Delay in Transition

This was supposed to be the week when Kristina transitioned from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (which we have been referring to as Fred Hutch, for the hospital where it happens) back to her original oncologist.

That has been delayed. She’s been having some headaches and diahrrea and a low-grade fever, so there is some concern about Graft Versus Host (GVH) Disease. She’s been having some of that in her gut and her skin, and as she comes off her various meds, it may be cropping up again. And it may be moving from “recurring” to “chronic,” a new category we don’t want to enter.

The day of this post is day 100 since the transplant, the time when out-of-town patients start heading back to their hometowns, and by now Kristina was hoping to be done with Fred Hutch, rid of her catheter, and so on. Not so. And not sure when, either.

There have been more serious insurance hassles. A clerical error (by someone other than Kristina) back in January seems to be reverberating through the system, and she is still running into hassles when she tries to get prescriptions filled. She is also getting bills for stuff that her insurance used to cover.

She is really trying to focus on her recovery, but dealing with money and administration is a hassle. She says she’s “a little daunted and overwhelmed,” mainly because she’s alone in dealing with so much of this stuff. She has turned her coffee table into an impromptu office, with stacks of things to taker care of, bills to pay, and notes. I get the impression she’s on the phone a lot.

So I would like to request, as a friend, that her other friends take a few minutes and give her a call. Just think about how you’d fell going through something like this by yourself, and what you would really want: folks to talk to. Just a request, from one friend to another.

One thing you should be aware of, in terms of reaching her, is that email is probably not the way to do it. She has a slow internet connection and is on the phone a lot, so she only checks her email once a week or so. A phone call or visit (call first) is the way to go. Thanks for thinking about it.

You could also toss a little money her way (see the link to the left), and we’re looking into the possibility of a monthly automatic draw from your bank account to her transplant-assistance fund. We’ll let you know if something like that can be set up.

Stay tuned, and thanks a lot for checking in.