reporting in from Nashville

2

Comments

  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    Sounds good!
    Lisa,

    Sounds like this trip was a very good thing for you! Thanks for remembering to even ask about other issues, so you could give that info to those who might need it.

    We can't wait to hear what a wondrous miracle is going to happen to you!

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    snommintj said:

    How will you pay?
    I've been doing some research on the interferon he's using. If I've been told correctly it is interferon-2a. I was also told that it was very expensive. Will your insurance cover it? If not, does he get some kind of discount. I was told that one treatment for me would be 7000. I hope this is incorrect, did he say which interfeon he's using?

    I was Wondering this too
    I was wondering how insurance would pay for something that is not given to patients on a regular basis and I'm sure we would make too much for some discount but not enough to sustain us as we are facing enormous deductibles for our insurance plus paying a monthly premium. I think that between the deductible we have to pay plus a premium we still wouldn't qualify. Just wondering about insurance coverage too. I know that my insurance wouldn't cover Nuelasta (shot for low blood counts) or Emend (anti neausea meds), plus I have to pay every time I have lab work done and for every prescription. As of the first of the year, things that we pay go up 7 times what they are now. Just curious.

    Hope all is going well for you tonight.

    Hugs!
    Kim
  • Fight for my love
    Fight for my love Member Posts: 1,522 Member
    Hi Lisa,it is really good to
    Hi Lisa,it is really good to see your update.I have prayed a good outcome from this treatment and I am hoping your lung will be all cleared up.I will keep praying for you.Best luck with it.Take care.
  • Paula G.
    Paula G. Member Posts: 596
    Wishing you the best
    Lisa, I am hoping that this works for you. I will keep watching the board for updates. It does sound good. Thinking of you, Paula
  • KFen725
    KFen725 Member Posts: 108 Member
    Great!
    Hi, Lisa! I have been keeping my eyes on the boards looking to see your update on the Teneessee trip. Praying that mighty and wonderful things happen for you with this new treatment! Like Diane, I am also praying for a wonderful and complete healing for your body.

    Love,
    Kelly
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    KFen725 said:

    Great!
    Hi, Lisa! I have been keeping my eyes on the boards looking to see your update on the Teneessee trip. Praying that mighty and wonderful things happen for you with this new treatment! Like Diane, I am also praying for a wonderful and complete healing for your body.

    Love,
    Kelly

    XXXXX
    Glad to hear you made it to Tenn praying for you as always!
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    Lisa,
    This is all so

    Lisa,
    This is all so exciting! Thank you for taking the time and letting us know the details. I love that you have been mentioned by various people and talked about as the reason people are reaching out and making the attempt to look at and do something different with their treatments! It is so way cool that this community expands out beyond ourselves and touches others in this fight against cancer! yeah for us! All the best to you in the upcoming weeks, prayers and good thoughts that this is it or part of IT!
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    home again
    Thanks to everyone who replied! I'm now home again- got home yesterday (Saturday) at about 3:00 p.m. Went to the Christmas parade in my town with the family and had a fun time.
    I'll keep you all updated on how the treatment goes.

    Love to all-
    Lisa :)
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member

    Christmas Miracle!
    I'm expecting a wonderous miracle Lisa! Still praying for you to be fully and forever healed.

    Much love and God bless,
    Diane

    thank you Diane
    Diane,

    Thank you- I know and believe that you really do faithfully pray for me and many others here on the website. I appreciate that and I wish for and pray for blessings for you and your family.

    Hugs,
    Lisa
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member

    Good to hear that you made it
    Good to hear from you and what wonderful news. When will you be home? I still owe you a lunch. LOL
    I hope the rest of the trip goes as well.


    Life is funnysometimes
    Brooks

    Hi Brooks
    Hi Brooks,

    Thanks for the reply and I made it home yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. Slept in this a.m. and am still sitting here in my robe as I type (yikes- it's almost 1 in the afternoon- better go get dressed and get going with my day)
    We'll do the lunch sometime- probably sometime after the holidays & maybe we can get others in the area together too.

    Take care-
    Lisa
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    Sundanceh said:

    Way to Go Sunshine :)
    Hi Lisa

    I can feel the warmth in your post and you sound so good and confident!

    You're a trendsetter - but you have always been so!

