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03-08-2007, 10:54 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 131
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Insurance frustrations - TAKE HOPE!!!
Several posts about insurance have come up lately and I just wanted to say "Keep the Faith!" After months and months and months of having hospital, oncologist, radiologist, hospice, lab, etc... bills come in that insurance was not paying, followed by letters explaining that since insurance was not paying I was responible for these bills - $13,000 here, $11,000, there smallest was $10.07 (gotta get that 7 cents!) and largest was $115,535 - I was quite near the end of my rope.
But insutrance FINALLY started to pay, and now I am even starting to recieve refund checks from all the bills I had been paying! WooHoo - nice to get checks in the mail! Used to always depress me to see these envelopes - but now...
Should we have to go through this - no way - but I hope this is quick post can shine a light on at least one of you and to prove at every level there is HOPE!
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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03-08-2007, 11:14 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
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Mel, speaking of hope, I've been comforted seeing your posts and knowing that if? when? I pass on there's hope that my husband and family will continue to live, love, and best of all have hope. Thanks for caring and looking in on us.
<3 Lolly
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Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
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03-08-2007, 11:18 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 131
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Aw shucks
now I'm blushing...
__________________
Mel Gordon, Husband of Lisa Lowe - Queen of Love and Light and the bravest person I know!
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03-08-2007, 11:19 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,357
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And thanks for the "good news" about insurance. I think that stuff worries me more than tests, unknowns, and everything else. That made my day! We're thinking good thought for you! mary anne
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MA in TX.
Grateful for each and every day....
Diag. 12/05 at age 60
Stage II, Grade 3, 4.5 cm primary tumor
ER/PR- Her2 +3 strongly positive
Her2 by FISH 7.7 amplified
vascular invasion
Ki67 20% borderline
Jan - March '06 Taxotere/Adriamycin X 3 to try to shrink tumor - it grew
April '06 Rt Modified Radical Mas, 7 of 9 nodes positive
April - Aug. '06 Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin X 8 (dose dense)
Sept - Dec. '06 Navelbine/Herceptin x 8 (dose dense)
Radiation & Herceptin Jan. 22 - March 1, 2007
Finished Herceptin Dec. 10 '08! One extra year.
Port removed August, 2012.
8 1/2 years since diagnosis! 5 1/2 Years NED!
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03-08-2007, 11:37 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ft. Collins, Colorado
Posts: 546
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it's about time...
that all of your hard work, frustration and stress be relieved by something!!! And something as real and necessary as money. I am so happy and relieved for you Mel. I hope you can take care of you in some nurturing way. Thank you for your encouragement to all of us!
__________________
with love and gratitude,
joy
dx stage I 2/2000*er/pr+; her- per IHC*lumpectomy*4 rounds A/C*30 rads*tamoxifen*dx stage 4 5/2002*huge mets to liver*tiny mets to lungs*stopped tamoxifen*5/02 taxotere/xeloda*her 2 checked with FiSH-her2+++herceptin *2/03 stopped chemo femara w/herceptin*zolodex*04 switched to aromasin w/herceptin*05 high estrogen tx*11/05taxol/carbo*7/06 stopped chemo; megace/herceptin*9/06navelbine/herceptin*5/07tykerb/xeloda great response*4/08 progression in liver; ooph/ faslodex /herceptin
6/08 began Herceptin DM-1
9/08 progression
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03-08-2007, 08:11 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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It seems unfair...
...that we have to worry about this nasty disease--and then money too! Seems to be on my mind a lot lately.
Glad things are looking up for you Mel. You deserve a break, and just maybe a gold medal. Its great to have you on the boards with us, knowing you care about us, just as we care about you.
________
Children Prilosec
Last edited by sassy; 08-22-2011 at 09:10 AM..
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03-08-2007, 10:26 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
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Mel
Your a special Man.....
Thank you,
Jean
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Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
Ki-67 40%
Arimidex 5/05
Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
Stopped Arimidex 5/06
TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
9/06 Completed chemo
Started Femara Sept. 2006
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03-09-2007, 07:23 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 93
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I went through the same. We just started with a new insurance company 8 months prior to diagnosis. The ins company required certification that this was not a pre-existing condition before they paid any bills. Even though we sent all releases and our docs sent the records quickly, their "review" lasted nearly 5 months. Needless to say, the hospital, surgeon, etc. were wanting to get paid!
Finally, after weeks of phone calls, letters, etc. I finally got through to the "right" person and got a determination.
I have come to the conclusion that most "first level" people at these companies are unable to make any decision on their own. You have to go two or three steps up the ladder to actually get anyting done.
__________________
Husband to Jill
Diagnosed 10/05, age 39
R Mast 11/05
Stage II N0
Her2+ er/pr+
Revision Mast due to positive margins 12/05
TCH Chemo started 1/06
Finished TC 4/06
Tamoxifen
Finished H 12/29/06
Currently NED
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