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Thursday, March 25, 2010

March 25, 2010 Evening

Yesterday Aj had CHOP @ Texas Oncology. Before that started he saw Dr. H (who is back from vacation now) and she said that the swelling in his armpit was gone, so can't really tell what it was. She suggested a PET and CT scan to be done. She also said that they could do the bone marrow biopsy here in Austin. I contacted Dr. F and asked him if he was ok with that. He would rather that they do the biopsy in Houston so we are still going down there. I think we are going to wait with the PET & CT scan until then as well - Dr. H wanted to see what Dr. F wanted to do first.

After the CHOP he came home and stayed in bed, after a couple of hours he felt a little nausea and took two pills for that and it went away. Aj stayed in bed all afternoon and evening and rested. During the night he had some trouble sleeping - one of chemo's side effects are - insomnia. Not sure what time he actually went to sleep but he was sound asleep when I got up this morning.

Then it was back to Seton today for injection. According to Aj - this one is easy :) They forgot to give him the steroids yesterday so we picked them up today - its the ones that he takes for 5 days after CHOP. It helps to fight side effects and makes him feel a little better.
Today he's been fine, after the injection he stays flat for a couple of hours so he doesn't get spinal head ache, which is supposed to be pretty bad. When I walked in to get him out of the post op room, I could hear someone talking very loud from way down the corridor. Shows out that its my dear hubby talking on Skype on his computer in the bed. There are quite a few post op rooms and they all just have curtains in the door ways. He was the annoying guy who was talking so loud, that everyone could hear him and the person he was talking to!!!! I should have complained to the nurses - he he he he.
Then home and rested in bed for the rest of the day. He feels 'toxic' again but no nausea or aching. The non aching part is to be pretty short lived though... going for Neulasta shot tomorrow. It wasn't as bad the 2nd time as the 1st time, so fingers crossed again that it won't be so painful this time.
I just got an EOB from insurance company that they had been billed from Seton North (which is where he had the last Neulasta shot since it was on a Saturday) I know for a fact this injection costs around $1200-1500. They had billed the insurance company $12 000!!!!! Excuse my language, but - F*****S!
I called the hospital and asked them what on earth they had billed for plus that they had again, sent the claim to the wrong place. The lady - Brenda, was being such a tart, so difficult. "Well.... you are confusing me, are you calling on behalf of your husband? "
C"Well, yes I am"
B"Oh, well that is confusing"
C "Not sure what is confusing about that?"
B "It just is, but tell me what you need"
GWAHHHHHHHH!! I can't stand dealing with billing and insurance and all that. Ended up with that I couldn't ask her to even resubmit the claim to the right place because I wasn't the patient. I told Brenda that she was a very difficult person and wished her a happy afternoon.
Seriously, there is no wonder its such a mess in this country with the insurance and medical 'department'. Hospitals billing way more than the should - insurance companies may or may not cover. Then patients may or may not be responsible to pay. Crazy. The thing is though, I am not even sure how it could be solved :) That should be a Nobel prize for that. Who can arrange the US health insurance issue! Anyway.

Aj is sleeping now and he is... Hopefully HALF WAY THERE!!! If he can stick with the original plan, this was 3/6 treatments! Just another 3 :) :) :)  Half time :)

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