My Last Day

Well today May 27th, 2016 was my last day at Sacred Heart Hospital.

As much I would want to say that everything ran smoothly like it always does, but my Port has decided to be fussy today, either because of scar tissues or because my nurses were kind of hitting the wall of the port or just because this was my last day here that it wanted to be troubled.

After the much delay due to the Port, I was able to start my infusion with my port. One of the Radiology nurse that came up to examine my port kind of pressed down around my port and didn't feel anything out of the ordinary although she never seen me or have had me as a patient.

But Radiology/Oncology are the experts of ports, so we had decided to give another saline flush a try after waiting awhile and at that point I hadn't notice any discomfort like I was having earlier, she didn't see anything while doing the small saline flush. But since I didn't feel any discomfort when she had pressed down and Saline flush was going in that we wonder if the needle got a little lodge in a space where it's more dense that where it should ordinary be.

I have a 15 year old port so I have an old version of a port that probably most people don't even have anymore so that space of the wall where its more denser could have very well had been the issue for the difficult access.

We tried a few minutes with IV saline and no discomfort had came, so we decided to make the jump and start my infusion. I did start much much later than usual and kind of slowly gradually bumped my rate.

So while my port doesn't show anything weird in appearance and it doesn't feel weird other than it's sore from all the poking. It look just fine and normal.

So in retrospect of doing a minor goodbye, I had called my dad to come and be here when we were trying to figure out the next step after I had finally got access got great blood return but was feeling that discomfort. He brought in CAKE!!!

While on the phone with my aunt the other day to wish her a happy birthday, I told her that I really wanted to bring in a cake for everyone on Short stay but I didn't think there was no way to get it ordered and ready in time, but my sneaky Dad actually overheard my conversation and put in the order right away.

I had made some business cards for everyone to take and to keep in touch with me, and made a Thank You card (which I did not take a photo of, but in all honestly I made it so last minute). So overall it was a day of goodbyes, but I hope that one day that I can return to Sacred Heart.

But I do plan to drop by every once in awhile just because these are people that have known me for years so I can't possibly just not stop by, I do it with my High school because some of my former teachers still works there and they were teachers that were really like touched by me as a young teenage girl.

So after all that been said and done today, it's sad that I have to go somewhere else because of my insurance. But I'm glad to have known every single one of the nurses on short stay for the past 5 years.

So until next time everyone!

Transition

Well for the first time in 17/18 years, I am forced to make an sudden transition.

And no it's not about Sub-Q, it's actually about where I go to do my infusion . . . In April I've gotten a letter from both my insurance and my hospital saying that they are reviewing their contract and the decision wouldn't be made until the 30th of April. However I only had one infusion in the month of April, so May was of concern because I have two.

Well after I had my first infusion of May, I get a letter from the hospital saying that my insurance and them have terminate their contract with one another. What that meant was that anytime after May that everything will be out of network.

Now in late April, I did tour another facility that was in network with my insurance (for now) and my dad and I had to reach out to them about me coming in for my first infusion in June, since I already have my appointment for my next infusion set-up at the hospital later this May and according to my Mom (who I'm under insurance with her) Human Resources said that we're covered for the month of May.

But now everything is needed in order for this other facility to be prepare for me in June, luckily I only have one infusion that month as well. It's unfair to myself and to other patients and employees even that they now have to seek out another place, seek out another doctor that is in-network.

We're working hard on making sure that the other facility has everything they need in order to take care of me during my infusion and that they have all the supplies for my infusion(s), since I'll be going there from June to the Future.

Usually I'm a very positive person but when it comes with insurance, there's too many WRONG things that they do that doesn't help me or to anyone for that matters. Even my Cousin who works for United Health, hates the system. He had more than one incident trips to the ER or Urgent Care and get Billed for so much when really he had one or two things that he needed but they billed him for many tiny things like just going to the ER/Urgent care. He even posted a youtube video about what the bill really is when you go to the hospital just to have your child.

I'm attaching the youtube video in case anyone is curious

I'm sure my Transition will go smoothly but I'm leaving a family that's been my family for 17 years, I won't see this family maybe for a year, two years or maybe forever. I'm sure I'll go through another transition again later down the road, but it's just hard.

It's hard to say goodbye.

I'm working hard to make my last day with them memorable and giving them a way to keep in touch with me because I know I've touch their lives in one way or another, I'm someone that they'll never forget.  I hope that maybe one day I can go back there, but it clearly unknown if I can or not.