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There's no good news to report. Things just get worse everyday. Our Medicare insurance with Aetna has denied coverage for June to go to rehab. The hospital told us that June was to be released from the hospital today at 4:00 PM. They had approved equipment for her at home such as a hospital bed, wheel chair etc. but it hadn't been delivered yet. I told them there's no way she's going any where until I have the prescriptions for her drugs in hand and have them filled and all the equipment is delivered. There's supposed to be a nurse that comes by a couple of times a week and PT people a couple of times a week also.
There's a clause or whatever you call it in the Medicare coverage that says you can appeal a release so I did. I called the people at Medicare where you protest these things and explained what they're doing. The rep was very understanding and said the appeal would give us another 24 to 72 hours to get all of these problems worked out. If it's just 24 hours that's not going to help very much. They are just sending her home to die is what it amounts to. As far as I know they are going to let her have the radiation treatments and chemo but I wouldn't doubt them cutting that off to. The nightmare continues.
The doctor gave me the prescriptions for the pain meds earlier today. That went bad to. Neither Walmart, CVS, or Moyes Pharmacy that I stopped at today had morphine (MS Contin) or the HYDROmorphone (Dilaudid) tablets that were prescribed nor the Lovenox blood thinner in the .8 mg syringes. That's another thing I found out today. I have to give her blood thinner by injection twice a day and those injections are to be given in the stomach area. The nurse had to show me how to do it.
I finally found a Walgreens in Atlanta that has the medications and I'm going to be there at 8:00 AM when they open to get that in the morning.
The delivery truck showed up at 4:00 PM with the medical equipment. They dumped all this stuff on us at the last minute without giving me a chance to get everything in order.
What has me worried now is this is only 5 days worth of pain meds and I have to have her at a pain clinic on the 27th and I have no idea if they're going to give her the same amount of pain medicine or just send her home to die in agony. When you think things can't get any worse...look out because it will. This is like some Twilight Zone movie. I've never see things go so bad so fast as things have in the past 4 weeks.
The government has this pain medicine thing so screwed up it's killing me. The people that passed these stupid opioid laws that include people that are dying that need the pain medicine need...well I can't say what they need or I'd probably get in trouble for that.
Thanks for listening to our troubles and thanks to everyone that continues to pray for us.
Prayers continue, Smitty. Have you got anyone close by you can call on for assistance? A pastor or anybody like that? Don't forget to take care of you during all of this. You won't do her any good if you go down. Prayers for strength and healing.
sorry to hear smitty, dealing with Aetna is like dealing with the devil himself, deny, deny, deny, sometimes a good doctor can get around aetna by prescribing testing that can only be done overnight or by hospital stays, the hospital itself should have a patient advocate if they will be any help. prayers sent for both of you, hope things get worked out
Thanks for taking the time to keep us updated, I wish their was more I could do then just Pray.
For whatever it helps know that many of us are thinking of you and June.
Bill,
It takes a man with a big heart to care about others when they have more than their share of pain going on at the same time. This means a lot knowing that you take the time during your struggle to care and pray for us. I feel the same as you do about wishing I could help more than praying but that's all we got. Keep the faith. I know I'm struggling with keeping mine at this time. These are trying times. God bless you.
Know that thoughts and prayer continue. Take a breathe. Surely others in your community have gone through similar situation. We need to tap into those experiences/resources for help and advice. Church Neighbors Senior center In Home care Givers
....The government has this pain medicine thing so screwed up it's killing me. The people that passed these stupid opioid laws that include people that are dying that need the pain medicine....
You are correct,
Politicians, rather than doctors, are in charge of our healthcare.
They are addressing a street drug problem by taking legit meds away from patients in pain. I really have to restrain myself.
Please don't take this the wrong way Smitty. Hospice can cut through the red tape and will come to your home and help with the pain, and administer the meds. They did a magnificent job for my parents and my stepfather when they needed the help.
I wish there was more I do for you both. Just take it one day at a time.
