Insurance battles continue :-(

The oncologist issued a prescription almost 3 weeks ago for a new cancer treatment….which my current insurance provider has denied.    I will never understand why we have given our insurance companies and our government this kind of control over our health and lives.

You have a patient with known, proven cancer running wild….and a drug that could possible halt that progression at the very least.   And yet,  some desk bound twirp with a pencil gets to review the case for the insurance company…and says…patient doesn’t need to be treated with this drug…and denies the claim.   Wouldn’t one think that the oncologist would have a better idea of what drugs might possibly work to provide a better quality of life?   Maybe to halt the progression and buy more time?

I am so disgusted with the whole medical field….there has to be a better way.    Granted,  I’m the patient at the end of the road on the denial…and I understand the medication is going to run about $10,000 per month and the insurance company doesn’t want to pay up….

Within 2 weeks,  I will go on Medicare with a new Part D (prescription program).    We get to start the process all over with a whole different insurance group…who knows where that’s going to lead.  Please keep us in prayer.

I hear about socialized medicine, but after talking to international friends,  I’m not sure that’s the best option available either.   They cannot get the level of treatment, some of the newer testing and medications aren’t even available for them.   When we were talking about Gamma Knife surgery,  that wasn’t even an option for the friend with brain cancer.   What a horrible shame that we cannot have a level playing field and share techniques, new treatments, drugs, and advancements in the medical field across international borders.  How many lives could ultimately be saved?  Maybe that’s the problem.   They would just as soon those of us with terminal diseases just curl up and die so they don’t have to treat us…save that money,  to hell with saving lives.

Anyhow,   I’m on a rant today.  Just totally hacked over insurance doings.

Susan ~ Patchkat

 

 

*** BLAZE UPDATE ***

Our neighbors called about 9:45PM to say they could hear a cat crying…and had heard it earlier in the day but been unable to find the source.   Ernie got dressed, grabbed a flashlight, said a prayer and headed out to hunt down the cat.

The neighbor joined in the search with another huge light.   They tracked the cry down to a huge rock water cistern that used to hold purified Bayou water for the town.   As soon as Ernie started calling,  Blaze started answering….LOUDLY!   It took another trip to the neighbor’s house for a huge ladder which they dropped down the cistern.   Blaze wouldn’t climb it, so Ernie climbed down to rescue him.

By the time Ernie had Blaze out,  I had caught up to them somewhat and started yelling.  Blaze jumped down and made a bee-line to me.   I carried him home, checked him out…looks no worse for his week’s entrapment ordeal.   Once again,  we come to the Lord in thanks for HIS compassion and mercy.  We are so thankful to have Blaze back.

We did let Blaze out late last night as he was wanting to get back outside…and this morning,  he was the first one in when the door opened.   All we can think of is that something chased him into that cistern and he couldn’t jump high enough to get out.   The coyotes have been really bad lately…just thankful that they didn’t have Blaze on the menu!

Susan ~ Patchkat

 

Trying to get healthy around here – NOT

Just finished a 10 day course of radiation in Abilene yesterday.  Sure glad to have that done.  The treatments really wear me out, but add 2 hours worth of driving after working most of the day….you end up with one exhausted cookie.   Therefore,  I’ve been missing in action again.

I will say that it feels like the radiation has helped my right hip some.   Jury is still out on the back/rib area.   Still have the big knot on the back of my skull and it’s pretty tender.   Praying these issues will all resolve themselves and with the Lord’s grace,  I can move on to living my life normally for awhile.   Apparently insurance hasn’t approved the new chemo drug yet, so we’re still in limbo on that.

We went to Winters, TX last weekend for a “Save the Memories Day”…had Tractor Olympics,  a couple of bands belting out music, a quilt show and a parade of old cars, tractors and fire trucks.   They are raising monies to put a new roof on their beloved old Rock Hotel.   Hoping they did well!   We looked through the exhibits,  had some hot dogs and enjoyed ourselves greatly.   Oh…we DID get to visit with Wanda and her husband, Charles!   That was the best part!

Had lunch with a good friend from the Baird Housing Authority today!   Was great visiting with you Ronda!  Let’s do it again soon.  Prayers for your Mom’s continued recovery.

The weather front has been mixed blessings the past week or so…we’ve had 93 degree days…and 26 degree nights.   Ernie has covered/uncovered plants until he’s tired of messing with them.   The wild plum and the pecans had already flowered when the freeze hit, so we’re figuring nothing there for another year.   However,  his tomato and  potato plants  look good.    We’ve had a tiny bit of rain and a couple of drizzly mornings with much cooler temperatures.  That’s really good for the lettuces and spinach.

I thought we were down to 1 rooster and 1 hen, but there are still 2 hens running with the rooster.   That’s a good thing.  I wish we had about 20 more hens out there and a coop!   Ernie got some more chicken scratch and the doves came back.   Guess they don’t like the cat food like the chickens do :-)    Those guys will come up on the deck for cat food…and brave the cats!

Speaking of cats….Ernie put Blaze out the other night (normal thing) and we haven’t seen him since.  Hoping he hasn’t run afoul of a predator.   If he’s gotten hurt,  maybe he’s holed up somewhere till he regains his strength.  Just makes us sick though.   That’s the trouble with kitties allowed to go outside.  You cannot protect them 24/7.

Now,  maybe I’ve got you caught up on life on the Bayou!

 

Susan ~ Patchkat

 

did you ever wonder…

what a $130.00 cake looks like?

  this is a slice of Ernie’s Perfectly Chocolate German Chocolate Cake.   The cake was auctioned at last night’s Burkett Volunteer Fire Department’s annual BBQ.  $130.00!  Nice profit for the kitty.   Had one cake that brought $400.00!!!!   I didn’t do any baking this year.   Just not enough energy.  But fortunately,  Ernie enjoys cooking and baking.

The cake is absolutely yummy….and so rich, there ought to be a law!

Think the meals, auction and door prizes brought in a tidy amount to help outfit our newest fire truck.  We’ve had 3 fires out here recently…one a bunch of hunters who went to cook their dinner…blew up the trailer they were staying in…sent 6 of them to the hospital.  I understand they were airlifted to Dallas.  The propane tank they hooked up to the cook stove had a leak.   The fire department found the base of the trailer and not a lot more.   Haven’t heard an update on the injured men.  Praying for their full recoveries.

Pretty tired today, so I think I’ll take a nap.

Susan ~ Patchkat

Look familiar?

Add a few more black kitties and a white with yellow spots…and this could be us!   I love this picture and all those sweet kitty faces.  I don’t mind being tagged as the local “crazy cat lady”, lol…cause it’s true.

Kitties, just like kids do bad things to gain attention.   They’ve taken bad raps for urinating all over the house, for smelly cat boxes and other equally distasteful habits.  However….that’s on the owners.  The kitties are doing what comes natural to their breed.   For us, as responsible cat owners, it means policing the litter boxes to keep them clean and chasing down the occasional male feeling a need to mark his territory.    Our guys give signs when they’re unhappy, hungry, wanting to be petted or need to go out.  We try to be watchful, though there is the occasional mistake.

Since we’ve quit feeding dry food,  we’re having many less barfing issues.     YEAH!

So, if someone calls me the crazy cat lady,  I’m okay with that.

Susan ~ Patchkat