STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER

cm2020

Rain88....In addition to having them add you to a cancellation list, I would call regularly to check for cancellations. Some offices are better than others at actually contacting people off the cancellation lists, so calling regularly will increase your odds of getting an appointment sooner. You might want to ask the office whether it is better to call first thing in the morning or late afternoon (for those that cancel their next day appt). Good luck to you! I hope you can get in much sooner.

Rain88

Trish, there is really nothing else I can do, but wait. Thank you for your kind words.

cake8icing

RANT ABOUT INSURANCE! Okay, so my rant is not so much for me, but for all women who are breast cancer survivors and have to fight with insurance companies for what they deserve! My issue is getting a new prosthesis and bra(s). Technically covered under my insurance. But no details to be find on the website. 4 phone calls in to the company, and I twice get a list of durable medical suppliers who do wheelchairs and such. I finally get to speak with a nurse case manager, who says, I’m so sorry, the online company(that I found via my own research) is not in our network and so you would have to cover the cost of the out of network deductible on your own. There was literally one mastectomy supply provider in my area, and they are open 11-4 Monday-Thursday. Like that’s helpful when you work full time. So I told this nurse case manager, on the recorded line, please send this recording to your senior management because your company is all about the patients “working with you to find cost savings options and here I have found a cost savings option and you are not working with me. You say my care is covered but clearly you don’t want to make it easy for me.” I can afford to buy my own prosthesis but some women cannot and how dare an insurance company basically tell me that my needs do not matter. Ughh!! Makes me so angry for all the women who are surviving this horrible disease having to fight every step of the way.

bcincolorado

Agree and nor should you have to do so. You may want to refer them to this law:

https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Programs-and-Initiatives/Other-Insurance-Protections/whcra_factsheet

KIDI919

That is true of specialists even in the US. I had to wait 6 months when I started at a derm dr ,,,could have been dead by then ( i'm exaggerating ) altho when I finally got there it was basal cell. My grandfather died of melanoma so now I go once a year. If you cancel an appt.. good luck. This even true in my dental office. 6 months out. I don't dare cancel any of my "special drs" because I know I will wait forever to get back in. We have good ins too.

Rain88 I too would call everyday. We keep a cancellation list for hyg and the dentist.

One speck of good news. .had chest ct today. Spoke to the tech prior about the lump on clavicle and she thinks she got it on the ct. She actually took the time to mark it.I figured they knew more about the procedure than the drs.

Another waiting period issue. SIL had her scans about 2 wks ago for lymphoma. They "lost" her lab work so had to be redone. She is now a week and a half later waiting to see if her cancer is in remission or if she will need more chemo. Mind you she goes to the # 14th "best" onco hospital in the US.

My last bitch is about my husband. He retired in Feb. I work 4 days a week. I have had power wash the house on my list since spring. I did do the front porch but have not gotten to the rest. We live on a busy street and get a lot of dirt. I have been wanting to wash the windows but no sense doing that til after washing is done to the house. We have well water so when you wash the house you have to do the windows after. We live in an old 2 1/2 story home. Anyways I have been trying to get the east side done at least so I don't have to look at a a dirty window in the am. I started the east side today but it started thundering. LOL Don't want to be on an aluminium ladder for that. Mean while he is in his workshop making a table. I said who is that for?" Idk just making it" I felt like saying you have every fing day off for the rest of your life ... do you think you could do at least one side of the house? Mind you he has never power washed the house or washed a window in his life. That always fell to me. I should have been like my younger sister .. she said at the start of her marriage she wasn't doing anything she considered "man work".

KIDI919

PS Thank you everyone for your best wishes.

GoldensRBest

The US has plenty of horror stories about appointment delays - and now COVID is always the reason. My MO is at a major teaching hospital and if I had an issue I know I could get in right away. My pain management team is at the same location and although I have been seen by them for 1.5 years, I had to wait 4 months to get a phone appointment with the MD, 6 months for an actual office appointment. Meanwhile I'm suffering in pain…….thank you COVID🤬

And KID - tell hubs you’re going to hire someone to do that work. 😉😉😉😉

bcincolorado

I think those in rural area of the US have a harder time sometimes since they have to travel. Daughter had to wait 8 months for an appointment she needed to get cleared after her illness after she almost died. The town where they live is small (3500) and has a very small hospitals but they stabilize and transport really mostly to big hospitals 2 or 3 hours away from them. Then getting follow up appointments is hard because it is "out of network" for their insurance!

Rain88

Ladies, I can't believe my good fortune: I just got a call that my appoint. was moved from Sept. to Aug. 9! Really, I just called this morning about being put on their cancellation list and... WHAM! I can't thank you enough for your advise! 🕺🕺🕺

Trishyla

Awesome Rain88. Hope you get nothing but good news.

Trish

bcincolorado

Just around the corner too! Hoping for the best for you!

cm2020

Rain88...Yay!!! I am very relieved and happy that you are getting in much sooner than Sept.

KIDI919

Good news Rain!!

Golden, that is horrible esp if you are a patient of theirs already. and esp a phone consult.... WTF they can't manage a phone call sooner...like that day or the next!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been fortunate with my drs getting back to me within a day or so. Sometimes I wonder if onco staff really( and drs ) understand the stress of waiting for an appt, getting results etc. I have worried myself to death about my upcoming appt with onco next week. Wondering if ct is ok blah blah. Today they called to change my appt to his PA on a day I work. I told the woman I had a chest ct yesterday and about the clavicle lump. She knew nothing about it and agreed I should keep the appt with the dr.

runor

Right on, Rain. Or should I say, right as Rain? (that was some sketchy word play there). You're still going to be on pins and needles but over with it sooner rather than later. Hugs.