    You are provididng hope and inspiration to so many people here - as you always have.

    I loved your story about the lady recognizing you from the Cancer board - now you're famous too! How interesting that the new Dr. is getting "referral" patients from you.

    YOU are the Gift that keeps on giving!

    Love you - Craig

    Craig
    Hi Craig,

    Thanks for the post- you are always so kind! How are YOU feeling lately???

    Hugs,
    Lisa
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member

    hey lisa
    glad to hear the news and to see you are excited about it.i am only 80 miles north of you in ky.to bad i dont have the gas money to come visit you.if you get a chance go to the opryland hotel it is awsome around the holidays.sorry i missed you and Godbless....johnnybegood

    johnnybegood- it would have been fun!
    Hi johnnybegood-

    It would have been fun to see you there! I did see the Opryland Hotel and it was amazing! It was pouring rain when we were there, so I took pictures from under my umbrella of the lit up trees outside and the lifesize nativity scene. It was so impressive inside, as well. The shops and restaurants were nice, but it was the giant arboretum (or whatever they called it)- huge rooms and rooms of trees, gardens, rivers that you could actually go for a boat ride on, etc.- very impressive). We paid $18 to park in their lousy parking lot, though! (later Dr. Cantrell told me we could have parked for free in the mall parking lot next to it. Oh well, live and learn, plus it was pouring, so we really wouldn't have wanted to walk too far in the rain. But maybe to save the ridiculous parking fee we would have!)

    Lisa
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    Shayenne said:

    Heyas Lisa!!!
    So glad to hear from you, you really sound happy through your posting, I can feel your smiles! I am so happy to hear you like the doctor, and you got me wanting to see him as well! He does liver mets? I really hope this treatment works out for you, if so, I'm going there! lol...I don't want to be on maintenance chemo, I want more...though, I don't know about injecting myself with anything, yowch! I'd be chicken too. I do have a friend though who is a nurse and could probably do it for me though lol...

    Hope you have some fun while in Nashville, and hope you have a safe trip back!

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna

    Donna
    Hi Donna,

    Yes, I was smiling while writing it! Yes, he does treat for liver mets for sure. Also bone mets, as some people had asked me about on another thread before (although the Dr. noted that treatment on bone mets may take longer & that the liver usually responds sooner). Lungs mets, he noted, are also a bit tougher than in some places, such as the liver. He does say on his website that brain mets don't respond very well, due to the barrier that the brain has affecting some medications that don't cross over that barrier into the brain very well (which is the body's way of protecting the brain from substances that might be harmful). He does still have a few patients that have brain mets, and they still decided to pursue this avenue of treatment after being fully informed of the limitations.

    Hugs,
    Lisa
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    TxKayaker said:

    Make it to Printer's Alley
    Make it to Printer's Alley for some down home blues.

    did hit the "local flavor"
    Hi,

    Thanks for the tip! I didn't see Printer's Alley, as you recommended, but my sis in law and I did walk down the main downtown area in Nashville and ate in a place called Rippy's Bar and Grill- had some great pulled pork sandwiches and listened to some fun live music.
    My nephew, who lives there, is a small-scale music producer and has a studio right on music row (bradhillmusic.com). I got to visit him while he was at work recording a CD for someone. Lots of fun to finally get to see what he does.
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    snommintj said:

    How will you pay?
    I've been doing some research on the interferon he's using. If I've been told correctly it is interferon-2a. I was also told that it was very expensive. Will your insurance cover it? If not, does he get some kind of discount. I was told that one treatment for me would be 7000. I hope this is incorrect, did he say which interfeon he's using?

