I am so glad it's Friday! Tired this week. I think I've been staying up too late reading. Also, my horse trainer is at a show so I've been going out to the barn most nights--which is OK because I want to spend more time riding anyway...
I received a call from Cara, Dr. Balnap's physician assistant (see earlier post about liver surgeon) she said my insurance said that they consider him as "exclusive" but I think she meant to say "excluded".... They will only pay him as an assistant surgeon at 20% and he wouldn't be an assistant surgeon! So no 60% for out-of-network coverage. I didn't know an insurance company could "black-ball" a surgeon... I'm not surprised since Select Med is part of IMC and that is where he started the liver transplant program. I'm still going to see him on Wednesday. I just want to know what he thinks.. It did make me angry for a minute and then I got all frustrated with this stupid CANCER! Why does everything have to be so difficult? Why can't there be a "standard" treatment protocol? OK. Enough of the negative! I feel better now.
Here's my plan... go see Bruce B. on Monday (oncologists P.A.). Talk to him about my options. See what he thinks about Belnap and ask him about seeing a "specialist". I may even talk to their Patient Advocate to see if they can help me with getting the insurance to approve a specialist. I'm thinking Dr. Liu at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. They have this scan called a Gallium 68 PET that is not offered everywhere as I think it's still experimental. It shows much clearer images of tumors, etc. Better than the octreoscan.
Go see Dr. Belnap on Wednesday--get his opinion.
Then I'll probably just be waiting until next month to get my blood work done and follow-up scan in November. If scan shows any progression of tumor growth or new tumors, go see a specialist ASAP. If everything is stable.... wait and worry!
Hope everyone is well and have a great weekend!
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