Update: # #286 - Amanda is home! Cancer free! "Mandy"13 y.o. in need of prayer-lump on hip & ca

FReepmail from LibertyRocks | February 12, 2010 | Joya

[Joya]

CURRENTLY via FReepmail from LibertyRocks 02/11/2010, late Thursday

It was a rough day. We are right now at Children’s Hospital, we came in this afternoon at 2:30 and by 5:00 she was admitted as a patient.

We are in our own private room in the oncology ward - not because she is sick, or because they are thinking it’s definitely cancer (still on the table though), it’s because there are so many kids sick with the flu and H1N1 in the other part of the Peds wing. It’s nice because they are very private rooms, and very comfortable and “homey”.

= = = BACKGROUND via FReepmail from LibertyRocks 02/07/2010 [Superbowl Sunday]

Dear FRiends,

I took my daughter Amanda (13 yo) to the doctor last night [Feb. 6]. She had been complaining of a sore calf for the last 2 weeks. I (we) assumed it was a pulled muscle, and told her to take it easy - she was still walking around and wasn’t limping, but we didn’t notice she was walking on her tiptoes on that leg (long pants...). Yesterday, she came to me and said, “Mom it’s starting to hurt REALLY bad, and there’s a lump....” Turns out there was a lump there, and it’s been getting bigger over the last week or so (at this point it’s slightly oval and at least 2 in. in diameter!). At the doctor’s office we were able to get her in to get an ultrasound before the techs left for the weekend. I saw the ultrasound, but don’t know what I was really looking at - it seemed the mass was pushing out in between her calf muscles so its origin was deep - like next to the bone itself. After the ultrasound my daughter got nervous and confessed there is a lump on her hip that’s been there for some time (a few months???) - it’s much smaller, but it’s there.

[WHY don’t children tell their parents these things? I can’t tell you how frustrating this is now.]

Anyway, the doctor ruled out infection, and a blood clot, and they mostly ruled out a pulled / torn muscle (it would hurt WORSE on her toes if it were the muscle), but they can’t give us a diagnosis at this point at all. They are scheduling her for an MRI (of her leg & hip) first thing [February 8], we need to schedule an appointment with our reg. doctor ASAP for a referral to an Orthopedic Surgeon. If the MRI doesn’t give us more of an answer she will need a biopsy.

Please just pray for Jesus to heal my baby!

We’ve ruled out the “easy” stuff, and there is no history of trauma to the area either! This leaves a few VERY scary diseases - two that are cancers that primarily affect children her age. Combine that with the fact that her doctor’s are flying “half-blind” with only familial medical history of her father (I’m adopted), and it necessitates they treat this as if it’s a cancerous growth until they rule that out.

My daughter is normally a nervous person (like her mom), so please also pray for her to have strength, and not to worry. I’m trying VERY hard to be brave and strong for her, I’m praying with every other breath at this point.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers over our family. I know so many others are going through their own problems. Please know, you all remain in my thoughts and daily prayers.

God Bless all of you, LR

[potlatch]

Double pings to people are the least of your worries, forget that!

Continuing prayers for all of you.
So wrong that the insurance will pay for ‘in hospital’ care but not for the proper meds at home.

I had always understood that the generic ‘had’ to be the exact same med but maybe with different ‘fillers’. Perhaps you could discuss that with the doctor more.

Lots of prayers going on for Amanda, keep your chin up!

[reaganaut]

still praying here. HUGS.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[LucyJo]

[roamer_1]

Dunno if this is possible for y'all LR, but my boy has had long term kidney problems requiring IV anti-biotics - The docs let him come home with the pic line in place, and we got his antibiotics in these little ball-shaped pre-measured doses, which were easy to administer...

With the exception of office calls (at the hospital) weekly to maintain the pic line, It was a far less invasive method than leaving him in the hospital for weeks... And our insurance company at the time accepted it rather than the higher cost of hospitalization - while still being technically "hospitalized"...

Perhaps something like that could be worked out for you...

[GailA]

This is typical of ins companies. I'm fighting with Tricare for Life, to cover my Synthroid, and it's less than $22.00 a month. The generics cause mouth ulcers and your hair to fall out! They are not absorbed as well, don't come in as many dosage strengths, and have different fillers from lab to lab. They require more frequenting testing to be sure they are working. And the generics are NOT A rated, which the name brand is.

Endocrinologist WON'T prescribe the generics for this reason. Cost more in the long run to use the generics. All to 'save' a measly few cents per tablet. Generic is $14 per month.

[boatbums]

I am praying for you all that God does exceedingly, abundantly, amazingly, ABOVE all that you ask or think about this. Also, resting in the Lord and having a “peace that passes all understanding” is quite different from becoming complacent. You’re a Mom...it’s not in your genetics! :o)

[grey_whiskers]

Congrats to you and Amanda -- prayers of thanksgiving and continued "maintenance" prayers going up.

[Tribune7]

Prayers continue

[azishot]

Continuing prayers for Amanda.

[left that other site]

No problem. Prayer pings are always welcome.

[AnAmericanMother]

Take this for what it's worth, and talk to your doctor to see if he thinks it will help.

I don't know what your Insurance Commissioner is like in WI, but here in GA we have a real bulldog of an IC who is very proactive in looking out for consumers. If you call his office with a problem like this, he (actually one of his staff) will get the insurance company on the phone tout suite and talk it out with them. We have had very good results calling them in, not for little stuff but when it was really necessary. And this sounds like one of those situations.

In the meantime, we'll keep praying!

[SuziQ]

Thanks for the update. Amanda’s on our Parish Prayer List this week for prayers for her full recovery!

[amom]

Thank you so much for the lengthy updates...I like having lots of information. It’s great to see Amanda’s doctors are keeping on top of this like they are. Silly thing about the medicine and the insurance comapny...one has to wonder about how those decisions are made but leave it to them to make it complex. Prayers up for Amanda’s bump to go down by itself and the liver to settle down and keep on doing what it’s suppose to do. And prayers for you to keep up your strength and stamina...I completely understand about not being able to completely rest. Eventually things will calm down I can assure you. HUGS to all of you.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

More prayers on the way until God returns Amanda to perfect health.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for the updates! Prayers continue for Mandy and for you...

[Smokin' Joe]

Praise God! (More prayers up for the entire family).

[LibertyRocks]

RE: Her Medication - Generic vs. Brand-Name

I was misunderstanding the situation — figured it out when I was at the Pharmacy. The generic is the pill she is on right now. The suspension/liquid only comes in brand-name, so that explains it I guess. The difference in efficacy I guess doesn’t make a difference to the insurance as long as it’s the “same” medicine.

Also, I guess the pharmaceutical insurance is technically a different policy than the reg. medical insurance, so that explains the disconnect in regards to covering the hospitalization, but not covering the medicine.

I understand it all now a little better, but this has got to be one of the little reasons that adds up to insurance costing so much!

Thanks much for your support! I appreciate it. :)

[Kitty Mittens]

(((((Praying with All my Heart)))))
Thank you for the Ping.

[nw_arizona_granny]

I am thankful that progress is good, don’t worry about double pings, for it won’t hurt us to send up double prayers, which I will continue to do..

Sending you a double big hug.