Let me tell you about my day....rant enclosed (sorry!)
Tori:
I know the main reason most of you are here is to find out once and for all if Tori has cancer. I too would like to have that information. Unfortunately what I have is only a partial answer. The doctor says the lymph node was benign. This is good news. What we dont know is if that means the mass is benign. I dont know if the mass was the lymph node, or seperate. I dont know these things because the doctor is out of town and we have not spoken to him directly. So basically what I know is the same thing I knew three weeks ago. Tori has a mass in her groin and we dont know what it is yet. THIS SUCKS.
Me:
So after spending 24 hours trying to get information about Tori and them basically not giving us any answers at all, I got a call today about my surgery. The coordinator from the program called and said I am really sorry to tell you this, but we contacted your insurance and they said you do not have coverage for this procedure. At which point my heart stopped I hyperventilated and had a small nervous break down. You would think that a woman such as I who sells insurance for a living would be smart enough to know her own personal policy well enough to not spend hundreds of dollars out of pocket to prepare for a surgery she did not have coverage for. I was already frustrated because they were supposed to send me up to the surgeon last week, and now Its not happening till this week. Now its not happening at all! So I drove home and got on the computer pulled up my exclusions and called the carrier. Come to find out, the hospital is only slightly smarter than the insurance company and between them the whole thing was mishandled. I do have coverage and this is how to make it work. So I jump in the car drive to the hospital watching the clock. I have to explain to three different people how to contact my carrier appropriately, at which point I am advised to run down to bariatrics and let them know so I can go up to surgery, and it is 4:02. I rush down and the whole department is locked up tight having closed TWO MINUTES earlier. So I go back to financial and they tell me they will just have to send my file up to surgery NEXT WEEK. Seriously.
I am now sitting at home eating popcorn and drinking. This has been my day. I am done with it. I am quitting. I cant take one more thing that goes wrong. Really I cant.
I know the main reason most of you are here is to find out once and for all if Tori has cancer. I too would like to have that information. Unfortunately what I have is only a partial answer. The doctor says the lymph node was benign. This is good news. What we dont know is if that means the mass is benign. I dont know if the mass was the lymph node, or seperate. I dont know these things because the doctor is out of town and we have not spoken to him directly. So basically what I know is the same thing I knew three weeks ago. Tori has a mass in her groin and we dont know what it is yet. THIS SUCKS.
Me:
So after spending 24 hours trying to get information about Tori and them basically not giving us any answers at all, I got a call today about my surgery. The coordinator from the program called and said I am really sorry to tell you this, but we contacted your insurance and they said you do not have coverage for this procedure. At which point my heart stopped I hyperventilated and had a small nervous break down. You would think that a woman such as I who sells insurance for a living would be smart enough to know her own personal policy well enough to not spend hundreds of dollars out of pocket to prepare for a surgery she did not have coverage for. I was already frustrated because they were supposed to send me up to the surgeon last week, and now Its not happening till this week. Now its not happening at all! So I drove home and got on the computer pulled up my exclusions and called the carrier. Come to find out, the hospital is only slightly smarter than the insurance company and between them the whole thing was mishandled. I do have coverage and this is how to make it work. So I jump in the car drive to the hospital watching the clock. I have to explain to three different people how to contact my carrier appropriately, at which point I am advised to run down to bariatrics and let them know so I can go up to surgery, and it is 4:02. I rush down and the whole department is locked up tight having closed TWO MINUTES earlier. So I go back to financial and they tell me they will just have to send my file up to surgery NEXT WEEK. Seriously.
I am now sitting at home eating popcorn and drinking. This has been my day. I am done with it. I am quitting. I cant take one more thing that goes wrong. Really I cant.
First off my friend, the main reason we are here is to support you in what ever capacity that you require. Second, I empathize with you for all of the hassles you have had in trying to get your surgery set up. It is an amazingly long and complicated process that drives those of us who chose to pursue this procedure to want to kick, scream, throw things, and beat the living s**t out of our insurance carriers. They make it this hard so that hopefully you will get frustrated enough to give up so they don't have to pay. If you do perservere, they at least know that you are truly serious with this life altering decision. Please don't let what is going on in your life at the moment overwhelm you into making the decision to give up. This latest escapade has only delayed your process for a couple of days, frustrating to be sure, but it has not ended the process.
