Today's the Day!

Well, today's the day.  The day we find out what Greg's treatment options are and here I sit with my limpy limbs -- I had a training session with Ian yesterday, so my arms feel like rubber.  Greg told me to take my limpy limbs to bed!  LOL  So, it's 5 in the morning and I'm unable to sleep.  I was exhausted yesterday because I hardly got any sleep on Sunday because of massive thunderstorms.  My weather radio went off four times!  Here I thought I'd be able to sleep longer, seeing as I didn't have to get up with an alarm, but my body said nope, not happening.  

So many things are running through my head right now, and most of them are not good.  I've mentioned in the past that Easter time scares me because so many bad things have happened at this time of year.  This Thursday, Holy Thursday, marks 25 years since Greg was first diagnosed with cancer.  I'll never forget that day.   I'm not going to rehash it here.  Suffice it to say, I was a terrified young wife, only 25 years old, with a one year old son.   Fast forward to April 12, 2000 (Aaron's 9th birthday, by the way), and we find Greg having a bone marrow transplant.  Tomorrow marks 17 years since his transplant.  The day his brother saved his life.   Since that first diagnosis, we had two miracle babies (chemo usually makes you sterile!), built a house, moved up north, opened and closed our own business, started raising chickens (who'd have thunk it!), and best of all, found new life in Jesus!   

Now, almost 17 years to the day of his transplant, we are heading to the Oncologist office to find out how we are going to battle esophageal cancer.   Greg is back to his usual (cancer fighting) self.  Let's get this going!  Whatever needs to be done, he does, usually with a smile while I'm the one cringing.  It's a little different this time, because my girls are older.  They were too young 17 years ago to really understand how horrific that time in our lives was and how scared I really was.  Now, they are adults, and they are scared.   While they were used to health issues with Greg, that was just his heart.  I know that sounds callous, but when you have congestive heart failure, your family learns how to deal with frequent hospitalizations.  This is different.  I'm not sure how Aaron is feeling about this.  He was 9 when Greg had his transplant.  I know he remembers a lot of what happened.   I just don't know how he's feeling about all this.  To be honest, I'm scared, too.  Who wouldn't be?  We try to be tough and say, well, this is our third time dealing with cancer, we're used to it.  But you know what, we're NOT used to it.  No one EVER "gets used to it."   

So, here I am rambling at 5 a.m., just waiting for time to pass before our appointment at noon.  

Preliminary PET scan report!

Greg had his second endoscopy yesterday at Aspirus in Medford.  They had a problem getting an IV in again (they said he has "tough" skin), and his veins are shot from all the chemo he's had in the past.  He was to have his PET scan today, and would need another IV.  I woke up in the middle of the night thinking . . . why can't they leave the IV in, so he doesn't have to have it done again?  Well, lo and behold, they checked with the providers doing the PET scan (Aspirus Hospital in Wausau), and they said SURE, they could definitely try to use the one from Tuesday, but if it didn't work, they would have to poke him again.   

Fortunately for Greg, it worked and he did not have to be poked again!  YAY!  We certainly were not expecting any results today, but we did get preliminary results!  

They do not believe they saw an swollen lymph nodes or spreading of his cancer!  YAY!  That is the BEST news we could have possibly received!  PRAISE GOD!   

We still do not know what stage his cancer is, but will find that out, along with our plan of attack on Tuesday.   Please continue your prayers for Greg!  Our AWESOME God is listening!    Thank you, everyone!  

Cages were rattled at United HealthCare today!

If you read my previous post, you know that I'd been having problems with our insurance approving Greg's PET scan.  I had been trying to figure out a way to get the attention of someone higher up in the company and not coming up with anything.  Of course, I'd been praying and asking God for guidance.  

This morning, when I logged on at work, I saw on our company intranet site an article about National Doctor's Day.   I clicked on the article and decided that I had to leave a comment!   There is absolutely no doubt about it.  This was GOD directing me!   Here's what I posted:  

Within two hours of my post, I received an email from a woman stating that she had escalated my issue!!!!!  About ten minutes later, I had an IM (instant message) from the Director of the Cancer Team of OptumHealth (owned by United HealthGroup).   He stated that another woman was going to be reaching out to me.  Within 30 minutes, I had another call from someone at United HealthCare.  Jeanne is part of a team that helps its employees deal with issues such as ours.   

Jeanne was AWESOME to deal with!  She spent most of her afternoon contacting people within United HealthCare to find out what is going on and how to get this moving ahead.   When I spoke with her at 4:00, she advised that at 2:00, Greg's prior authorization request for the PET scan was placed in URGENT status.  That meant that they had to have a decision within THREE hours.   

I received a call from Greg's doctor exactly three hours later advising that the PET scan had been approved!  YAY!   

When I was speaking with Jeanne, she advised that she had received numerous emails from "higher ups" at United HealthCare and they are watching Greg's case!   The doctor that I had spoken to earlier in the day also advised that he contacted the head doctor at United HealthGROUP about our situation, as well!   United HealthGroup is #6 on the Fortune 500 and has an operating income of more than $11 BILLION dollars!   The HEAD DOCTOR of that company is now watching our case! No one can tell me that God's hand was not involved!      

Praise God that everything has worked out and we now have numerous people watching over us and making sure that Greg's treatment (whatever it may be), is taken care of properly by our insurance company!  THAT is the company I work for!  Thank you, United HealthCare!