I was my wife's caregiver last summer and again this summer. It's not easy, but when it's someone you love, you find a way to manage it. I wish you both the best.
I am sorry that you are running into so many roadblocks while trying to get June the medical help and medicines that she needs for pain control! Prayers continue for peace, comfort, strength, wisdom, and healing!
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Prayers continue, Smitty. Have you got anyone close by you can call on for assistance? A pastor or anybody like that? Don't forget to take care of you during all of this. You won't do her any good if you go down. Prayers for strength and healing.
Hate to hear that Greg. Mogley and I have both communicated similar stories (to each other) trying to get Health Care through the VA. Health Insurance issues can be maddening. (Especially in a time such as yours.)
Continued Good thoughts and Prayers coming your way.
Thanks Ken, Old Colts, Bubba, Grunt, FCD, Brookwood, Bustedknee, Joe, BikerBob and Mogley for the latest well wishes and prayers.
I have her at home tonight. She's resting comfortably as I type this. I gave her a blood thinner shot and some pain meds about a hour and a half ago. That's the first shot I've ever given to someone. It's not a big needle and the syringe comes complete with the medicine already in it. I just have to push out one ML to get it down to the correct amount per the instructions. She's been giving me shots since 2005 so it's my turn to take care of her now.
I have the hospital bed sit up right in the middle of the living room where I can keep an eye on her. I'll just nap in the recliner which is by her side. She was by my side every minute that they would allow when I was in the hospital for 3 1/2 weeks when I had the blood clot that caused gangrene which required removing approx. a foot of my large intestine a few years ago along with all my other operations over the years.
She's strong because if she wasn't she wouldn't be alive after all of this. She's had neck surgery to remove the crumbled vertebrae due to the cancer that's spread from the lungs to the bones which required metal rods and screws to be installed. She's wearing a very uncomfortable neck brace that go all the way to her waist. The surgery caused her to have blood clots in the lungs along with the cancer that was already there and that caused her to have 2 strokes while in the ICU a about 3 weeks ago. Early on she had surgery to replace a shoulder that didn't need to be replaced because it was not arthritis that was causing the pain it was the cancer in the spine that was causing it. She also has filters installed in her leg arteries to catch any further blood clots.
At least she's not suffering tonight and she doesn't have to wait on someone to come and help her to the potty like you do in a hospital. And most of all she's not alone like she would be at the nursing/rehab center because they're still not allowing visitors. She starts radation treatments on the 4th of Nov. She says she's going to fight this with everything she's got. She's aware it's a near impossible task but she said I'm not giving up. I think the prayers are playing a big part in her not suffering and that she's still alive tonight.
We have 4 more days of pain meds which will get us to the pain clinic on the 27th. The pharmacy only had a 5 day supply of the blood thinner syringes and if they don't come in by Monday or Tuesday it's going to be panic time again.
I can tell you guys a sure way to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time but I don't recommend this diet plan. I've lost 18 pounds in the past 26 days. I'm digging in my closets for cloths I've not worn in a long time. Are bellbottoms still in style?? I don't remember these white loafers and wide white belt? Did people really wear shirts with collars as long as the one I found in one of my closets? Not mine! Wonder where they came from? No way I would have worn a leisure suit and if I did I wouldn't admit it.
Glad you are still able to have a sense of humor Smitty, also glad to hear June’s is able to be at home. I’m sure that takes a great deal of stress off of her.
Sorry to hear that those we count on to make things better, sometimes only make it worse. It seems to be even more egregious during this time of wu-flu hysteria. Glad she's home with you and I'm praying The Lord will have His healing and comforting hand on both of you.
Glad you are still able to have a sense of humor Smitty, also glad to hear June’s is able to be at home. I’m sure that takes a great deal of stress off of her.
How long will June have to remain in the brace?
I think I remember the doctor saying she would have to wear the brace for 3 months. I believe it may take longer than that.