I know that it is easy for us to say that we are thinking of you and keeping you in our prayers while you struggle with all the issues going on in your life, the hard part is being carried on your shoulders and wish that we might that we could help in some way, all we can do is try to be here when you need to vent and to continue to give our "virtual" support.
take care
I know that it is easy for us to say that we are thinking of you and keeping you in our prayers while you struggle with all the issues going on in your life, the hard part is being carried on your shoulders and wish that we might that we could help in some way, all we can do is try to be here when you need to vent and to continue to give our "virtual" support.
take care
You guys have been truly amazing. Its so amazing to have a group of people who not only understand the life changing decisions we face with bypass, but the unique challenges that come with being in the gay community and doing it.
It is so difficult not to get overwhelmed with the difficulty! I know its only a few days but it was a few days here and a few days there and I am terrified it wont happen by the end of the year now. I am paid in full with my copays and deductibles right now so the the surgery has a time frame for me. Of course with the way things are going that might not happen!
So thanks again for the amazing support. If I didnt vent here I would probably explode!
It is so difficult not to get overwhelmed with the difficulty! I know its only a few days but it was a few days here and a few days there and I am terrified it wont happen by the end of the year now. I am paid in full with my copays and deductibles right now so the the surgery has a time frame for me. Of course with the way things are going that might not happen!
So thanks again for the amazing support. If I didnt vent here I would probably explode!
I know how frustrating the waiting can be, I've been through it myself. My surgery was put off a couple of times this year (due to some injuries I sustained) and I decided after the second time it got set back to shoot for the beginning of July as that is when my company was shutting down for vacation. I wanted to do it then so I wouldn't have to be on disability (again) and be forced to tell my employer what I was doing. I finally got approved on the last day before they were going to call off my surgery if they didn't hear anything back from the insurance company. I was pulling my hair out! I ended up getting the surgery when I wanted to and I never did tell my employer what I had done. I don't feel a need to talk about my WLS with my coworkers. That may change later, but for now I would rather keep it to myself. I find it is enough for me to come here and talk to all of you about my experiences going through this.
Try to keep the faith, I'm sure it will all work out for you and you will get to have the surgery before the end of the year. If my luck turned, I'm sure yours will too.
Try to keep the faith, I'm sure it will all work out for you and you will get to have the surgery before the end of the year. If my luck turned, I'm sure yours will too.
On October 23, 2008 at 11:24 PM Pacific Time, Reddingbarb wrote:
Tori:I know the main reason most of you are here is to find out once and for all if Tori has cancer. I too would like to have that information. Unfortunately what I have is only a partial answer. The doctor says the lymph node was benign. This is good news. What we dont know is if that means the mass is benign. I dont know if the mass was the lymph node, or seperate. I dont know these things because the doctor is out of town and we have not spoken to him directly. So basically what I know is the same thing I knew three weeks ago. Tori has a mass in her groin and we dont know what it is yet. THIS SUCKS.
Me:
So after spending 24 hours trying to get information about Tori and them basically not giving us any answers at all, I got a call today about my surgery. The coordinator from the program called and said I am really sorry to tell you this, but we contacted your insurance and they said you do not have coverage for this procedure. At which point my heart stopped I hyperventilated and had a small nervous break down. You would think that a woman such as I who sells insurance for a living would be smart enough to know her own personal policy well enough to not spend hundreds of dollars out of pocket to prepare for a surgery she did not have coverage for. I was already frustrated because they were supposed to send me up to the surgeon last week, and now Its not happening till this week. Now its not happening at all! So I drove home and got on the computer pulled up my exclusions and called the carrier. Come to find out, the hospital is only slightly smarter than the insurance company and between them the whole thing was mishandled. I do have coverage and this is how to make it work. So I jump in the car drive to the hospital watching the clock. I have to explain to three different people how to contact my carrier appropriately, at which point I am advised to run down to bariatrics and let them know so I can go up to surgery, and it is 4:02. I rush down and the whole department is locked up tight having closed TWO MINUTES earlier. So I go back to financial and they tell me they will just have to send my file up to surgery NEXT WEEK. Seriously.
I am now sitting at home eating popcorn and drinking. This has been my day. I am done with it. I am quitting. I cant take one more thing that goes wrong. Really I cant.
I am sure Sharyn or Sean will chime in with the medicle stuff.
BREATH!!! We have all been there and ya need to step back, breath, and relax. It doesn't help to freak out. Well, sometimes it does, but not that often. Just remember we are here for you to vent. Not just to find out about Tori.
I shall now be know as Hagatha: Queen of the queens. 
