Friday, May 18th, 2007 Damn Pacific Blue Cross

Dear Bloggy,

Well, no pictures today. I didn't take my camera with me today, so no spontaneous pics. I am even more pissed off at Pacific Blue Cross (the Extended Health Benefits insurance company). What a joke they are... and I guess that means the average jane/joe who thinks by having this extended health coverage is a good thing, they have no idea until they need it that this is just another insurance company who is out to screw the insured and continue making profit for the company.

Yesterday, Dr. Gill had written the letter to Blue Cross to explain why I needed this med (gee... it's a chemo drug. It's needed to fight cancer. I am fighting cancer. I would not need this med if I was say, fighting a cold, or had a bleeding hangnail. Duh!!). Vicki, her secretary, faxed it to Blue Cross yesterday afternoon. Today, we wanted to know what the status because we need to start taking the med. Vicki called Blue Cross, was put on hold for 15 minutes, then the girl who obviously doesn't know her head from where the sun doesn't shine, said she doesn't know if the fax was received or not. HELLO??? Perhaps you could get off your butt and check??? No, apparently this is not her job. Ok, can you tell Vicki if the fax number she was given by Blue Cross is the right fax number. Yes... it is. The fax is right there close to her desk (yet she can't tell Vicki if the fax was received and she can't find out???). I have no idea why government workers get painted with the incompetent brush... when it looks like private industry takes the lead here.

So, it's Friday.. of the long weekend... and no, I have not started the oral chemo which I was to start yesterday. Dr. Gill told me she doesn't want me to stress out... that we will deal with this next week. But it's kind of hard not to stress out when idiots that work for an insurance company can, through their own incompetency, delay an actual patient's treatment plan. These people don't even work in the medical field, yet they can screw things up.

The alternative, which may be what we have to do next week is to get hooked up to the portable pump for 35 days. This because of an idiot who can't tell if a fax came in or not. It will mean I have less mobility, less flexibility, the concern that my portacath entry will become infected (which will mean more drugs and a possible hospital stay), I will not be able to bathe or shower for 35 days and have limited clothing options to dress around the pump. I can guarantee if we do go this way, then they are also going to have to treat me for depression... there is no way I can live with that pump 24/7 and not get depressed. When I have to wear it for 3 days, I am climbing the walls on the third day and if anyone looks at me the wrong way I'll blow. That is one of the things that they are concerned with with that particular chemo (5FU)... mood swings and depression. I get close to it after the three days on the pump.... so now I may have it for 35 days??? Because an idiot insurance company's staff who has no medical background makes a decision that can affect my well-being?

I'm sure those reading this can already see the change in my mood/attitude from previous entries... and this is with just the thought I may have to go this route. You can only imagine what it will do to my well-being if I'm actually hooked up to it. In that case, I'm giving fair warning now that more then likely I will be cancelling any plans I've made with people because my mood will not be dependable and if I can't dress or feel like myself, I won't be someone you want to be around.

Soooo, I'm going to try and not stress out about it over the weekend since there's nothing that can be done this weekend... and it is a long weekend (Victoria Day Weekend), so nothing can be done until Tuesday. I'll leave it in Dr. Gill's hands since she knows what she is doing. I'm not much help... I just get pissed off! :)

Ciao for now!

Cheryl