Today has been a busy one. The doctor called in 4 prescriptions that I had to go pick up at the pharmacy which meant leaving her at home alone. Luckily we have some good neighbors that has the keys to our house so that if she needed someone in a hurry she could call them and they could get in the house to help her. The couple that lives next door are the best people anyone could hope to live next to. They are always there to help. Like everyone else they wish they could do more but we can't do much of anything except pray that the cancer treatments work. They handed me a card to give to June and it had a $200 prepaid credit card included inside. It made June cry to know how much they cared and to give her their hard earned money like that. I was going to tell Jeff that it wasn't necessary to give us that money but I think it might have offended him and Dorothy if I did so I just thanked them the best I could without bursting out in tears myself.
There's a lot more good people in this world than you might think. The guy that delivered the hospital bed and other equipment has turned out to be one of the nicest guys I've ever met. We got to talking and it's amazing how many things we had in common. He's called back to check on us and has offered to come and help me with anything I needed help with. June didn't have a walker and I haven't had the time to go looking for one so he brought a new one to the house yesterday and wouldn't take a penny for it. He's bringing her one of those rolling service trays that reaches across the hospital bed on Monday. Things like that have given me a different outlook on the human race.
It's been 4 days since my last update. We've been home from the hospital now for 4 days. Yesterday was a nerve racking day for us. We visited the pain clinic for the first time. Getting in the car with the brace that attaches around her waist and up her chest to the brace around her neck was not easy and it's painful. Every bump in the road hurts her.
We were very afraid that the doctor would not give her the same meds that she's been taking in the hospital but it appears we're going to be OK on that. I suppose since the cancer in her lungs and spine is stage 4 along with all the surgery and strokes she's had that they're being more understanding about pain meds and writing prescriptions but they still won't write anything until the last prescription is almost completely used up which means if the pharmacy doesn't have it in stock they have to order it and that'll really be cutting it close. I was sweating it yesterday when I was down to her last blood thinner injection and by the grace of God the Fed-X truck showed up with the remainder of the prescription that they were short on when we left the hospital on Thursday. I now have 3 more weeks of the injections to give her before I have to start worrying about the pharmacies being out of it and have to order it again.
Last night about broke my heart. June had a nightmare that the brace around her neck was tightening up and trying to choke her to death. I sleep in the recliner beside her hospital bed in the living room and she woke me up in a fright crying for me to save her. I took the brace completely loose but couldn't get her to quit shaking and crying. It about scared her to death and I wasn't far behind. I finally got her to take half of one of her sleeping pills and gave her another dose of pain meds and she finally calmed down some. She's been a nervous wreck since and so have I. I know it's only going to get worse once she starts her radiation treatments next week.
Going out of the house has really been a problem to get anything. I can't leave her alone long for fear she'll have something happen where she'll need me and start trying to get out of bed on her own which would be a diester because she would fall.
I went to the store a couple of days ago and even though I made a list I still didn't get everything I went for because I couldn't find some of it and I was in a hurry to get back home. I've got to go back to the pain clinic on Monday to pick up her pain meds prescriptions because she had to much left over from the hospital for them to write anymore yesterday. She was trying to not take so much pain meds so she wouldn't run out and that only made things worse. I should have taken what she had remaining in the bottles out before we went to the doctor so they would have written the prescription then instead of me having to go back. At least they let me come back and didn't make June return herself. The doctor said normally the patient has to return for the pain meds. How would someone that can't get out of bed at all return??
Well that's the kind of things we're dealing with and there's no relief in sight.
After 4 days we received a call from home healthcare this morning that said a nurse was supposed to call us this afternoon to arrange coming to our house tomorrow. I don't know what that'll involve? I ask if they would be taking blood samples because I'm worried that somethings might be off with her blood but the person that called didn't know any details. It's almost 5:00 PM now and no phone call. Well just as I typed that the phone rang. The nurse called and she's going to check on blood testing for tomorrow and call back to set up the time later. Nothing else has worked out very well so this probably won't either.
Thanks again everyone for the prayers and well wishes. If things continue as they have I'll be the one they'll be sending the men in white uniforms for with the straight jacket.