    snommintj & Kim & to anyone interested in cost and insurance cov
    Hi,

    snommintj- I'm not sure where you got the $7,000 figure- maybe that was figuring with having to pay for the interferon cash, along with the Dr. visits over time?
    This first initial visit, which consisted of two days of visits, two hours each (and he spent a total of 4 hours with me with his undivided attention & no one else even sitting out in the waiting room)- cost me a little over $900 (with a 7% discount for paying it all at once and for paying with a debit card or check). He gives a 5% discount of the main price for paying right then with a credit card and an additional 2% discount for paying with a debit card or a check. He has no control over the cost of the drugs, but he does recommend the type of interferon that is the most cost effective and the most likely to be covered by insurance. The Lovastatin is not covered by my insurance because it is FDA approved for cholesterol, not cancer (if you have high cholesterol, then your insurance probably would cover it). Anyhow, it is VERY CHEAP even just paying cash. I called Rite Aid first, because that's where I get my medicines when at home, and they quoted me $65.99 for my first month's worth. Next, I called the Wal Mart pharmacy there... $8, literally just eight dollars! Cheaper than what my insurance copay for medicines! Wal Mart is where I'll be getting it from.
    It was just Friday that the info for the interferon was submitted to my insurance, so I'll be following up Monday and Tuesday to see about coverage. It is covered for cancer, but not specifically colon cancer, so it is actually possible that they'll deny it. The cash cost of it varies (depending upon your dosage, which depends upon your weight) anywhere from $800-$1300 a month, is what I was told. Dr. Cantrell also said that some insurances will deny it outright, but may end up covering it after all when reasons are submitted as to why it is needed. He said many states have laws now that when a patient has gone through all standard treatments and has "failed" on standard treatments that the insurance companies must pay for clinical trials and "reasonable off market treatments" (which this qualifies as). It just may take a little convincing by the doctor writing a letter, etc. to convince them that this is a reasonable "next step" treatment that should be covered.
    I have Aetna HMO and Dr. Cantrell said it may do nothing, but it certainly couldn't hurt to try to submit a form to my insurance for reimbursement of what I'm paying for these Dr. visits. I hadn't even thought of trying since it's an HMO, but you never know, so I'm going to try to submit for reimbursement.
    I also have heard about from Dr. Cantrell and DAN R. (who went earlier in Nov) about how the company that makes the interferon (can't currently remember what it is) has a foundation that helps out when people's insurance companies don't pick up the cost. The help they offer is based on your income. I imagine I wouldn't qualify for that, but if it comes down to me not getting coverage, I will definitely seek them out to see if I could at least get at least some financial help, even if it isn't for the full amount.
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    andyc56 said:

    neoplas
    Lisa, thanks for your report. Sorry the weather was so cold for your visit! As I posted in another thread, Dr. Cantrell is indeed a warm and caring doctor and person. Good luck with the treatment; my wife is one of the small minority who have muscle and liver issues with statin drugs. She had surgery two weeks ago to remove a malignant brain metastisis and will probably try irinotecan again in a few weeks, but we are keeping Dr. Cantrell's treatment (at a lower dose) as an option down the road.

    FWIW, our insurance covered the interferon-alpha except for a small co-pay. Many states (including our state, TN) have insurance laws requiring coverage of off-label use of certain drugs for cancer treatment, if there is scientific literature supporting it and other treatments have not worked.

    andy
    Hi Andy,

    I'm glad your interferon was covered by the insurance. Yes, I heard how some states do have these insurance laws. At this moment, I don't know what the laws are about that here in California, but you can bet I'll be checking that out this coming week,
    Thanks for the tip to everyone about that! I'm sorry your wife had issues with muscles and liver. I know they will be checking carefully for that & I have been told what to watch out for. Again, sorry your wife had problems with that. Is she still able to take the treatment?
    I wish her well!

    Lisa
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    ittapp said:

    Lisa, you are making me so
    Lisa, you are making me so excited about future treatments if needed. I also have the question on how to pay for this? I know John was asking this question. Will he take medicaid? I will be seeing an Interventional Radiologist Tues.again, he wanted me to come back if the first line of treatment stopped working. He had mentioned Sir spheres. I will see where that takes me for now. I am so proud of you Lisa for your courage and kindness to keep us all informed. I have a really good feeling about this treatment.Keep us posted on how you are feeling with this medicine. God Bless you, Patti

    Patti
    Hi Patti,

    See what I wrote back to John (snommintj) about payments and insurance.
    I'm pretty sure, unfortunately, that he won't take medicaid, although I shouldn't say that because I never asked (since I'm not on medicaid). I know he doesn't work with insurance companies (so if your insurance were to cover his Dr. visits, we'd have to submit for reimbursement- his office doesn't submit to them.) You can certainly call or email his office and ask about medicaid. Maybe they some kind of discount or something for patients on that- I don't know.

    I will definitely keep you and everyone informed of how things are going.

