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01-31-2007, 03:35 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 131
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A little good news for me too!
Hey Angels -
I have a little good news too, but nothing to compare with the AWESOME news about StephN and Christine though. After fighting with my insurance company since September (they decided all of Lisa's issues were "pre-exisiting" and refusing and/or slow-paying - in the last month alone I have recieved bills from Cancer Center, Hospital, Testing facilities, etc for over $150,000.00 that they are demanding payment from me since insurance is refusing to pay!) they finally agreed to pay! When I spoke with them last night (had become a NIGHTLY routine) they had just finished processing and PAYING over 48 claims! Woo-Hoo!!
Love and Light
Mel
__________________
Mel Gordon, Husband of Lisa Lowe - Queen of Love and Light and the bravest person I know!
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01-31-2007, 03:44 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Alaska
Posts: 2,018
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Angels
I'm glad to hear that you are out from under all that, Mel... and I'd bet a lot that if we only knew everything, Lisa found a way to handle that for you....
AlaskaAngel
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01-31-2007, 03:53 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: northshore suburb of chicago
Posts: 1,093
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That sure is a burden lifted off your shoulders. Thank goodness, thrilled for you. This is not what you want to have to deal with ever. So sorry you had to.
__________________
~Rina~
Dx:3/06 had a lumpectomy April 19, 2006
Her2+ er/pr- Stage I Grade 3 tumor size 1.4 cm, node negative
AC 4 dense doses
34 radiation treatments including booster doses
receiving herceptin every 3 weeks since late August 2006 for 12 months
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01-31-2007, 05:35 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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Mel,
Glad to hear that the insurance paid. The last thing you need is skyrocketing medical bills to pay.
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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01-31-2007, 05:44 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,516
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Mel...
AWESOME news. I used to a medical claim adjustor for Travelers insurance and YES, I know the hoops that are required to jump through...your agility paid off not to mention that angel on your shoulder. Take care and God bless.
Rhonda
__________________
Rhonda
Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)
2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)
" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
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01-31-2007, 08:40 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 312
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The uncertainty of who was paying for what definitely adds to the burden of cancer patients. Glad you got yours resolved. I just have a few thousand more that I am working on. And the mystery of who will pay continues test after test after test.
__________________
Janet
Endometrial Cancer 2002
Mammogram 11/2004
Lumpectomy 12/2004
Stage 1, 9mm DCIS, grade 2, Her2+++, ER/PR negative
Refused A/C as recommened by two oncs.
35 treatments of radiation that ended March 4, 2005
Changed oncologists and began
Taxotere/Herceptin August 2005. Finished Herceptin July 2006
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01-31-2007, 09:15 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern, CA
Posts: 2,511
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Talk about having a weight lifted. (What a MAJOR relief that has to be.) I am glad they finally agreed to pay. Although...I know your going to miss those nigthly phone calls. (NOT!) What will you do with all that free time. 
What a true blessing to be out from under that extreme stress. I am truly happy for you.
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Chelee
__________________
DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes.
Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs.
Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06
Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07
3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07
9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV.
9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa
9-29-09 Power Port Placement
10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head.
11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed
12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa.
3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed.
4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone.
5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy.
Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time.
7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.
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01-31-2007, 09:31 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 1,055
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Congrats on the insurance front. Medical coverage can sure be an insult when you have so many other things going on. Enjoy this small victory. BB
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01-31-2007, 10:44 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Misty woods of WA State
Posts: 4,128
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Worth?
Thanks for acknowledging my good news post, Mel. That has to hurt after what you have been through the past few months. I wanted with all my heart for Lisa to have good news too.
How much is fighting for our life worth?? My insurance has paid out an amount approaching the ridiculous amount of $900,000 in just over 6 years. My brain mets ran that up quite well! I feel like I should be diamond studded or something!
I congratulate you on your sticking to your guns and not letting the medical ins run you into ruin. Lisa knew you could handle it! She even posted about this possible problem when you changed jobs.
__________________
"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau
Live in the moment.
MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~
Found suspicious lump 9/2000
Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement
Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR -
Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds
36 rads - very little burning
3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum
Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED!
2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa
Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18
All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET
Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying
Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa
Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?)
2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava
2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec.
Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011
STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer
7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones
Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED
2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED.
Same news for 2016 and all of 2017.
Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.
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