The Good News!

[MelissaM]

After weeks of tense waiting and watching my condition rapidly deteriorate (and getting very little reaction from the docs!), it looks as if the black cloud chasing me has drifted off into the horizon.

My meeting today with the heart
surgeon couldn't have gone better. After much conversation, he agreed to
recommend that I get treated at the Cleveland Clinic and operated on by Dr Cosgrove.

Since the heart surgeon I met with today wan't part of my HMO - which was fighting tooth and nail NOT to send me to Cosgrove - he wasn't sure if what my HMO would think about his recommendation, but offered to contact my HMO cardiologist immediately to see what would happen. Five minutes
later, he came back and said my cardiologist would approve the
recommendation to send me to Cleveland and thought he would be able to get me in within the next two weeks.

Although the cardiologist still needs to
get final approval through the HMO administration, chances are very good this will happen since both he and the heart surgeon are now recommending that I go to Cleveland. This is such great news and a relief to me!!

This is a TRULY amazing feat. My primary care doctor looked amazed when I told her, since it is rare for people to get sent out of town for such surgery. The tide seemed to turn around two points: 1) that I have family close to the Cleveland Clinic, and no family here in Colorado, and 2) my condition has significantly worsened over the past month.

So. . .I should have a date in the next few days. In the meantime, I need
to pack up my place and get stuff into storage, as I have decided to stay with family in PA for a few months post-surgery.

Halleluia!

Thanks to everyone here for your support in the tense days leading up to this!

All the best,

Melissa

 

[Ross]

That is great news! Not to poop on your party, but wait until the final o.k. has been said before packing up. You may have to appeal to them.

If I may be so bold, what part of PA will you be staying at?

 

[nadi]

Congrats!!

Congrats!!

I am happy that your cloud seems to have lifted. I hope you get the approve soon. Good luck with your HMO

Take care

 

[Nancy]

Hi Melissa-

Everything sounds very promising. That's great! When you get a date let us know, so we can keep track of things.

Take care,

 

[Bill Hall]

Melissa - Sounds like good news. I also had my two valves done by Cosgrove, mitral repair and aortic replaced by homographt. Anyway, I don't take the coumadin and only an aspirin per day. I found many good recommendations before I decided on Cosgrove, but I never met with him. He is definitely not the social type. Cleveland Clinic is a great hospital, but it is big. Don't let them treat you like a number, complain when you are unhappy or need information. Good luck.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi melissa!
sounds great! dr. cosgrove has a magnificent reputation and many here have had their surgeries done by him. you will be in the best of hands.
please keep us posted on how/when things go.
be well, sylvia

 

[Bill Hall]

Melissa - I forgot to mention the three inch scar.

 

[MelissaM]

Three inch scar sounds nice. . .

Ross, thanks for the advice on waiting. You guessed that one right! I did have to appeal, making for a hard weekend. An angel came my way, tho, in the form of a higher-up at Kaiser who called the CO Medical Director and got things "straightenend out". Got the final okay today, but still waiting on the actual date.

If all goes as planned, I will be recovering near Lancaster, PA for a few months.

 

[Ross]

It seems to always work like this. You get tickled to death and then body slammed when you get an answer. I'm glad it's finally working the way it should've to start with.

Tis been a long time since I was in Lancaster. Hope it's still as beautiful as it was when I was there years ago.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Melissa-

Good news about your approval. Now you can rest easy.

Take care.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi melissa!
great news! please let us know as soon as you get your date.
stay well, sylvia

 

[nadi]

Congrats

Congrats

Great news!
I am glad that your approval came thru now take the time to pamper yourself alittle.

Take care,

 

[LUVMyBirman]

That is wonderful Melissa! So happy it's working out for you. You will now receive the care you need. I feel everyone deserves to be treated equal.

I was on a managed care plan for a very short time so I can sympathize with you. Have your surgery, make sure you are all paid up. Get yourself a PPO! I can't beleive what they put you through. Heart patient and all.

Wishing you all the best. Looking forward to speaking to you on the other side! Keep us posted during your recovery process!

 

[ccrawford]

Hey Mellissa - sounds like lady luck is working her charm on your situation, and that sounds just great to me. let us know how you are doing setting up the details and don't be bashful about asking for help in the "get ready" department. some of our guys have detailed lists of things to think about before surgery and they are really helpful - especially if you get sort of numbed over by the enormity of all of this. I can't ell you how much I appreciate all the help I have gotten, and I can't imagine you will receive any less. Chris

 

[Georgia]

Congraqts, Melissa

Congraqts, Melissa

Glad you won your battle with your insurer without having to rip heads off, etc. It's my observation that insurers have been more consumer friendly in the last year (a. because they're planning to nonrenew everyone anyway; b. because there've been a couple of anti-insurer supreme court decisions c. because they haven't had the time to buy congressional votes to negate the supreme court decisions; d. all of the above) and haven't been fighting too much on many of these decisions.

Anyway - I'm sure you're going to busier than a one armed paper hanger for the rest of the time until surgery. Please keep in touch.