Elderberry

Rain: Yay! I used to bitch about the "squeaky wheel" but I am now on board with being one. If we don't push back who will? I am glad you got in when you did.

cm2020: I just went back to read older posts. Your husband (will totally leave out the D for dear part) is -- well -words fail me. I cannot believe he would say such cruel things. My heart hurts for you. Don't stay any longer than you have to.

To others: I grumble and whine about delays and other failings in the Canadian health care system (each province has its own issues) but I am so grateful there are never arguments with insurers or being "out of the network" It is just one more burden for you ladies to carry.

KID1919: My husband acknowledges that he is not a handyman. But he is good about washing the kitchen floor. He also does the laundry which is down in the basement where he practices trumpet. So he just puts a load in while he is down there. He does "kitty litter" duty. He mows and weedwacks. I do the gardening., We both just suck it up and pay people to do stuff that requires skill and for our own disinclination. We get a pro to power wash the house. I bought myself a small mini-saw to trim the laurel that is too close to the carport and will block my vision when I am pulling out. I have a total terror of power tools but this one has a 4" blade and is kind of fun. I confess, though, I sometimes have to prod him to do the mowing/weedwacking but since he is so good about the floors and laundry and such I usually bite my tongue. I am grateful to have had nearly 50 years with a man who is loving, supportive and my best friend.

Best wishes to all

KIDI919

Elderberry, As I finished power washing the house today I thought maybe I should be thankful I can still climb a ladder. And that I have a house to wash. Garage is next!

ctmbsikia

Penn Medicine still had me as being admitted to the hospital when I checked in for my MRI this morning. Whoops!! The nurse asked if I busted out! I said they better not be charging me for a 10 day stay when I was there less than 10 hours! Can't wait to see these claims coming in. Not. Still have $400 bill to pay from April's imaging. I have to be getting close to my deductible. Anyway, now I wait for results. Not sure if I will see them today or not? It better be NORMAL!!!!

bcincolorado

Will keep good thoughts for you on your MRI ctmbiska!

Moderators

Sending positive thoughts, ctmbsikia!

ctmbsikia

Another Birads 3!!!!! #throws a small hissy fit# I know this is benign and it's stable, and my surgeon has already read the report and wrote me a note to say the results are good. Yet, see ya in 6 months, again. Will I ever graduate to annual tests? I sure hope so, this is nerve wrecking but I will get through it. My right side is all clear.

LEFT BREAST

There is stable deformity in the upper inner breast the site of lumpectomy. Findings consistent with fat necrosis are noted. The previously described progressive nonmass enhancement at the lumpectomy site remains stable from prior study dated 1/15/2021. No new findings are seen. There is no axillary or subpectoral adenopathy.

Sunshine99

What is it about a "clear" test or "no progression" that is still so unsettling? It still feels like "what if" "what about when...".

ctm, I totally get it. Glad you pitched your hissy fit. It's still appropriate in my book!

Moderators

we're always a good place for a hissy fit. We get it

ctmbsikia

Please keep my sister on pocket duty. She has a PET scan tomorrow and sees her MO on Tuesday. They gave her a treatment hiatus (ibrance) praying no progression. Bone mets. ILC. She’s been through a lot before me. Saw her last weekend. Had a great time.

bcincolorado

Will keep good thoughts for her too. Glad you were able to spend time together and support each other.

KIDI919

My SIL who has now they decided has CLL not lyhpmhoma, Anyway she has this terrible rash all over her front and back. Posted pics to Roswell (mind u they pooped her complaints 2 days ago) as soon as they saw the rash they wanted her to come in. We were having lunch out when they called and said come in right now. She left crying that someone finally was taking this rash seriously. Can not stop itching and it looks horrible. We were both fing crying that someone was finally was taking her seriously. She had gone to her primary yesterday and they pretty much did nothing. She had called her onco when this 1st started and waited and waited 4 someone to call her back. It wasn't until she sent the pics that they paid attention. Did a biopsy but they think it's from her chemo drug. She had covid and they are thinking b/c her immune system sucks she is now allergic to her chemo. however they want her to stay in on it at least Dec. I am so sick of this shit! I really don't like Roswell as they had my dad (who if anyone had a brain in their head) was dying without any hope of being cured and or remission going for tests , tx ,ect. The last time I saw my dad was when I took him for rads to his brain. He was in so much pain lying on the table,,,,I said are u done Dad,,,he said yes, He wanted to live long enough to see my brother married which he did. I am so sad right now. I have never cried about my dx ...isn't that weird ?? But I can cry about my Dad and my SIL. My Mom passed 3 ago and I felt ok about her death cause she said she was ready.

KIDI919

I will add that I think/know Roswell (buffalo Ny) is a reaserch hosp so maybe they carrying things too far,

LW422

ctmbsikia--blessings to your sweet sister and my best wishes to her for a good outcome. Hugs to you both.

LW422

Kidi919--girl, I wish I didn't cry for myself, but I have a meltdown every week or so. You are strong for your loved ones but don't forget to take care of yourself. My best to your SIL; I hope they can figure out the rash and get her some relief.

KIDI919

Thankyou so so much. I m just sad tonight am not even sure why..

LW422

Sweetie, bust out the tissues and let 'er rip.