Starting Chemo on Monday-Reason starting back to work 6/16 & Insurance ?s

[christy217]

Hey guys, I wanted to start my own thread for a few good questions I had and to let you guys know why I was returning to work and to see what you guys thought about this and what not:

I will be starting chemo on Monday-Oxalioplation, 5FU, Leucovorian (sp) I will get 4 hours there, then come home with a 46 hour pump, which I will go back on Wednesday to have disconnected, then the port flushed, then Thursday I will go back for a shot, the following Monday come back for follow up blood work. I have been given about a two page list of side affects for each of the three individual chemos. They recommend that I have 6 months of this chemo, every other Monday for a total of 12 cycles, 600 hours, which is a lot of chemo to me . My mom was deathly ill from this all the time. I know it's no joke. I know everyone handles it differently. I am prone to nausea from everything. I am going between 7-11 times a day regardless anyways since the total colectomy, so this isn't going to make it better. My dad underwent chemo for his lung ca and only had a few side affects and that was at the very end of his treatment, this man is on his 5th malignancy, I don't think anything is going to kill him, he will outlive me, he just turned 71 yesterday.

Anywho, not trying to get off on a rant-what did you experience your first time you had chemo? I know some say they don't feel anything during, it's usually after, secondly, what are your first complaints usually? I know it's a cumculative collateral affect overall, so that might be hard to answer.

JOB: I work for a government contractor, I have Excellent benefits, in that, my copay is 10 bucks, my docs are all in network, my surgery was 50K and I only had to pay 20 bucks, my company pays for STD and LTD for me, and I've been on STD since the beg of Feb~around 2/8, I just recently converted to LTD. I talked to my HR lady today and she stated that they only have to guarantee me a position for 13 weeks? I've been employed there for 4 years, I thought they at least have to hold my position longer than that? A few weeks ago my boss asked me for a position description but stated he wasn't interested in hiring anyone, but HR wanted it, he told me to take all the time I need to come in coming back, I truly helped him up to the point of my surgery which was 3/27. I don't want to extend more time than necessary in coming back to work because of my benefits, we just purchased a new house on 2/17-we had been building this for over a year, I was diagnosed 2/23-Cigna, my STD and LTD carrier has always been paying my employer the amounts of my disability, they paid my income wages 100% the first 6 wks, 70% 7-13 weeks and then LTD is 60%, beginning on 91st day, own occupation for 24 months-I don't know what that means-does this mean I can be on LTD for 2 years? Anywho Cigna sends me this packet in the mail and wants me to apply for SSD (Social Security Disability) it's a requirement of their filings for all LTD receiptients apparently. I am baffled at what to do. I do trust my boss and he suggested when I return, that I work at home as much as possible.

In the middle of all of this, as I stated, I work for a government contractor (85% of our local economy is such), we get contracts for jobs, in lots, like 70 employees on one contract for 5 years as an example, with my contract, it's for 5 years, it's 3 employees, me, my boss, and another management guy. The contract is up 6-30-06. Two things can happen, we could not get it and I could get laid off, and have to cobra life insurance and health benefits at 430+ per month, or we could get it, and become a subcontractor, which means I would still work at the company I am at, but not for them, for a smaller company, have to change health insurance providers and pay twice as much. So I am severely worried about a multitude of things and feel I need to get my A$$ back to work ASAP.

If I have to put chemo on hold, I have to. If chemo gets to the point where it is causing me too much sickness, I will stop anyway, I've told them that, I don't want to be sick constantly. I've seen it too much with my mom and what she went through. Don't get me wrong, I have a will to live, and I am not negative, but for me it is quality over quanity because I am not mentally strong for anything else.

Insurance-As luck would have it, I have 165K through work in coverage, when they had open enrollment last year, I upped it to 360K, our house was 331K, we put the contract on it last March and you can only change stuff during open enrollment in Dec, and since I can't legally marry my partner, they equate why you need such "monies" in large amounts, if you have no legal spouses or dependents or real estate and we didn't have the new house yet, so I had to wait for additional forms. I kept calling and calling for additional forms in January, and when they finally sent them to me in February, I was already diagnosed with anemia, which lead to CA, and they wouldn't raise the policy amount of course, so now I worry, should something happen to me, on chemo, or not, or anything else, etc., I don't have enough life coverage-have any of you run into this? Do you know what the waiting period is for life term coverage is once you've had cancer? I wonder if it makes a difference if it is genetic or not, I'll have to ask my genetic counselor when I go to see her next week.

As always you guys are great, thanks in advance and sorry for the novel!

[CancerDad]

Christy:
You DO want to apply for SSD NOW. Yeah, it's Cigna's way of getting out of having to pay you so much (I have it too!!) So I applied and Social Security automatically rejects almost EVERYONE first go around. I was told they were lucky to approve me second go around.... and by NO MEANS am I taking advantage... I would love nothing more than to be able to go back to work and make what I used to. Reality is, sometimes, it just doesn't work this way.

Once you are rejected the first time, you turn it over to a Cigna representative, and they fight for you. It's better to get the coverage now because they base it on 3 years of earnings or something and you will end up with less covered amount if you have a $0 year factored in. I know this sounds horrific, but try not to talk with the Disability people from Cigna when they call... their sole mission is to get you kicked from receiving benefits. I know this sounds terrible and I said, "no way" the first time I heard this. But it's true. Just tell them your doctors names and addresses, that's it. They try to be nice to you sometimes to get more out of you to admit that you "are feeling better." (Yeah better for today, but nowhere close enough to go back to work). It sounds like you are trying to pull a fast one, but it is the insurance co that is looking after their bottom dollar.

