Surgery went well.

Everything is cool we are home and Ted is doing well. So well that he wanted to stop off at Ihop and get something to eat on the way home. Go figure. I want him to rest and he is refusing and is fiddling around the house. I can only hope that the superman stuff wears off soon and he can get some rest. Anything changes i'll let ya know. Karen

Surgery moved up to Monday

*Copied from Myspace blog. Much ranting going on! Needed to get it out...so beware!*

Well it’s been a difficult but good week. The swelling in Teds legs have gotton much worse. To the point where they are not bending too well and can be painful. So right now he is taking quite a bit of water pills. Good thing he has a nephrostomy. (tube in kidney) That way he isn’t making a hundred trips to the bathroom. They seem to be helping but not a huge difference just enough to make him more comfortable and not get worse. They think it could be from the lymph system getting clogged or compressed. Which backs up the fluid and it goes no where. Well we won’t know for sure, untill we go to the doctors and maybe try the 5FU chemo drug. Hopefully it won’t be enough to make him sick but enough to unclog his lymph system.

The doctors have suggested he take the pill form of 5FU but it’s so expensive and our insurance sucks, so we have to pay 40% of all perscriptions. Not bad for the average person but not for someone like Ted. We spend something like $2200 a year in perscriptions for him. Uggh...it’s a budget buster. We we have an application in with Roush. They are the ones who make the drug. Hopefully we will qaulify and they will help with providing this drug. Speaking of crappy insurance company. Anthem is so damn money hungry that they have a hard time coming into contracts with certain companies. Our Oncology group fought with them a little over a year ago. That would have sucked but they worked it out and it’s all good. I recently got a letter from the anesthesia group with the hospital. They no longer accept Anthem Blue Cross. I can just imagine there reason. So now I have a $360 dollar (if I pay now bill) $500 if I pay later bill. Ok..so I have a $1500 deductible, which we have met. Now, becuase the Anesthesia group is out of network, there is the out of network deductible to meet. So they don’t pay a damn dime of that anesthesia bill. And like I have a choice to pick from. They should waive the deductible...ohhh I am so pissed off and because it is Saturday, I don’t get to bitch at anyone.

Ted doesn’t quallify for Medicare for another year. Besides you have to pay for Medicare. You have to be on disablity for two years before you qualify. Ohh btw...just in case you don’t know. If you have cancer and it’s recurrant. Of course you need the work credits. You pretty much automatically qualify for Disablity benefits. I think Ted could have been on disability at least a year prior if someone told me that!!! I’m looking into medicaid, but you cannot have more then 3,000 dollars in assests (resources) for married couple. Somethings don’t qualify as assests but we are living on savings and disablity right now. They will count the savings. Someone needs to do something about this Damn healthcare system. Weather it’s Hillary or Obama...they better do it quick.

So i don’t know what I’m gonna do about the medical bills.....cause now he has to have this surgery on Monday. Of course they are gonna use anesthesia and well that cost us now. This is just so dumb. I have insurance and it doesn’t cover anesthesia. geeze! I see people on TV all the time they have fund raisers for medical bills. I have no idea how to even do something like that. Living in Virginia for only 5 years, most of our family and friends are in NY and NJ. We don’t have a lot of friends here. I think I have more friends on myspace then here. Well i’m sure all will work out in the end. It has a way of doing that. I guess you can say it’s gods blessings. I don’t know why Ted has cancer, maybe it was to save his sister. Who has had pre-cancerous polyps. She didn’t know till she was tested because of Ted’s diagnoses. So i know there was one good thing that came out of it. I’m sure there are other things but i’m not sure I really want to go there. Maybe someday it will all make sense to me and the kids.

On a really good note, my mom visited us for a week. She did lots of painting for us and helping around the house. It was so great to see her. I missed her so much. I hadn’t seen her since July 07. Hopefully it won’t be so long before the next time I see her.

Well I guess i’ve been babbling enough. I needed to get out some stuff on my mind. I know it’s not as witty as some peoples blog.....*wink you know who you are! But well it’s me. I’ll let you all know how Ted’s surgery goes on Monday. Love to all, Karen

Updates

Ok. First the good. We went to see the oncologist last week. The one dose of chemo made his numbers go down. Yeah. That is good. Doctor is talking about giving him 5fu and avastin. 5FU is a chemo that is much more milder and was actually given to him his first round back in 04. His thought is that ted can handle it better and maybe we can hold off the cancer from spreading more longer. The Doctors whole idea is to keep him stable as possible. He has been doing a good job so far. Been over 4 years since he was diagnosed. OK So we are also seeing a pulminologist. Ted has had some trouble with his breathing. They have done cat scans of his lungs, x-rays of his lungs. His lungs look fine. So they are doing other tests. He has done the sleep study and stress test and an echo of his heart. We don't go back to the pulminologist till the 14 of April to get the test results. I'll let you all know when I know. Ted also has surgery scheduled for April 7. He is going to have his bladder rinsed again. This time with a Clorox type solution. Hoping to clear things up. Hard to say because it could be the cancer causing the mucus in his bladder. OK...so the part if your skirmish...don't read.....Ted has had a lot of swelling in his testicles. We think its along the lines of the lymph system not working properly. They drained one during the last procedure but it came back. So ted asked if he could have it removed. Well we aren't having more kids...so it's all good. So he is going to have it removed and they are going to put a temporary drain in and so that the fluid will continue to drain. Hopefully this will make him more comfortable. OK got that all out....ugh..

Other than that...things are good. Ted and Leo finished fixing up the kitchen. It look beautiful. Love it. I'm not sure I mentioned it or not. But I'm looking at going back to work soon. I'm looking for a part-time position that runs in the background. Like Data-Entry, book-keeping, anything that they won't be pissed if I have to leave for a bit or come in late cause Ted had an appointment. I know most of the readers here don't live in Virginia but if you do and hear of something let me know. Ted is also thinking about going back to work. Just for a few hours a week. Just a little something to bring more cash into the house and get out a bit too. I guess they are hurting since Ted left so they were cool with him coming back to work. Just waiting for the final approval. Well this has been a long one. Will update soon as I know something more. Karen

life with Ted

hi everyone, thank you so much for all the support and love you have show to me, but the other day I was speaking to one of my close relatives, and realized, that having them not See me must make them always think the worst thoughts of me being terminal. so everyone knows, Karen and I have dealt with the finality's and are looking to create some incredible times with the kids and each other. we have to, to sit and just ponder about death makes your body dwindle and your mind becomes empty. this is what happens when I am locked away in my bed after chemo. Another reason we are not taking it. we want to just love life. I am exercising again and am hoping to shed another 50 pounds already lost 20. anyways just want to give you all the skinny. take care
Ted