That Time of the Year

Bay Area Guy

No.  It's not Christmas time.  It's annual scan time.  I went for my chest X-Ray today.  Tomorrow is blood test time.  Then on the 11th, it's CT time.  And finally, the all clear from the doc on the 17th.  I was originally scheduled for all of this in July, but we were able to score some good award flights to Japan and Thailand for July and there were openings for all this stuff in June, so we grabbed everthing.

A question for the long timers here.....This is year three for me and my docs have said they'd like to do annual scans until year 5.  I have no issue with that, as the scans report on things other than just the kidneys and I have some family history of aortal problems and some personal history of twisted intestines.  I have been told that after five years, insurance companies don't pay for CT's.  Has anyone else found this to be true and, if that's the case and you want scans, do you get an annual referral for an US?

donna_lee

You need to check with your insurance

to find out what, when, how often, etc. on follow up tests.  Much of this also depends upon what your intitial staging was-1,2,3,or 4.  After you have those questions answered, then talk to the Dr. or Onc. about what his thoughts are and what guidelines he is working under.

If, If, If.  Meanwhile, have a great trip to Far East.

Hugs,

donna_lee

 

stub1969

Thanks, Bay

I have my 3 year scans next month also.  I've been thinking about the same things.  Thank you, Donna, for the comments and solid advice. 

Stub 

Bay Area Guy

Wow. Had the X-ray this

Wow. Had the X-ray this morning at 730 at Stanford and the results are already posted to my online account.  Gotta love university hospitals.  Lungainly are all clear and heart is normal.  One down, two to go.

Thanks for the comments Donna.  And you’ll ace your scans Stub.

a_oaklee

In our case, anytime we get

In our case, anytime we get flack from an insurance company, the doctors write an appeal or make a phone call re the necessity of what's requested.  So far, everything has been approved.

daisybud

I have had an issue last time

I had 3 years scans in January..  I was stage 1 partial on right, grade 2..  2.5 cm.  The hospital gave me scans, chest and abdomen. Then my insurance company, Aetna, denied it .

Needless to say I was very annoyed because they sent me a  $11,000 bill. Now fighting with hospital because onoc dr did peer mediation and they still refuse to pay.

Aetna denied because they are saying it was low stage and grade and  not necessary. Talked to my gp and he gave me the name of a scan facility that is very reasonably if I want to self pay.

When at urologist appt he looked up a site , I believe it was nccn 2017 version and it did say for my stage and grade not necessary after 3 years!  I think that's crazy! Anyway still should have paid it this year because it was the third year. I definitely want to have some kind of follow up scan. 

I wish mine paid till the 5 th year  

 

Steph85

My time of year for a CT scan

My time of year for a CT scan. None of my doctors know why my inflammatory markers are high so... Oncologist reccomended Ct scan. Just recently diagnoses with fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome. Don't need a recurrance right now. I know the odds are slim, but that doesn't stop the anxiety! Good luck to you, and may we have NED in our future!

 

Stephanie

Mighty Frog

Me too coming up next month... this time different

But this time quite a bit different.  My last 3 scans was on MRI scan... the coming one will be on CT scan.  Last MRI scan detected abnormal colon thickening but after colonoscopy turnout everything is normal. Not sure what CT scan will find this time....

Gosh..... 

Sorry Bay Area Guy... not to scare you..... Maybe i just too worry... after the last scan.... 

 

Mighty Frog

Bay Area Guy

Mighty Frog said:

Me too coming up next month... this time different

But this time quite a bit different.  My last 3 scans was on MRI scan... the coming one will be on CT scan.  Last MRI scan detected abnormal colon thickening but after colonoscopy turnout everything is normal. Not sure what CT scan will find this time....

Gosh..... 

Sorry Bay Area Guy... not to scare you..... Maybe i just too worry... after the last scan.... 

 

Mighty Frog

Good About Your Colon

Hi Frog.  My intestines.....gosh, what can I say?  In 2004, I was giving a presentation at a restaurant dinner meeting and had excruciating abdominal pain.  I finished the presentation, then went home and that night, I could not even put a sheet on my abdomen without it hurting.  A trip to the ER showed a part of my intestines had flopped over another part.  A “simple” operation got that corrected.  Then, six years later, we had just gotten home from an extended cruise when the same abdominal pain hit.  Back to the ER where they determined I had a sigmoid volvulous.  My sigmoid colon had twisted 540 degrees and had essentially shut itself down.  Back to th3 OR, but this time, 18 inches of colon got removed and I had to spend 10 or 11 weeks with an ileostomy bag Before everything could get reconnected.  That was a real joy.....not.  It seems bad digestive systems run in my family.

If you look at my posts about recovery from kidney surgery, you see that my recovery wasn’t very painful for me.  I think one reason is the Two abdominal surgeries.  To get to the intestines, there was nothing subtle.....just a rather long incision from Just bellow my navel to just above my groin.....right through some rather dense muscles.  And when those muscles try to heal, any movement is painful.  During the recovery for the second abdominal surgery (the one with the bag), I came down with pneumonia, likely from aspirating something when they put the NG tube in at the ER.  Let me tell you, coughing fits with your abdomen stapled and sutured up is very painful.  A pillow became my best friend because I was hugging it so much while i coughed.  i think that’s why the relatively modest pain of the kidney surgery seemed like a comparative walk in the park for m3.

Hopefully, all of that is behind me.

APny

Bay Area Guy, good grief, but

Bay Area Guy, good grief, but you went through a lot. That sounds extremely painful. My husband had abdominal surgery for diverticulitis and recovery seemed much worse than for my kidney surgery. 

Wishing you and everyone good scan results. If insurance won't cover CT after 5 years perhaps you could switch to US. 

Bay Area Guy

APny said:

Bay Area Guy, good grief, but

Bay Area Guy, good grief, but you went through a lot. That sounds extremely painful. My husband had abdominal surgery for diverticulitis and recovery seemed much worse than for my kidney surgery. 

Wishing you and everyone good scan results. If insurance won't cover CT after 5 years perhaps you could switch to US. 

That’s The Plan

If I can’t get a CT paid, I can ask my PCP for the US.

Yeah, those muscles in the abdomen are brutal when they get cut.  My dad had numerous operations throughout his 90 years, including both abdominal, as well as bypass surgery and an aortal replacement ( i think our family didn’t opt for the extended warranty or something) and he said his heart operations were much easier to recover from, pain-wise than the abdominal ones.

 

CRashster

Us

We're all right here together. My 3 year is on the 28th. Scanixety has begun! Doctor office screwing up all my appts. again. Be your own activist!