Guest guest Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 That is great but there was no 3,000 dollars discussed it was $15,000. He made lots of beautiful promises that I could have the surgery in NY and be home in Chicago in 5 days. He said that I wouldn't need the help I needed last time. It was a beautiful speach about how now that I seen someone else that there was a mess to fix so hence the extra five thousand dollars. He said that was why he NEVER uses Lupron because it can turn the tumors to moosh. He talked about how he would have to fix the adhesions from the first surgery(I have a ton of adhesions?) and about how he'd have to check the tubes and ovaries(this is something special?). Maybe he just wanted to see if I was serious. Maybe he wanted to drive me insane I don't know. He said to consider the cost and call him back. I said I had to " do the math " because I couldn't figure out 60% of 15000 in my head at that moment and he said fine. All I could do at that moment was stare at the phone. It has been a few days and I am now over the shock. My boss is on vacation and when I go on shift on Sat I have a lot to do and do right. BUT the truth is I think he, Dr West, is no more was willing to do this than any of the other Docs are. His statement about Lupron making a mess of the tumors and his tone after I told him that even with Lupron and Megace I still bleed should have told me alot. I confronted my Doctors office on Thursday after I got the appointments in Chicago. I was still crying when I called and the office manager seemed to think that it was the test results that were upseting me not the lie of omission. The office manager was the only one in but she did go get my chart and reassured me that there was no reason to be upset. I said " it is a tumor not adenomyosis " She said yes it said that and then wanted to know where I got the results from. Wonder if I should tell her I had them sent to my GP, OB/GYN in addition to them. What am I stupid...the more people who have them the better the chance I can get them easily. Today the nurse called me. She said the note said I wanted to talk about the MRI? She said the Doctor had wrote orders right after the test results came in for long term Lupron. (Remember dose ten of Lupron is due in one week) She has " talked " to the reader of the MRI and he has confirmed that he sticks by his first diagnosis. There is no new report. I will confirm this next week. SO MORE LUPRON IS HIS ANSWER...when I asked about a second Myo she said I would have to talk to him about future plans. I can set up an appointment after my next Lupron. What the hell is this? I got a Doc in NY telling me he can do it if I can find the money and one in Indiana telling me a whole lot of nothing. What the hell is all this stupidity? What do I have to do to get care? What will it take to be heard? On Oct 5th the right to Life Group from my church is going with others to form a chain next to a major highway. Explain to me again why I should not be mad about them and their limiting my acess to RU486 because all I see is that I might not be in this mess if I had started with RU486. I haven't heard of it turning tumors to mush. So tell me again why I should not want to yell and scream and demand that someone do something. I want to stand up at church and scream. I cannot go to the first mass anymore because they preach their little message. So they will be heard but I will pay for it. (The church sent me a message asking for more moeny. I am in bad stead for not donating enough! I cannot pay for medical treatment that is good, they are helping to withhold medicine that may help and they want my money) Delete delete delete delete ckozy22@... wrote: > Hi, > I had a very successful myo with the amazing Dr > West on 7/29/03. I have > United Healthcare PPO. When all was said & done, I > ended up only paying > $300.00 (three hundred) for the surgery. I did > give him the required $3,000.00 up > front, but was promptly reimbursed when he received > a check from my insurance > company. His office took care of everything, I > never had to make one call to > my insurance company. I don't know if this > reimbursement is typical, but I > am so happy that I didn't let the fee of his surgery > turn me away. He is such > a great doctor & person & I feel so lucky that I had > him perform my surgery. > I am 8 weeks post-op and feel great. hope this > helps in someone's decision. > Colleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 e wrote: > BUT the truth is I > think he, Dr West, is no more was willing to do this > than any of the other Docs are. His statement about > Lupron making a mess of the tumors and his tone after > I told him that even with Lupron and Megace I still > bleed should have told me alot. e, Dr. West was telling you the truth about Lupron. I've watched enough surgical videos now to tell you, unequivocally, that this drug is simply counter-productive to removing fibroids en masse. Without Lupron, a