Appeal

I thought I had better update the blog since I will most likely be busy the next couple of days. I'm going to take Thursday and Friday off work and am going to try and have some "relaxing" time off since most of my time away from work this past year has been going through Tanner's treatments in Little Rock.

Tanner's Fort Worth Oncologist had asked us if we wanted to try coming in on Tuesday instead of Monday since Mondays are usually really busy. Granny Jane took Tanner to his first Tuesday appointment this week. I'm so grateful for her willingness to help out and take him to some of his appointments when she has time in her schedule so that I don't have to take off half a day every week. Her help is very much appreciated!! She loves her "Tannerboy".

The appointment still took over three hours so, in regards to waiting time, it didn't help much at all but Tanner said he met a few teenagers so he wants to continue to go on Tuesday so that maybe he can get to know some other young people who are also dealing with cancer.

All in all, things seem to be progressing well. Tanner's maintenance chemo is going smoothly and he isn't having any side effects.

Our grant assisting us with the cost of the Revlimid has run out this month so now I have to figure out how we will come up with the over $2000 a month co-pay. From what I've read, the Revlimid is very important in maintaining remission in Multiple Myeloma. We've put in a call to our liason, Cindy, with the insurance company and are going to see if she has any ideas of where we might be able to obtain more assistance. She's been very helpful so I have to trust that things will work 0ut.

I sent off the appeal packet to the Department of Insurance asking for their assistance in helping to get US Health & Life Insurance to rescind their decision to deny coverage for the chemotherapy that was used to save Tanner's life.

I copied several politicians on the information sent to the DOI, and today I got a reply from Representative Joe Barton that he has written a couple of letters on Tanner's behalf and that he will be in touch with me in the near future. I'm trusting that we will get the denial turned around. I just can't see how the insurance company can deny coverage for treatment that was used to save the life of a seventeen year old with a cancer that usually hits people in their 60's and 70's. The fact that it's so rare in someone his age that a study can't even be undertaken to determine what the best treatment should be should speak for itself. How can an insurance company determine the treatment wasn't standard?

I started off the day just fine but by this evening, I was in the worst mood. I came home and went to my room and just cried for a while. I don't know what's wrong. I have a long weekend ahead of me and am hoping to just relax and enjoy myself. I don't know why I'm crying...

I'm sure it will be all better tomorrow. It usually always is...