Hang in there Smitty.......it's the only thing you can do. I feel for you as a caretaker........I saw my mom go through it with my dad's cancer back in the 80's when I was a 10 y.o. kid. I didn't get it back then..........but I recognize now how strong she was for him. June is counting on you to be there for her and I know you will be.
Smitty, you both continue to be in my prayers. Yep, the pain med usage is a conundrum. You think the docs will frown on use, but they actually frown on non use when it is prescribed. They will suspect hoarding for selling. Its best to use it as prescribed. If she isn't taking it they will decrease dosage or amount.
My late husband found some relief with Marinol for pain, anxiety, and nausea. It is legal in all 50 states even if medical Marijuana isn't. I have been in your shoes so to speak. You must take care of yourself or you will be of no use to your bride.
I will second Marionol.............however, if you can't get Marinol............smoking some high grade stuff works too. If a patient is terminal........let them smoke it or eat it in properly prepared edibles.
Hate to hear of your continued difficulties. Hang in there Greg. You and June both have an awful lot of good folk keeping you in our thoughts and Prayers. (On a daily basis.)
Man I feel so terrible that you all are going through so much. Thanks for taking the time to update us and sharing, if nothing else you have a lot of people praying and thinking of you both.
Sadly most of us will never understand the toll that health issues takes on individuals and families. I know it is a eye opener for me. God Bless you both
Bill
Why don't we go to school and work on the weekends and take the week off!
Comments
Thank you for the update Greg. You and June have been in my Prayers since you 1st posted. I know this has been extremely difficult for you. God Bless.
Prayers continue.
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
I have enlisted the whole darn family in throwing up a few prayers from time to time for you folks .
There's a clause or whatever you call it in the Medicare coverage that says you can appeal a release so I did. I called the people at Medicare where you protest these things and explained what they're doing. The rep was very understanding and said the appeal would give us another 24 to 72 hours to get all of these problems worked out. If it's just 24 hours that's not going to help very much. They are just sending her home to die is what it amounts to. As far as I know they are going to let her have the radiation treatments and chemo but I wouldn't doubt them cutting that off to. The nightmare continues.
The doctor gave me the prescriptions for the pain meds earlier today. That went bad to. Neither Walmart, CVS, or Moyes Pharmacy that I stopped at today had morphine (MS Contin) or the HYDROmorphone (Dilaudid) tablets that were prescribed nor the Lovenox blood thinner in the .8 mg syringes. That's another thing I found out today. I have to give her blood thinner by injection twice a day and those injections are to be given in the stomach area. The nurse had to show me how to do it.
I finally found a Walgreens in Atlanta that has the medications and I'm going to be there at 8:00 AM when they open to get that in the morning.
The delivery truck showed up at 4:00 PM with the medical equipment. They dumped all this stuff on us at the last minute without giving me a chance to get everything in order.
What has me worried now is this is only 5 days worth of pain meds and I have to have her at a pain clinic on the 27th and I have no idea if they're going to give her the same amount of pain medicine or just send her home to die in agony. When you think things can't get any worse...look out because it will. This is like some Twilight Zone movie. I've never see things go so bad so fast as things have in the past 4 weeks.
The government has this pain medicine thing so screwed up it's killing me. The people that passed these stupid opioid laws that include people that are dying that need the pain medicine need...well I can't say what they need or I'd probably get in trouble for that.
Thanks for listening to our troubles and thanks to everyone that continues to pray for us.
Don't forget to take care of you during all of this. You won't do her any good if you go down.
Prayers for strength and healing.
Bill,
It takes a man with a big heart to care about others when they have more than their share of pain going on at the same time. This means a lot knowing that you take the time during your struggle to care and pray for us. I feel the same as you do about wishing I could help more than praying but that's all we got. Keep the faith. I know I'm struggling with keeping mine at this time. These are trying times. God bless you.
Wish we were closer Smitty. Giver the distance all I can do is say you’re in our thoughts and prayers.
