Updates:
1. I have met with the Radiological Oncologist. They will work with me. This happened mid-September. Second meeting was a week later. They noted from my first MRI of the area, that my prostate is in a bad location compared to my pelvic area. They cannot put the radio seeds in without a set of not quite invented, wickedly bent/curved needles and then they would miss 25% of my prostate. This also rules out nerve sparing robot surgery. My options are beam radiation or beam radiation+ADT. They will work with my urologist to get the gold markers put in my prostate
2. Working with urologist at UW. But due to his schedule it was tentatively schedule for Dec 22. The staff is working on getting it scheduled sooner as I ask them to do so.
3. Radio Oncologist wants me to meet with a Medical Oncologist to attempt to change my mind about ADT therapy (reducing my testosterone to near 0). My research on the drugs and the side affects have me in a DON’T YOU DARE mode. I cannot have a lot of the side affects, as they will affect my job. I will be glad to listen to him (scheduled for Nov 9), but unless there is something better than the current treatment, and the MRI/CAT scans after the markers are put in show something different, not now.
4. Tap dancing on the schedulers desk, got me an appointment for markers insertion on Nov 18. Along with (if the insurance will pay for it) a gel pack between my prostate and rectum to protect things against radiation burns. The gel pack will dissolve in about 6 months.
5. Get things setup for the insertion, pre-authorizations are lined up. UW says they submitted them to Premera on October 26. Premera says they have gotten nothing.
6. Many phone calls, waiting on hold, etc. come to find out someone at UW finance department which does the final coding for the pre-auth is sitting on my file. It has not been submitted as noted before.
7. More tap dancing on desks, lots of desks.
8. Urologist takes note of my dancing. Sends a note to finance that this has now become a priority 1 submission. He has a bulls eye plastered on the finance guy who has been delaying the processing. Premera is waiting on it. They are all caught up on pre-auths for the week and would process it in 24-36 hrs after getting it.
Note: the gel pack has to be pre-authorized or they won’t pay for it. UW if they put it in with out pre-auth, they might have to eat the cost or attempt to have me pay for it. How much is it (gel, out patient surgery, etc. come to $8,000 and $10,000). Premera will pay for it if they pre-auth it.
So everyone, thank you for staying with me during all of this. I have a lot to go thru still. After the insertion, I have a Nov 28 date with the Radiology team for my CAT scan/MRI/Ultrasound. They will spend about 10-14 days on mapping things out on the computers, take density levels of my body, etc. Then they will start scheduling me for my ability to glow, for 8-9 weeks. Cost of the radiation is $11,000/month + set up fees. I have about $900 in out of pocket expenses and Premera will pick up the rest at $0 out of pocket. And my plan year start April 1…
I accept all types of prayers, thoughts, offerings to what ever G-D, gods, universe, nothing … I’m open, it all helps.
DBA