Baby 
7-09
Xavier Elliott born 10-5-10
(deactivated member)
on 10/24/08 6:28 am - Houston, TX
on 10/24/08 6:28 am - Houston, TX
hey baby...it seems like you have had a rought time...so let me see if I can help
Put the frigging popcorn down!!! and don;t drink anything else that had more than 5 calories...
Ok... lets see if we can work though some of this...the important thing..and I very well could be full of **** on this...but if they think someone has cancer...you can really hear a clock ticking...they office has a sense of urgency...and they get pushy...now there is no way in hell the office staff can tell you anything..and besides that...you are gonna have follow up questions...and they are jsut clerical staff,,they can't answer that...but if the doc is not screaming for Tori to check in right now...you may take that as a good sign...but I might be wrong...
and girlfriend..almost everyone..has this same **** with the insurance and the hospital...this is where you are gonna have to follow up...I had to do it..and then I had everything scheduled...and my life was gonna be great..and then my surgeon went on a missionary trip for 6 MF weeks...well I knew in my heart that I was gonna just die a big blab of a mess before he came back...
but you know what...you are gonna have to learn how to handle stress better, there are other options besides jumping into the bottom of a bag of orval redenbacker...the stress will be the same ofet surgery..and you will wanna eat the same.,,so you can start right now...I think you should go give Tori a big sloopy kiss..and maybe pass the time in love...it makes more sense than eating your way sick...and a lot more fun...
chat back..we love ya
Put the frigging popcorn down!!! and don;t drink anything else that had more than 5 calories...
Ok... lets see if we can work though some of this...the important thing..and I very well could be full of **** on this...but if they think someone has cancer...you can really hear a clock ticking...they office has a sense of urgency...and they get pushy...now there is no way in hell the office staff can tell you anything..and besides that...you are gonna have follow up questions...and they are jsut clerical staff,,they can't answer that...but if the doc is not screaming for Tori to check in right now...you may take that as a good sign...but I might be wrong...
and girlfriend..almost everyone..has this same **** with the insurance and the hospital...this is where you are gonna have to follow up...I had to do it..and then I had everything scheduled...and my life was gonna be great..and then my surgeon went on a missionary trip for 6 MF weeks...well I knew in my heart that I was gonna just die a big blab of a mess before he came back...
but you know what...you are gonna have to learn how to handle stress better, there are other options besides jumping into the bottom of a bag of orval redenbacker...the stress will be the same ofet surgery..and you will wanna eat the same.,,so you can start right now...I think you should go give Tori a big sloopy kiss..and maybe pass the time in love...it makes more sense than eating your way sick...and a lot more fun...
chat back..we love ya
LOL. Ok you are right.
If it sounds any better the brandy and seven up was awful because the seven was flat. So I only had a couple sips. I have been so good about only drinking water. My Dr. outlaws anything with any flavor. ONLY water.
I figured the popcorn was a better solution than the chocolate cupcake I desperately wanted! I guess this means I need to get rid of the commercial popper in my dining room? No microwave popcorn for me....straight up theater style!
But I agree about the followup, which is why I drove my happy butt straight down to the hospital and made sure the processed it right. Its all straightened out now, and I am glad I went in to make sure.
It has just been a heck of a week. Two surgeries, two recoveries and still no answers on that level. And the Percocet is not conducive to sloppy kisses. But I am getting nice naps :)
Thanks for the butt kick tho. I need those too.
If it sounds any better the brandy and seven up was awful because the seven was flat. So I only had a couple sips. I have been so good about only drinking water. My Dr. outlaws anything with any flavor. ONLY water.
I figured the popcorn was a better solution than the chocolate cupcake I desperately wanted! I guess this means I need to get rid of the commercial popper in my dining room? No microwave popcorn for me....straight up theater style!
But I agree about the followup, which is why I drove my happy butt straight down to the hospital and made sure the processed it right. Its all straightened out now, and I am glad I went in to make sure.
It has just been a heck of a week. Two surgeries, two recoveries and still no answers on that level. And the Percocet is not conducive to sloppy kisses. But I am getting nice naps :)
Thanks for the butt kick tho. I need those too.
O.K.....The "clear" Lymphnode being benigine means if the mass is cancerious it has not spread....It has been contained......so that is good. Pathology can take FOREVER. So they might not know about the mass yet......and yes insurance hassle is part of the process. I got my rejection letter because my file was on a desk of someone who was "out".....but I dod have my surgery...and I am happy
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