Take a breathe. Surely others in your community have gone through similar situation. We need to tap into those experiences/resources for help and advice.
Church
Neighbors
Senior center
In Home care Givers
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Combat Vet VN
D.A.V Life Member
Hate to hear that Greg. Mogley and I have both communicated similar stories (to each other) trying to get Health Care through the VA. Health Insurance issues can be maddening. (Especially in a time such as yours.)
Continued Good thoughts and Prayers coming your way.
Give June a big hug from us.
God Bless.
I have her at home tonight. She's resting comfortably as I type this. I gave her a blood thinner shot and some pain meds about a hour and a half ago. That's the first shot I've ever given to someone. It's not a big needle and the syringe comes complete with the medicine already in it. I just have to push out one ML to get it down to the correct amount per the instructions. She's been giving me shots since 2005 so it's my turn to take care of her now.
I have the hospital bed sit up right in the middle of the living room where I can keep an eye on her. I'll just nap in the recliner which is by her side. She was by my side every minute that they would allow when I was in the hospital for 3 1/2 weeks when I had the blood clot that caused gangrene which required removing approx. a foot of my large intestine a few years ago along with all my other operations over the years.
She's strong because if she wasn't she wouldn't be alive after all of this. She's had neck surgery to remove the crumbled vertebrae due to the cancer that's spread from the lungs to the bones which required metal rods and screws to be installed. She's wearing a very uncomfortable neck brace that go all the way to her waist. The surgery caused her to have blood clots in the lungs along with the cancer that was already there and that caused her to have 2 strokes while in the ICU a about 3 weeks ago. Early on she had surgery to replace a shoulder that didn't need to be replaced because it was not arthritis that was causing the pain it was the cancer in the spine that was causing it. She also has filters installed in her leg arteries to catch any further blood clots.
At least she's not suffering tonight and she doesn't have to wait on someone to come and help her to the potty like you do in a hospital. And most of all she's not alone like she would be at the nursing/rehab center because they're still not allowing visitors. She starts radation treatments on the 4th of Nov. She says she's going to fight this with everything she's got. She's aware it's a near impossible task but she said I'm not giving up. I think the prayers are playing a big part in her not suffering and that she's still alive tonight.
We have 4 more days of pain meds which will get us to the pain clinic on the 27th. The pharmacy only had a 5 day supply of the blood thinner syringes and if they don't come in by Monday or Tuesday it's going to be panic time again.
I can tell you guys a sure way to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time but I don't recommend this diet plan. I've lost 18 pounds in the past 26 days. I'm digging in my closets for cloths I've not worn in a long time. Are bellbottoms still in style?? I don't remember these white loafers and wide white belt? Did people really wear shirts with collars as long as the one I found in one of my closets? Not mine! Wonder where they came from? No way I would have worn a leisure suit and if I did I wouldn't admit it.
Thank you for the update. You both continue to be in my prayers.
Glad you are still able to have a sense of humor Smitty, also glad to hear June’s is able to be at home. I’m sure that takes a great deal of stress off of her.
How long will June have to remain in the brace?
Glad she's home with you and I'm praying The Lord will have His healing and comforting hand on both of you.
I think I remember the doctor saying she would have to wear the brace for 3 months. I believe it may take longer than that.
Today has been a busy one. The doctor called in 4 prescriptions that I had to go pick up at the pharmacy which meant leaving her at home alone. Luckily we have some good neighbors that has the keys to our house so that if she needed someone in a hurry she could call them and they could get in the house to help her. The couple that lives next door are the best people anyone could hope to live next to. They are always there to help. Like everyone else they wish they could do more but we can't do much of anything except pray that the cancer treatments work. They handed me a card to give to June and it had a $200 prepaid credit card included inside. It made June cry to know how much they cared and to give her their hard earned money like that. I was going to tell Jeff that it wasn't necessary to give us that money but I think it might have offended him and Dorothy if I did so I just thanked them the best I could without bursting out in tears myself.
