Rock and a hard place.

15 years 1 week ago #24492 by britt
Replied by britt on topic Rock and a hard place.
I have my first consult with the VA dr on Monday. I hape for more answers by then. Im afriad he wont be able to tell me much as he has never seen me before and I dont know how extensive the recaords he has recieved are.
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15 years 1 week ago - 15 years 1 week ago #24489 by Patricia
Replied by Patricia on topic Rock and a hard place.
See if the Patient Advocate foundation can help....
www.patientadvocate.org/
also:
www.cancercare.org/get_help/assistance/cc_financial.php
Pat
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15 years 1 week ago #24488 by balihigh
Replied by balihigh on topic Rock and a hard place.
If there was any way I could, I would go private sector. Bladder surgery is just too complicated to be done by someone who does it once in a while. My surgery was 10 hours long!!! I am doing fine and have had no complications. This is just my opinion but do your research and ask the doctor all kinds of questions? How many has he done? How often does he do them? What have been his results?
Balihigh

female 60
1/08 dx 4 tumors TURB
T1 G3
12 BCG + interferon
5/08 another tumor/TURB
9/08 RC illieal conduit
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15 years 1 week ago #24487 by britt
Replied by britt on topic Rock and a hard place.
What am I to do then? My wife said just go private sector and have it doneee and not worry(I have over 250K in medical bills already due to an MI and airfilte) How many drs will continue to treat a patient without getting paid? They would get the medicare disbersment but we couldnt cover the specialts 20%(along with the other costs). My only hope is tho get with the advocate and fight for fee base treatment due to the nature of the disease and need for a cancer specialist.
I had her read this and hope she will post any questions she might have. She was talking to my pharmacist the other day about how his dad died over bladder cancer at the VA last year. It has me biting my nails!
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15 years 2 weeks ago #24481 by mmc
Replied by mmc on topic Rock and a hard place.
I agree with your wife! Don't do this in a VA hospital. Go to a cancer center that handles a lot of bladder cancer cases. VA might be fine for fixing a broken bone, but not treating bladder cancer.

Age 54
10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
1/2014 ct scan results....distant mets
2/2014 ct result...spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph...
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15 years 2 weeks ago #24480 by balihigh
Replied by balihigh on topic Rock and a hard place.
Be very careful of having surgery done at a VA hospital. I know of a man who had his RC done in an Ohio VA hospital. He is 54 years old, had it done in Nov or Dec, 2008 and is still in rehab because of the many complications. I don't think the surgeon had expertise and he is suffering because of it. He said he couldn't afford otherwise but I believe your health matters the most.

I went to Sloan Kettering from NC because I wanted to go to one of the best with cancer. As others mentioned, bc is not studied or as well known as many other cancers. You need an expert that deals with it everyday.
Balihigh

female 60
1/08 dx 4 tumors TURB
T1 G3
12 BCG + interferon
5/08 another tumor/TURB
9/08 RC illieal conduit
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