fibroid is a solid intact mass that can be removed like shelling the pea out of its shell. After Lupron, it's a mess. Oatmeal. Lines of delineation no longer clear for easy removal and some fibroids shrunken so small as to be easily missed during surgery. Furthermore, Lupron does not stop all bleeding. In some women it makes them bleed more. One woman I know bled to death a week after her second injection. Your doctor has been giving you Lupron so far off label that it begs the question, in my mind, of whether or not he should be reported to the medical board. > I got a Doc in NY telling me he can do it if I can > find the money and one in Indiana telling me a whole > lot of nothing. What the hell is all this stupidity? I don't know anything about Dr. West's billing situation but do know, from reading quite a few case reports, that prior pelvic surgeries do indeed present additional concern to any/every gyn approaching surgery on such a patient. Add to that, your 9 Lupron injections....and, well, there's no telling how easy/difficult your surgery may turn out to be. Dr. West takes on many, many difficult cases and may have some inclination, based on past experience, of what your specific history might present to him, in terms of surgical difficulties. I don't know. I'm guessing here....but I do think he was attempting to be realistic in letting you know what he might encounter and how difficult the surgery might be. As a private practice physician, he does try to work with his patients' insurance plans to get their surgery covered -- but can't realistically afford to cover the costs for every patient he would like to help. As for the stupidity in gynecological care you've encountered......it may be no consolation at all to you to know that it's widespread and rampant ignorance all across this country -- and precisely what so many of us are trying desperately to avoid and make enough waves to change. My heart goes out to you as you continue to seek out appropriate care. Would you please write to me offline and send me your phone number so we can talk further? -- Carla Dionne Executive Director National Uterine Fibroids Foundation 1 (877) 553-NUFF mailto:carla@... http://www.NUFF.org http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uterinefibroids Author, " Sex, Lies, and the Truth About Uterine Fibroids " Questions are the window of opportunity. Sometimes, just sometimes, answers allow our souls to see beyond the shade of darkness and let the sunshine in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 Sweetie...I think you need to talk to Carla...and I think she is right about the Lupron issue...I do not think that doc is doing the right thing by that...AND for kickers....I think you should stand up in the middle of your church and ask ALL the people inside to help you get your life-saving surgery by donating money to help YOU!!!!! They can postpone thier building fund or whatever....what else is more important? I would say it says in the bible " ask and you shall receive. " Let your pastor squirm his way outa that one...at the very least they will take you off their solicitation list and you will call their bluff. gg e wrote: >That is great but there was no 3,000 dollars discussed >it was $15,000. He made lots of beautiful promises >that I could have the surgery in NY and be home in >Chicago in 5 days. He said that I wouldn't need the >help I needed last time. It was a beautiful speach >about how now that I seen someone else that there was >a mess to fix so hence the extra five thousand >dollars. He said that was why he NEVER uses Lupron >because it can turn the tumors to moosh. He talked >about how he would have to fix the adhesions from the >first surgery(I have a ton of adhesions?) and about >how he'd have to check the tubes and ovaries(this is >something special?). Maybe he just wanted to see if I >was serious. Maybe he wanted to drive me insane I >don't know. He said to consider the cost and call him >back. I said I had to " do the math " because I couldn't >figure out 60% of 15000 in my head at that moment and >he said fine. All I could do at that moment was stare >at the phone. > >It has been a few days and I am now over the shock. >My boss is on vacation and when I go on shift on Sat I >have a lot to do and do right. BUT the truth is I >think he, Dr West, is no more was willing to do this >than any of the other Docs are. His statement about >Lupron making a mess of the tumors and his tone after >I told him that even with Lupron and Megace I still >bleed should have told me alot. > >I confronted my Doctors office on Thursday after I got >the appointments in Chicago. I was still crying when >I called and the office manager seemed to think that >it was the test results that were upseting me not the >lie of omission. The office manager was the only one >in but she did go get my chart and reassured me that >there was no reason to be upset. I said " it is a >tumor not adenomyosis " She said yes it said that and >then wanted to know where I got the results from. >Wonder if I should tell her I had them sent to my GP, >OB/GYN in addition to them. What am I stupid...the >more people who have them the better the chance I can >get them easily. Today the nurse called me. She said >the note said I wanted to talk about the MRI? She >said the Doctor had wrote orders right after the test >results came in for long term Lupron. (Remember dose >ten of Lupron is due in one week) She has " talked " to >the reader of the MRI and he has confirmed that he >sticks by his first diagnosis. There is no new >report. I will confirm this next week. SO MORE >LUPRON IS HIS ANSWER...when I asked about a second Myo >she said I would have to talk to him about future >plans. I can set up an appointment after my next >Lupron. What the hell is this? > >I got a Doc in NY telling me he can do it if I can >find the money and one in Indiana telling me a whole >lot of nothing. What the hell is all this stupidity? > > >What do I have to do to get care? What will it take >to be heard? On Oct 5th the right to Life Group from >my church is going with others to form a chain next to >a major highway. Explain to me again why I should not >be mad about them and their limiting my acess to RU486 >because all I see is that I might not be in this mess >if I had started with RU486. I haven't heard of it >turning tumors to mush. So tell me again why I should >not want to yell and scream and demand that someone do >something. I want to stand up at church and scream. >I cannot go to the first mass anymore because they >preach their little message. So they will be heard >but I will pay for it. (The church sent me a message >asking for more moeny. I am in bad stead for not >donating enough! I cannot pay for medical treatment >that is good, they are helping to withhold medicine >that may help and they want my money) >Delete delete delete delete > > ckozy22@... wrote: > > >>Hi, >> I had a very successful myo with the amazing Dr >>West on 7/29/03. I have >>United Healthcare PPO. When all was said & done, I >>ended up only paying >>$300.00 (three hundred) for the surgery. I did >>give him the required $3,000.00 up >>front, but was promptly reimbursed when he received >>a check from my insurance >>company. His office took care of everything, I >>never had to make one call to >>my insurance company. I don't know if this >>reimbursement is typical, but I >>am so happy that I didn't let the fee of his surgery >>turn me away. He is such >>a great doctor & person & I feel so lucky that I had >>him perform my surgery. >>I am 8 weeks post-op and feel great. hope this >>helps in someone's decision. >>Colleen >> >> > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 Now I am concerned. So....to recap....for those of us that are taking Lupron...should we be concerned that our Dr's are not surgically competent or that we are rec. poor treatment and should seek a Dr. that does not use Lupron prior to surgery? Also, should we be scared to death that we may bleed to death during the course of Lupron therapy (something the Lupron insert certainly did not mention as a side effect)? Here I thought I had made a sound decision in talking the Lupron prior to surgery now I am really concerned in light of what you have said that this will be counter productive. I just want to make the right choices with all the correct information in front of me. Unsure now how to proceed from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 Now I am concerned. So....to recap....for those of us that are taking Lupron...should we be concerned that our Dr's are not surgically competent or that we are rec. poor treatment and should seek a Dr. that does not use Lupron prior to surgery? Also, should we be scared to death that we may bleed to death during the course of Lupron therapy (something the Lupron insert certainly did not mention as a side effect)? Here I thought I had made a sound decision in talking the Lupron prior to surgery now I am really concerned in light of what you have said that this will be counter productive. I just want to make the right choices with all the correct information in front of me. Unsure now how to proceed from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 Now I am concerned. So....to recap....for those of us that are taking Lupron...should we be concerned that our Dr's are not surgically competent or that we are rec. poor treatment and should seek a Dr. that does not use Lupron prior to surgery? Also, should we be scared to death that we may bleed to death during the course of Lupron therapy (something the Lupron insert certainly did not mention as a side effect)? Here I thought I had made a sound decision in talking the Lupron prior to surgery now I am really concerned in light of what you have said that this will be counter productive. I just want to make the right choices with all the correct information in front of me. Unsure now how to proceed from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 