Meltdown #3

Or was it #4. I might be losing track. Anyway, here's the deal.

Today has been just awful in regards to Michael's health care. Here we've been waiting since early last week for our request to see Dr. K at UCLA to be approved. Then we find out today that they (Greater Newport Physicians, not our insurance company) are not going to do that for us - not until we go back to the original oncologist, Dr. M. Why couldn't they have told us that days ago?

We've been calling every day to find out what is going on, and finally today I pressed the issue and was referred to some nurse at the medical group. I was so upset by the time I was transferred to her that Michael had to take the phone from me and talk with her. It's really simple actually. The request for referral should never have come from our GP. It should have come from Dr. M the oncologist. Had we known that, we certainly would have gone that route! Instead, we wasted nearly two weeks waiting for a response from our medical group. Two weeks is a long time when a person has Stage IV cancer.

So, next Tuesday we will see Dr. M again. He will put in a referral for us to see Dr. K for a consultation. Once the referral goes through, we will see Dr. K and he will have to submit a treatment plan to Dr. M, who will then send that back to our stupid medical group. Should they approve that, then Michael will be able to begin treatment. I'm afraid that the rest of this month will be spent twiddling our thumbs as we wait for all this paperwork to be processed. What is happening is just so wrong. I'm all for health care reform, but my idea of health care reform is common sense regulations for insurance companies and medical groups. For instance, one of my great ideas is that all requests for referrals must be denied or approved within 72 hours, and patients must be notified by email or phone within 24 hours of the approval or denial. Heavy fines would be levied against those companies that didn't comply.

So, all this was going down late this morning while we're trying to get out the door to see Star Trek. I had an emotional exchange with the customer service rep from the medical group, and then she wasn't going to let me talk with the nurse unless she had a verbal approval from Michael that I could. Unbelievable! I'm his wife!!! At that point, he took the phone from me and talked to the nurse. How he remained calm and finished the drive to the movie theater is beyond me. I was so angry at that point. I started crying the bitter tears of frustration and they didn't stop until several minutes into the movie. Why does everything have to be so difficult? We do everything they ask us to, and we still get the runaround. I can't tell you how helpless I feel at this point. How the medical director of that medical group can live with himself while he's delaying treatment for Stage IV cancer patients is beyond me!

I'm just sick about all of this.

So, unless things move a lot faster than they have been, Michael probably won't begin the HDIL-2 treatment until September. I'm worried that those cancer cells are going to make their way to other parts of his body like his bones or his brain. Lord, have mercy!

I'm supposed to report back on September 2nd, and school actually begins on September 9th. There's a good chance that I'll be missing those first days of school, but my place is with Michael. I will prepare my classroom ahead of time, meet with my new principal and bring her up to speed, and get a sub lined up. It's a lot of pressure - a lot to coordinate.

Help! I'm melting...

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My friend, Suzee, posted this lovely Hasidic prayer on FB earlier tonight. It really says what I need to say tonight:

I know the Lord will help — but help me Lord, until You help.

Amen.