I have three physicians that write in their charts ALL THE TIME that I am NOT ready to return to work. They get copies of my records from my doctors ALL THE TIME. Yet Cigna continues to harrass me and them for information.

Sorry for the ramble Christy. Talk soon,
CancerDad

[CancerDad]

Christy:
A couple more thoughts... it's important to get SS application going because once approved, you have 2 years before you are entitled to SSD health insurance *Medicare*. I don't know if you are on your partner's insurance, but something to consider, because if you have a lapse in coverage, then they may consider this a pre-existing condition. Like I said in my last post, better to plan for the worst, just in case you cannot return to your current work.

Also, remember, as SOON AS YOU TELL CIGNA that you are going back, your check stops coming. They don't give you time to find a job (if necessary), or ease back into a full schedule. Social Security does though.

As for your employment status, your employer is right... they, like my company and many others, have gotten around laws by using your FMLA in your short term disability, which covers their arses so they don't need to hold your job open longer than what you had calculated in your situation... I think you said 12 weeks into LTD.

As for changing your life insurance... good luck in finding a company to cover you without charging a fortune. ONCE you have that dx of Ca, you are up a creek. I had been considering increasing my policy too right before my diagnosis. Now, forget about it. I have unofficially been told that you need to be cancer free for 5 years, and even then, they charge increased rates. If you find out, would you please let know? Thanks.

Lastly, I was the only "bread winner" in our family. My wife stayed at home with the kids. Well, we had some credit card debt, which was no problem for me when I was employed and receiving my entire salary. But once I was on STD, I was making a heck of a lot less. So I called the credit companies to ask if they had some sort of program that would allow me to postpone payments a couple months. I was naive and didn't think anything of it when I told them that I was fighting cancer. Well, they don't care and see this as an opportunity to hose you. The next thing I knew after telling them and trying to negotiate something, they increased my nice low APR's (without telling me) to 30%APR... I had a near flawless credit record (FICO score) and now it stinks. Although, it's improving since I wised up!

Anyway, I can't think of the other things I wanted to tell you right now, but will remember eventually and post again... I hope this helps. Let me know if I wasn't clear enough on an area.

Warm regards,
CancerDad

[ktee_uk]

[QUOTE=christy217]

I will be starting chemo on Monday-Oxalioplation, 5FU, Leucovorian (sp) I will get 4 hours there, then come home with a 46 hour pump, which I will go back on Wednesday to have disconnected, then the port flushed, then Thursday I will go back for a shot, the following Monday come back for follow up blood work. I have been given about a two page list of side affects for each of the three individual chemos. They recommend that I have 6 months of this chemo, every other Monday for a total of 12 cycles, 600 hours, which is a lot of chemo to me . My mom was deathly ill from this all the time. I know it's no joke. I know everyone handles it differently. I am prone to nausea from everything. I am going between 7-11 times a day regardless anyways since the total colectomy, so this isn't going to make it better. My dad underwent chemo for his lung ca and only had a few side affects and that was at the very end of his treatment, this man is on his 5th malignancy, I don't think anything is going to kill him, he will outlive me, he just turned 71 yesterday.

QUOTE]


Hi Christy

My husband had same type of chemo as yourself except he had first 6 cycles between colon and liver resection and last 6 cycles after liver resec/radiotherapy.

His experience from the first 6 cycles was nausea and diarhea and some hand and throat tingling stuff. Strong meds resolved it in most cases and his neurapathy (sp?) eased off after getting disconnected each time.

His one enduring memory of chemo is the endless conveyor belt of blood tests, oncology assessments, getting hooked up, getting disconnected, getting flushed, and starting all over again. At one point he was either at a blood clinic, chemo clinic or other hospital twice a week.
For his last 6 cycles we decided to take a bit more control ourselves and made the clinics and doctors work around us. So, in the end the routine worked out as follows:-

Weds - blood test at our local doctors who sent results off to oncologist at the hospital.
Friday - visit oncologist for assessment to see if he could take another dose.
Same day - chemo clinic in the afternoon for infusion (which ususally took about 4 hours so it meant a whole day at the hospital including the assessment.
Sunday - i would disconnect at home and flush through. The nurses taught me how to do it and equipped me with the syringes/needles/swabs/tapes/needle bin to do it.
The following week was then free and then would start again the following Weds.
End result was for each fortnight, one quick trip for the blood test and an all dayer at the hospital. Much better than 2 visits every week and we coped quite well.

Could you perhaps disconnect at home if your partner or a willing friend would help? It would help cut down on hospital time which is a real drain on your energy.

Regards to all
ktee

[suezav]

christy, my daughter (age 23, stage 3 rectal) had the exact chemo that you will have. she had 6 treatments before surgery and 8 treatments post op. we found that a drip of calcium/magnesium right before starting the chemo helped her alot with the "tingles". that added another hour on to the time we spent there. the last 2 treatments, they also gave her that drip after the chemo, too. we spent all day there! we had a home infusion company that would show up at the end of the chemo session to hook my daughter up to the 5FU pump. they would then come out the next day to her college dorm (she just graduated-quite an accomplishment!) and hook up her leucovorin and change the 5FU cassette. the next day they would come to unhook her. we have aetna and they covered the home infusion, no problem. it makes life easier than going back and forth to where you have treatment.
also, she had some significant nausea after the first treatment so the doc put her on EMEND and ZOFRAN . the 2 drugs work together and helped alot. she didn't feel great the first few days after treatment but was able to function.
everyone's reaction to the chemo is different. hopefully, you will be one of the lucky ones and do really well. you certainly sound like you have lots of energy for the fight ahead!

lots of good luck to you. susan