If any of you read Paul’s most recent post “What Did You Say?”
(http://paulfowler.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-did-you-say.html),
you would have learned that due to insurance issues Paul will not be able to
administer my Campath injections.
Well, he could…if we wanted to
shell out $55,000!
So we decided to go with Plan B. I will have the injections at the good doctor’s office. The ramp up injections will be three
days in a row, followed by M/W/F injections thereafter. Paul will need to be with me for the
first three, but after that I am hoping to be able to drive myself. At yesterday’s visit, we all laughed at
how ridiculous it was for insurance companies to rather pay office visits and
all the accompanying expenses than just pay for the drug. They promised to call me with the
updated pricing for having it done in the office as soon as the insurance
company got back with them.
Which brings us to today’s blog.
The good doctor’s insurance gal called to say that she had
“good news!” “Your out-of-pocket
expense for getting your Campath in the office is MUCH lower!!” (I’m getting really excited at this
point of the conversation, thinking “bring on the $10 co-pays” like we have for
all my other meds that go along with
the Campath!) She then explained
that my first injection would cost us $284 and all subsequent injections would
be $199. “And THIS is the good news?!” So the first round of Campath will cost $2,473. Now while that is, indeed, much less
than the $55,000, it is still a chunk of change to come up with for four weeks
of treatment. So much for a $10
co-pay! :/ How do normal, everyday folks afford to
have cancer?! (Still kicking myself for not buying that Aflac Cancer Policy! $10K at diagnosis!)
On a brighter note, and what I had originally planned to
write about, all three of my medical teams (The “good doctor” [my local
oncologist], MD Anderson Leukemia, and MD Anderson Transplant) are angels of
mercy! From lab assistants,
nurses, and PA’s to the doctors themselves, I have never felt so well attended
to by a medical team. They are
knowledgeable and kind. They are
encouraging and endearing. They
are conscientious and compassionate.
Dr. O’Brien is internationally renown as the top in the
field. One could think that I was
just lucky. But I think
otherwise. God has had His hand in
this from the beginning. If I hadn’t
gone to the neighborhood clinic for what I thought was poison ivy, I probably
would not been referred to Dr. Rakkhit (the “good doctor”). :) Dr. Rakkhit did his fellowship at MD
Anderson and knows Dr. O’Brien.
Without his recommendation, it would have been very difficult to get an
appointment with the head of the Leukemia Department. Dr. Rakkhit also went to school with Dr. Shah, my transplant
doctor. His connections have put
me in the best place possible.
So while the expenses of this journey of ours can be
staggering at times, God has gotten us this far, and He will provide for the
rest.
“And my God will supply all your needs
according
to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians
4:19
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