse they wont come right out and say that but its funny how a wealthy married female with breast cancer can get financial assistance while me be a single white guy with a low income job can't get financial assistance cause i have insurance and low copays. how is that fair. this is one of the problems with America. we sterotype and treat people based on there financial status not who they are as a person. Oh and im a VET for this country.

Copay
Leukemia & lymphoma society has copay assistance program that I applied and got. Also my county has a cancer foundation that helpedme with gas cards or groceries. Hang in there!

dixiegirl

bulldogbruce said:

katmat
thank you for understanding what i was trying to say about other cancers. everything seems to be revolving around breast cancer and breast cancer is the worse. well to me any cancer and stage of cancer is the worse not just based on what kind. so why cant it be about cancer as a whole and not a specific cancer. financial assistance should not be based on what kind of cancer or if you are male or female. of coarse they wont come right out and say that but its funny how a wealthy married female with breast cancer can get financial assistance while me be a single white guy with a low income job can't get financial assistance cause i have insurance and low copays. how is that fair. this is one of the problems with America. we sterotype and treat people based on there financial status not who they are as a person. Oh and im a VET for this country.

Copay
Leukemia & lymphoma society has copay assistance program that I applied and got. Also my county has a cancer foundation that helpedme with gas cards or groceries. Hang in there!

bulldogbruce

dixiegirl said:

Copay
Leukemia & lymphoma society has copay assistance program that I applied and got. Also my county has a cancer foundation that helpedme with gas cards or groceries. Hang in there!

thanks for the info. i do
thanks for the info. i do have a application in with the LLS and waiting for a response. i found a county program and have to file an application with them. always looking for more as treatment and medications and all the extra doctor visits isn't cheap as i am sure you and anyone else with cancer is aware of.

Unknown

bulldogbruce said:

thanks for the info. i do
thanks for the info. i do have a application in with the LLS and waiting for a response. i found a county program and have to file an application with them. always looking for more as treatment and medications and all the extra doctor visits isn't cheap as i am sure you and anyone else with cancer is aware of.

LLS
Their copay assistance is awesome, and they do have a one-a-year $100 stipend you can apply right here.

I know $100 doesn't seem like much, but they did give it to me and I turned right around and paid my electric bill. Everything helps!

Unknown

KatMat said:

Financial Assistance
Have you applied for social security disability? It is a lot of forms and a lot of waiting on the part of the government to process it (we are into the 5th month since my husband applied and they are "still processing" but the money is retro-active. Definately look into that. You are definately eligible.

I understand your thoughts about breast cancer promotion becuase I have had the same thoughts. Not discounting the seriousnes of the disease but there are other cancers out there and they should get just as much attention.

I hope your PET scan results are good. My husband gets his results today before heading to transplant. It always makes one anxious. I wish you the best!

SS Disability
Bruce be sure and apply for social security disability benefits. You can even apply retroactively. After 2 years you automatically go onto Medicare, regardless of your age. I got mine in just 2 mos. My long-term disability insurance company hired a law firm specializing in that to help me. They then reduced my long-term disability insurance payment by the amount of my social security benefit. Worth a try. Now go out there and kick ****!