It seems you have a course of action and if you are experiencing no huge side effects or taking alot of Lupron...and if the stuff works...than? Correct me if I am wrong but I think Carla was having concerns with the amount of Lupron... gg mickinatlanta wrote: >Now I am concerned. > >So....to recap....for those of us that are taking Lupron...should we >be concerned that our Dr's are not surgically competent or that we >are rec. poor treatment and should seek a Dr. that does not use >Lupron prior to surgery? Also, should we be scared to death that we >may bleed to death during the course of Lupron therapy (something the >Lupron insert certainly did not mention as a side effect)? > >Here I thought I had made a sound decision in talking the Lupron >prior to surgery now I am really concerned in light of what you have >said that this will be counter productive. > >I just want to make the right choices with all the correct >information in front of me. Unsure now how to proceed from here. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 It seems you have a course of action and if you are experiencing no huge side effects or taking alot of Lupron...and if the stuff works...than? Correct me if I am wrong but I think Carla was having concerns with the amount of Lupron... gg mickinatlanta wrote: >Now I am concerned. > >So....to recap....for those of us that are taking Lupron...should we >be concerned that our Dr's are not surgically competent or that we >are rec. poor treatment and should seek a Dr. that does not use >Lupron prior to surgery? Also, should we be scared to death that we >may bleed to death during the course of Lupron therapy (something the >Lupron insert certainly did not mention as a side effect)? > >Here I thought I had made a sound decision in talking the Lupron >prior to surgery now I am really concerned in light of what you have >said that this will be counter productive. > >I just want to make the right choices with all the correct >information in front of me. Unsure now how to proceed from here. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 It seems you have a course of action and if you are experiencing no huge side effects or taking alot of Lupron...and if the stuff works...than? Correct me if I am wrong but I think Carla was having concerns with the amount of Lupron... gg mickinatlanta wrote: >Now I am concerned. > >So....to recap....for those of us that are taking Lupron...should we >be concerned that our Dr's are not surgically competent or that we >are rec. poor treatment and should seek a Dr. that does not use >Lupron prior to surgery? Also, should we be scared to death that we >may bleed to death during the course of Lupron therapy (something the >Lupron insert certainly did not mention as a side effect)? > >Here I thought I had made a sound decision in talking the Lupron >prior to surgery now I am really concerned in light of what you have >said that this will be counter productive. > >I just want to make the right choices with all the correct >information in front of me. Unsure now how to proceed from here. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 No, I don't think it was the amount of Lupron as she stated that the person she knew died after her second injection of Lupron. And...yes, I have a course of action, however, this makes me second guess the course.....it the Lupron has such a bad effect on the fibroid tissue itself....turning it to so much to mush that the Dr. will never be able to get all the tissue out....hence it grows back...and in a few years I will be in the same boat. Who wants to go through ALL of this again? NOT ME! Just wanting to get all the facts strait so my course of action is the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 No, I don't think it was the amount of Lupron as she stated that the person she knew died after her second injection of Lupron. And...yes, I have a course of action, however, this makes me second guess the course.....it the Lupron has such a bad effect on the fibroid tissue itself....turning it to so much to mush that the Dr. will never be able to get all the tissue out....hence it grows back...and in a few years I will be in the same boat. Who wants to go through ALL of this again? NOT ME! Just wanting to get all the facts strait so my course of action is the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 No, I don't think it was the amount of Lupron as she stated that the person she knew died after her second injection of Lupron. And...yes, I have a course of action, however, this makes me second guess the course.....it the Lupron has such a bad effect on the fibroid tissue itself....turning it to so much to mush that the Dr. will never be able to get all the tissue out....hence it grows back...and in a few years I will be in the same boat. Who wants to go through ALL of this again? NOT ME! Just wanting to get all the facts strait so my course of action is the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.