Postponed Hernia Surgery

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Comments

  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #22
    Kim
    I want to cry when i hear of he financiaal cost of cancer on top of the rest of it. I was dxed at age 77 so have medicare and a supplement.
    My Blue Cross supplement runs 270 a month but that is my only cost. So far(almost 3 yrs) the total cost of cancer for me has been about $480,000. Thus my insurance premiums have been a real bargan. Hope you can handle the expense without selling the children. Never thought of selling mine, but often of giving them away. LOL
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #23
    Holdtight said:

    Hi again!
    Kim how big is yours and does a belt help to
    Stop it from growing? Thanks for your help!

    Large Soft Ball
    It's about the size of a soft ball but after eating gets bigger and is real hard from the waste collecting there and that's when it hurts. When I'm laying down it goes flat. I'm using spandex type of underwear with a re-enforced panel in the front so that does help somewhat. I've looked for a belt and John above has given an excellent site for belts.
    Even though those are for ostomies it could be used for someone that doesn't have an ostomy too.

    Kim
  • westie66
    westie66 Member Posts: 642
    #24
    danker said:

    Kim
    I want to cry when i hear of he financiaal cost of cancer on top of the rest of it. I was dxed at age 77 so have medicare and a supplement.
    My Blue Cross supplement runs 270 a month but that is my only cost. So far(almost 3 yrs) the total cost of cancer for me has been about $480,000. Thus my insurance premiums have been a real bargan. Hope you can handle the expense without selling the children. Never thought of selling mine, but often of giving them away. LOL

    Incisional Hernia
    Hi all: I have had an incisional hernia since my surgery April 2010 and wear a abdominal belt that is about 6 inches or wider. I hate it but it helps support the almost baby size hernia (looks like I'm 8 months pregnant!). I can't get it fixed while still doing chemo for the peritoneum and liver masses. I asked the surgeon why they didn't just assume that
    many people will get a hernia from a big incision after surgery and put in that mesh stuff right away. He didn't have an answer for me except they don't!

    On the other topic, I have to pay for my folfirinox chemo as Cancer Care Ontario nor my private plan cover it because I don't have colon or pancreatic cancer (gallbladder cancer). I have shelled out about $30,000 and now am paying about $4000 a month. Hard to manage on a retirement income.

    Cheryl
  • danker
    danker Member Posts: 1,276 Member
    #25
    westie66 said:

    Incisional Hernia
    Hi all: I have had an incisional hernia since my surgery April 2010 and wear a abdominal belt that is about 6 inches or wider. I hate it but it helps support the almost baby size hernia (looks like I'm 8 months pregnant!). I can't get it fixed while still doing chemo for the peritoneum and liver masses. I asked the surgeon why they didn't just assume that
    many people will get a hernia from a big incision after surgery and put in that mesh stuff right away. He didn't have an answer for me except they don't!

    On the other topic, I have to pay for my folfirinox chemo as Cancer Care Ontario nor my private plan cover it because I don't have colon or pancreatic cancer (gallbladder cancer). I have shelled out about $30,000 and now am paying about $4000 a month. Hard to manage on a retirement income.

    Cheryl

    westie66
    Wish me luck in Las Vegas. Since medicare or my supplement pay all my cancer related expenses, I will give you my winnings( if any)
    upon my return. I consider gambling a form of entertainment, not a hope for riches. So if I win , you can have it to soften the economic cost of this ugly
    maledy.
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #26
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Large Soft Ball
    It's about the size of a soft ball but after eating gets bigger and is real hard from the waste collecting there and that's when it hurts. When I'm laying down it goes flat. I'm using spandex type of underwear with a re-enforced panel in the front so that does help somewhat. I've looked for a belt and John above has given an excellent site for belts.
    Even though those are for ostomies it could be used for someone that doesn't have an ostomy too.

    Kim

    You can get support binders at CVS
    or at a medical supply store. I got mine at CVS. These are standard binders, not for use with ostomies, and are about 8 inches wide, and wrap completely around you. That's what I used for a long time.

    Alice
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #27
    westie66 said:

    Incisional Hernia
    Hi all: I have had an incisional hernia since my surgery April 2010 and wear a abdominal belt that is about 6 inches or wider. I hate it but it helps support the almost baby size hernia (looks like I'm 8 months pregnant!). I can't get it fixed while still doing chemo for the peritoneum and liver masses. I asked the surgeon why they didn't just assume that
    many people will get a hernia from a big incision after surgery and put in that mesh stuff right away. He didn't have an answer for me except they don't!

    On the other topic, I have to pay for my folfirinox chemo as Cancer Care Ontario nor my private plan cover it because I don't have colon or pancreatic cancer (gallbladder cancer). I have shelled out about $30,000 and now am paying about $4000 a month. Hard to manage on a retirement income.

    Cheryl

    The reason for not putting in the mesh right away
    is that it makes it more difficult if the surgeon needs to go in again. Also, the mesh provides a surface for tumor cells to grab on and start growing.

    When I had recent severe pain, my surgeon was concerned that my cancer might have come back on my mesh. It hadn't, but the concern was real. They want to get you through as much of the treatment as possible, if the hernia surgery isn't critical, because they want minimize the opportunities for regrowth.

    It's crazy that you have to pay for your chemo.

    Regards,
    Alice

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