cancer questions and paying for chemo

[Reinbeau]

I need to say one thing about colon cancer - please, if there's a history of it in your family, get a colonoscopy. There is no reason in this day and age for anyone who has that indication in their family to die of colon cancer. You should get one anyways at age 50, but you can get one earlier if you've got history - my father died of it at 65, my husband had his first colonoscopy when he turned 50, and yes, they found a cancerous polyp, but because of early detection, it was stopped in its tracks. Please, have the test. I just had my third (I'm 53). I'm a polyp factory like my father, but with regular procedures every five years so far none of them have been a problem.

 

[FarmerChick]

why can he not get chemo thru his insurance? usually coverage would not be so severly limited not to include treatment like chemo for a tumor that is not operational.

has he exhausted all attempts to acquire coverage?

hmm...somthing really sounds fishy there about that treatment being denied.



very scary. My FIL had colon cancer, got surgery and was totally fine for many years now. Never had to "go after different" types of treatment or anything.

 

[chicknmania]

Thank you everyone so far, I thought this might be a good source of information. Yes, I am taking precautions, I had a mammogram a couple of weeks ago, and a physical and some other tests, this coming week, plus I will ask my doctor for a referral for a colonoscopy, I am over 50 but never had the courage to have one done....til now. I have talked to a lot of people who have had them though, who have said they are no big deal, really. My so far healthy brother scheduled one also, at least he said he was going to, and my sister has already had a couple.

I did some other research too and I think the reason the chemo is so expensive is because of the drugs they want to use to treat this particular type of tumor in his stomach.

 

[redhen]

its just so wrong..i feel so bad for him. Having to go through this sickness is hard enough..now to have to flippin stress about having to pay for LIFE SAVING treatment...
its just so wrong..

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I'm just going to say my piece on this...it's somewhat difficult seeing as how I wasn't the one who went through the cancer personally.

My mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2006. She decided to fight it with everything she had. Took the medication that was $20,000 and had to be kept in the dark. She went to chemo treatments, everything. The doctor gave us nothing but hope. She started losing some of her memory and wrote it off as "chemo brain". She'd get lost doing little things. She'd fall asleep on the couch because it was simply too painful for her to sleep in the bed. She had to get up at random times to use the restroom. She would forget to take her medicine so we made a schedule to get up in the middle of the night to remind her.

This was not the hard part.


The hard part was watching her decline daily. She fought as hard as she could. She was actually joking in chemo with the nurses. One night I was sitting next to her watching TV and I reached out to touch her hand. Then I decided to become a little girl again and curl up and just smell her. I didn't know that was the last time I was going to be able to do that. The most awful thing in cancer, is the pain. I do not know why people say it is painless. My mom suffered until her last. The chemo, pills, etc. only prolonged that suffering.

I was at school when I got the call and had to drive 2 hours back to OK. She wasn't coming out of the hospital. I made it to the hospital. She passed away 2 hours later with her entire family surrounding her and us telling her is was okay and that we would be okay because she had raised us to be strong. For the first time in 6 weeks, she looked peaceful. Even when she was on the morphine drips...she was in so much pain it was awful to watch.

Would I ask her to go through that again, just so I could spend time with her...I'm not sure. No person should have to endure the torture, mental anguish and physical pain that goes with cancer. I cherish the time I had with my mom, but 4 weeks after she was diagnosed, she had become someone I couldn't understand. She was my mom...I love her endlessly, but I don't think I would be strong enough to have to go through watching the person who gave me life and raised me in such a degrading, hopeless, tortured position, and knowing that there is nothing I can do to help them.


Sorry, didn't mean to be the downer, but I wanted to let you know that you must also think of your brother and what he may go through with his cancer treatments.

 

[Reinbeau]

No, you're not a downer, I understand completely how you feel, my father fought with everything he had until his last breath. If he'd of asked me I would have found something for him to take to end his pain, but he didn't want to die - and neither did your mom. Watching him shrivel up into a husk of the man he once was - it still brings me to tears thinking about it. If the patient wants to fight, then we need to give them every tool we can - but we can't force that fight. It's theirs to wage.

 

[redhen]

ROPO... So sorry.

 

[chicknmania]

I watched my father in law die of prostate cancer. He was 79 when he was diagnosed, and declined treatment. Yes, he was in pain, and hated taking pain medis. I still live guilt every day that we did not, and/or could not, do more for him, both before and after he was diagnosed. It took two years before the cancer killed him though he actually didn't suffer too much til the last couple of months. He lived with us, so we had the ultimate experience of watching someone slowly dying. It was not pleasant. WE did not know how close he was to dying when we sent him to a rehab house for a weekend, so we could recoup, one of the optionswe had under his health plan. He died while he was there. WE did not have time to get to his bedside. He gave us our beautiful home and all his assets in exchange for taking care of him during the fve years we lived together/I feel like should have and could have done more, that's all.

Every cancer case is different. I hope that my brother does not suffer. To look at both my brothers now, unless you knew, you would not guess what they have gone through so far.. I hope that spirit bodes well for both of them. My Mother had breast cancer and she was so resilient we hardly knew what happened. It was amazing. My sister was the same, it was just a blip in our lives, especially mine at the time I was just a teen.