    Take care Patti-
    Lisa
  • just4Brooks
    just4Brooks Member Posts: 980 Member
    lisa42 said:

    Hi Brooks
    Hi Brooks,

    Thanks for the reply and I made it home yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. Slept in this a.m. and am still sitting here in my robe as I type (yikes- it's almost 1 in the afternoon- better go get dressed and get going with my day)
    We'll do the lunch sometime- probably sometime after the holidays & maybe we can get others in the area together too.

    Take care-
    Lisa

    Sounds good to me
    Hi Lisa, Sounds good to me. Let me know when you're ready. Is that Mexican restaurant still open in Bonsal ? (The one across from the Arco). I used to love there food!! Yum. Haven’t been there in years. Used to sit outside in the back area and eat outside. I’m making myself hungry!!
  • just4Brooks
    just4Brooks Member Posts: 980 Member
    lisa42 said:

    home again
    Thanks to everyone who replied! I'm now home again- got home yesterday (Saturday) at about 3:00 p.m. Went to the Christmas parade in my town with the family and had a fun time.
    I'll keep you all updated on how the treatment goes.

    Love to all-
    Lisa :)

    Welcome Home
    Just wanted to welcome you home... Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Good goig!!!


    Brooks
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    lisa42 said:

    snommintj & Kim & to anyone interested in cost and insurance cov
    Hi,

    snommintj- I'm not sure where you got the $7,000 figure- maybe that was figuring with having to pay for the interferon cash, along with the Dr. visits over time?
    This first initial visit, which consisted of two days of visits, two hours each (and he spent a total of 4 hours with me with his undivided attention & no one else even sitting out in the waiting room)- cost me a little over $900 (with a 7% discount for paying it all at once and for paying with a debit card or check). He gives a 5% discount of the main price for paying right then with a credit card and an additional 2% discount for paying with a debit card or a check. He has no control over the cost of the drugs, but he does recommend the type of interferon that is the most cost effective and the most likely to be covered by insurance. The Lovastatin is not covered by my insurance because it is FDA approved for cholesterol, not cancer (if you have high cholesterol, then your insurance probably would cover it). Anyhow, it is VERY CHEAP even just paying cash. I called Rite Aid first, because that's where I get my medicines when at home, and they quoted me $65.99 for my first month's worth. Next, I called the Wal Mart pharmacy there... $8, literally just eight dollars! Cheaper than what my insurance copay for medicines! Wal Mart is where I'll be getting it from.
    It was just Friday that the info for the interferon was submitted to my insurance, so I'll be following up Monday and Tuesday to see about coverage. It is covered for cancer, but not specifically colon cancer, so it is actually possible that they'll deny it. The cash cost of it varies (depending upon your dosage, which depends upon your weight) anywhere from $800-$1300 a month, is what I was told. Dr. Cantrell also said that some insurances will deny it outright, but may end up covering it after all when reasons are submitted as to why it is needed. He said many states have laws now that when a patient has gone through all standard treatments and has "failed" on standard treatments that the insurance companies must pay for clinical trials and "reasonable off market treatments" (which this qualifies as). It just may take a little convincing by the doctor writing a letter, etc. to convince them that this is a reasonable "next step" treatment that should be covered.
    I have Aetna HMO and Dr. Cantrell said it may do nothing, but it certainly couldn't hurt to try to submit a form to my insurance for reimbursement of what I'm paying for these Dr. visits. I hadn't even thought of trying since it's an HMO, but you never know, so I'm going to try to submit for reimbursement.
    I also have heard about from Dr. Cantrell and DAN R. (who went earlier in Nov) about how the company that makes the interferon (can't currently remember what it is) has a foundation that helps out when people's insurance companies don't pick up the cost. The help they offer is based on your income. I imagine I wouldn't qualify for that, but if it comes down to me not getting coverage, I will definitely seek them out to see if I could at least get at least some financial help, even if it isn't for the full amount.

    Interesting
    Very interesting and that is nothing compared to what my doctors have been charging me. I hope that you are doing well and all is going according to plan. It sounds like you are in very good hands with Dr. Cantrell and he seems like a very pleasant, and worthy doctor, especially when he spends that kind of quality time with a patient. That has to make you feel so much better that he is a good doctor and has bedside manners at the same time. That is a rare find with doctors. Thanks for the updates.

    Kim