There's a lot more good people in this world than you might think. The guy that delivered the hospital bed and other equipment has turned out to be one of the nicest guys I've ever met. We got to talking and it's amazing how many things we had in common. He's called back to check on us and has offered to come and help me with anything I needed help with. June didn't have a walker and I haven't had the time to go looking for one so he brought a new one to the house yesterday and wouldn't take a penny for it. He's bringing her one of those rolling service trays that reaches across the hospital bed on Monday. Things like that have given me a different outlook on the human race.
My prayers continue for the two of you . Wish we were all closer so we could help . Go with God my friends.
We were very afraid that the doctor would not give her the same meds that she's been taking in the hospital but it appears we're going to be OK on that. I suppose since the cancer in her lungs and spine is stage 4 along with all the surgery and strokes she's had that they're being more understanding about pain meds and writing prescriptions but they still won't write anything until the last prescription is almost completely used up which means if the pharmacy doesn't have it in stock they have to order it and that'll really be cutting it close. I was sweating it yesterday when I was down to her last blood thinner injection and by the grace of God the Fed-X truck showed up with the remainder of the prescription that they were short on when we left the hospital on Thursday. I now have 3 more weeks of the injections to give her before I have to start worrying about the pharmacies being out of it and have to order it again.
Last night about broke my heart. June had a nightmare that the brace around her neck was tightening up and trying to choke her to death. I sleep in the recliner beside her hospital bed in the living room and she woke me up in a fright crying for me to save her. I took the brace completely loose but couldn't get her to quit shaking and crying. It about scared her to death and I wasn't far behind. I finally got her to take half of one of her sleeping pills and gave her another dose of pain meds and she finally calmed down some. She's been a nervous wreck since and so have I. I know it's only going to get worse once she starts her radiation treatments next week.
Going out of the house has really been a problem to get anything. I can't leave her alone long for fear she'll have something happen where she'll need me and start trying to get out of bed on her own which would be a diester because she would fall.
I went to the store a couple of days ago and even though I made a list I still didn't get everything I went for because I couldn't find some of it and I was in a hurry to get back home. I've got to go back to the pain clinic on Monday to pick up her pain meds prescriptions because she had to much left over from the hospital for them to write anymore yesterday. She was trying to not take so much pain meds so she wouldn't run out and that only made things worse. I should have taken what she had remaining in the bottles out before we went to the doctor so they would have written the prescription then instead of me having to go back. At least they let me come back and didn't make June return herself. The doctor said normally the patient has to return for the pain meds. How would someone that can't get out of bed at all return??
Well that's the kind of things we're dealing with and there's no relief in sight.
After 4 days we received a call from home healthcare this morning that said a nurse was supposed to call us this afternoon to arrange coming to our house tomorrow. I don't know what that'll involve? I ask if they would be taking blood samples because I'm worried that somethings might be off with her blood but the person that called didn't know any details. It's almost 5:00 PM now and no phone call. Well just as I typed that the phone rang. The nurse called and she's going to check on blood testing for tomorrow and call back to set up the time later. Nothing else has worked out very well so this probably won't either.
Thanks again everyone for the prayers and well wishes. If things continue as they have I'll be the one they'll be sending the men in white uniforms for with the straight jacket.
Smitty, you both continue to be in my prayers. Yep, the pain med usage is a conundrum. You think the docs will frown on use, but they actually frown on non use when it is prescribed. They will suspect hoarding for selling. Its best to use it as prescribed. If she isn't taking it they will decrease dosage or amount.
My late husband found some relief with Marinol for pain, anxiety, and nausea. It is legal in all 50 states even if medical Marijuana isn't. I have been in your shoes so to speak. You must take care of yourself or you will be of no use to your bride.
Sending prayers. Don't be shy of taking help from friends, family and neighbors.
Hate to hear of your continued difficulties. Hang in there Greg. You and June both have an awful lot of good folk keeping you in our thoughts and Prayers. (On a daily basis.)
-Ken-