Believe me, I feel deeply for anyone who has to watch a loved one fight cancer. I appreciate you relating your experiences because it does help to keep things in perspective, it is sad, but I wouldn't call it a downer, necessarily.

My sympathies.

 

[crzychickenlady]

I can't really offer much experience....yet.

My dad just had surgery recently for colon cancer, about 3 weeks ago. He had a good sized tumor that had developed in the colon and had ruptured and spread to his kidney and his pancreas. He was in the hospital for about a week before they did the surgery and discovered all of this, he didn't know.

They did the surgery and removed 98% of the tumor, they couldn't remove what was around the kidney and pancreas, he also ended up with a colostomy. He will be starting treatment with Chemo AND radiation in a few weeks. He's still very weak from the surgery so we don't know how well he is going to take the treatments.
I will certainly let you know how things go when he does start them.

I can't really help you on the coverage part other than to suggest whats already been suggested.

I do agree with what someone said about getting checked as well tho. I can tell you that my dad makes 3 of us that have had surgery recently due to Cancer. I had mine the beginning of November, for cervical and uterine Cancer. My sister had hers a couple weeks after that, she had a double mastectomy. Then my dad.

I hope that he can find some way to get the treatment and knock it out. I wish you luck and will keep him in my prayors.

 

[DaKid]

chicknmania
Chicken Obsessed
From: central Ohio
Registered: 01/26/2007
Posts: 1520
PM Website cancer questions and paying for chemoEarlier this year I wrote about my oldest brother diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He underwent surgery and radiation, and, thank God, is cancer free right now and doing very well, is back to work. Thank all of you for your prayers for him. Now I have a second brother diagnosesd in November with colon cancer, a 3.5 inch tumor. They did surgery and removed that tumor but also discovered a tumor in his stomach, which they can't remove. They want to treat him with chemo, but he cant afford it, who can, at $60,000.00 per MONTH. He is considering not doing the treatment. WE are sure he will die if he doesn't, though right now he is doing exttremely well and is also back to work. Can anyone relate any success stories about this treatment, are there ways to obtain financial aid that are not obvious, can anyone help him? He is a successful attorney and has had his own practice for many years, so he is fully aware of a lot of options. But, I can't do much else for him besides try to help in whatever way I can, and this is one way. Family could lend him SOME money, but really it would just be a drop in the bucket. Please help, and your continued prayers for both my brothers, as well as the rest of us, are appreciated, also.
I have a third brother and a sister and it is becoming scary for us as my mother also had breast cancer several years ago, and my sister had some type of cervical cancer at a very young age. Both made a full recovery.
,
Anyone who has any success stories with either type of cancer or treatment, we would love to hear them.

Ok first of all my heart and prayers go out to you and your family.
I know becuz I was in the same position or almost the same as ur brother , I had stage 4 lymphoma cancer on my spine which was a tumor about the size of my fist or as they call it 17cm large plus I had 4 other spots about a 1”- 1 ½ “ in size --2 on my on my heart , lung and liver . That was last Dec . of 2008, I was in shock never really being sick in my 48 yrs in life , being married for 28 yrs. And having 2 children and 1 grandchild at the time could not think of having cancer or being treated for I to say NO WAY both to the cancer and treatment , the doctors told me Look it your decision , but if nothing is done as for treatment you’ll only have 6 months to live ………………………………......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Well AFTER a long hard look at my life I was not ready to QUIT ……..Life or MY Family …….as of yet…….So I did the chemo treatments , and it was hell , and yes I did have insurance but only for ½ the treatments or so before my insure . Ran out and I had to Paid for my own and what a project that was to get insurance and for two having to paid for it , remember for the time I was told I have to quit work and go for treatment I had not income coming in , employment told me no way , I had to try to get disability which was a joke I end up having to hire a lawyer and only after 8 months after begin told I had cancer and had to quit work becuz of going to heavy chemo treatment which was 8-10 hours a day every other week and GOD know I was out of it for 4-5 days after the treatment where I could not even get out of bed ……………..God it knocks the Sh!@$ out of ya , But today A YEAR LATER I’m in remission and most of all of the cancer is gone .

The thing is you need to tell ur brother that there is LIFE after being told you have cancer and there is HOPE , The doctors should be able to work with him on the bill part mine did in-between my insurance , where I didn’t have any and my monthly bills ran me about 50 G’s including bi-weekly treatment and office visit , so I know they should work with him on that , LIFE IS TO SHORT TO JUST GIVE UP TO SOON.

I glad I ended up doing my treatment and so far I’m cancer free , but most of all I get to be with my lovin wife after 27 yrs of marriage or it is 28, my loving daughter 26yrs old and my grandson 6 yrs old and my son 22 yrs old with his girlfriend and soon to be a granpa of they new child due in May of 2010 .


So see tell him there more in life then wondering how to paid for the bills , his health is First and the bills are 2nd .

If he needed someone to talk to about how someone like me cope with this type of thing , or cancer in his live , have him email me or even call
I’m here and I’m a Survivor Of Cancer too

Tell him NOT to give up there is HOPE

I made it and so did others ,
my prays is out there to you , and ur family along with the others with cancer God bless you all like he did for me

1 yr. 2 date I made it

Alan​