Post by Jedimom/Cor-Al Gelkar on Nov 2, 2006 6:44:30 GMT -5
This time it concerns me:
I thought you would be interested to know that I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma skin cancer. While not exactly a fatal type of cancer, I do need surgery and a skin graft to prevent even more tissue damage. I have a large-ish ( 5.5 cm) lesion on the top of my head. They’ll have to take the skin off my thigh for the graft because its so big. I may need radiation therapy also if the lesion goes to the bone as he suspects. I may also have to go to a university hospital also the lesion goes too deep as Dr. Reeder will not cut into the bone (skull). And since I do not have insurance, the doctor (Dr. Christopher Reeder out of Dayton/Circleville) needs payment up front. He is pretty sure he can find a clinic in Dayton that will allow him to use the facilities at a decent price. I will know more about fees tomorrow when his billing agent gets back with me. Even without radiation I will lose most of my hair due to the location of the wound
We've tried public assistance many times. Mark makes too much money with his Social Security alone for us to get Medicaid or public assistance. I am going to try again in the wake of this new info. And the hospital goes by poverty guidelines and amazingly we are not poverty level. (Luckily Mark's chemo is done at a religious hospital and their financial guidelines are different. I am tyring to find if we can get the surgery done there but it doesn't look like it since my doc does not have priveleges there.I am not extremely happy with this doc. I do not like his bedside manner.)
Luckily its not a type of cancer known to be fatal or one that mestasizes too much. The big problem is tissue damage. And since its already so big, the doc is worried that it may be to the bone or damaged the bone. Its not a mole, its a big gaping open wound right on the top of my head that will not heal. I grossed out the doc when he first looked at it. I am not extremely worried about survivability, I am worried about money, complications that may make me have to have radiation, and the side effects of radiation.
I have checked out a couple of cancer centers that say they do things for free if you can prove you need it (which I think we would). Can you believe they said they don't deal with my cancer because its not one that is considered high-risk in most cases (less than 1/2 of 1% fatality rate). See I can’t do anything right! I can’t even get the right type of cancer! LOL.
And I just kick myself for not getting it looked at sooner. The possibility of cancer had not seemed like a concern. I figured due to the location of the wound, it would have a hard time healing. Every time I washed my hair or brushed my hair it would oen back up. Plus I was always picking hair out of it. Had I even thought about cancer, I would have gotten it checked out sooner. Not to mention this is my second bout with cancer (had eye cancer as an infant)
I thought you would be interested to know that I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma skin cancer. While not exactly a fatal type of cancer, I do need surgery and a skin graft to prevent even more tissue damage. I have a large-ish ( 5.5 cm) lesion on the top of my head. They’ll have to take the skin off my thigh for the graft because its so big. I may need radiation therapy also if the lesion goes to the bone as he suspects. I may also have to go to a university hospital also the lesion goes too deep as Dr. Reeder will not cut into the bone (skull). And since I do not have insurance, the doctor (Dr. Christopher Reeder out of Dayton/Circleville) needs payment up front. He is pretty sure he can find a clinic in Dayton that will allow him to use the facilities at a decent price. I will know more about fees tomorrow when his billing agent gets back with me. Even without radiation I will lose most of my hair due to the location of the wound
We've tried public assistance many times. Mark makes too much money with his Social Security alone for us to get Medicaid or public assistance. I am going to try again in the wake of this new info. And the hospital goes by poverty guidelines and amazingly we are not poverty level. (Luckily Mark's chemo is done at a religious hospital and their financial guidelines are different. I am tyring to find if we can get the surgery done there but it doesn't look like it since my doc does not have priveleges there.I am not extremely happy with this doc. I do not like his bedside manner.)
Luckily its not a type of cancer known to be fatal or one that mestasizes too much. The big problem is tissue damage. And since its already so big, the doc is worried that it may be to the bone or damaged the bone. Its not a mole, its a big gaping open wound right on the top of my head that will not heal. I grossed out the doc when he first looked at it. I am not extremely worried about survivability, I am worried about money, complications that may make me have to have radiation, and the side effects of radiation.
I have checked out a couple of cancer centers that say they do things for free if you can prove you need it (which I think we would). Can you believe they said they don't deal with my cancer because its not one that is considered high-risk in most cases (less than 1/2 of 1% fatality rate). See I can’t do anything right! I can’t even get the right type of cancer! LOL.
And I just kick myself for not getting it looked at sooner. The possibility of cancer had not seemed like a concern. I figured due to the location of the wound, it would have a hard time healing. Every time I washed my hair or brushed my hair it would oen back up. Plus I was always picking hair out of it. Had I even thought about cancer, I would have gotten it checked out sooner. Not to mention this is my second bout with cancer (had eye cancer as an infant)
;D
