Going Back to Dr. Torti on July 22

On July 22, we were scheduled to go back and see Dr. Torti, although maybe Dr. T will cancel now that there is nothing to see him about.

He did, however, want to see the PET scan results HIMSELF, to see if he agreed with the radiologists' readings, but I'm sure he will agree. Maybe we will still have the meeting just so that he can tell us the plan for future checkups.

By the way, before Bill could get the PET scan, he had to sign a paper acknowledging the following bizarre thing:

PET scans cost SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS and Medicare will NOT pay for them, unless the doctor sends two letters. One letter says why the PET scan is needed, and the second letter explains the results and shows Medicare how the PET scan saved them money--for example, Bill would have had to have a surgical biopsy of the lymph node, etc., all of which would have cost much more than $6,000.

BUT, what Bill signed says that IF Dr. Torti were to MISS the deadline with the second letter, Bill agrees to pay the six thousand dollars out of his pocket.

HALP! SIX-THOUSAND-DOLLAR DEADLINE!

So in THAT department, it will be worth going to visit Dr. Torti and making sure he has written the letter!

Isn't that weird about that one test and that weird rule?

I'm all for Medicare being careful with its dollars, heaven knows! But to be THAT careful with one test, and to be so profligate with everything else. Mystery.

One can only imagine how much money Medicare lost with the Duke hospital fiasco lasagne--as in layer upon layer of stupid moves by the Dukesters--ending with an ambulance trip from here to Durham, three hour tour, because the Duke medical staff FORGOT the procedure for taking a person off intravenous nutrition water and putting them on cheeseburgers five minutes later. Good heavens. Imagine what THAT little adventure cost Medicare.

Medicare, if you're reading this: SEND SPIES TO THE DUKE HOSPITAL!

Anyway, we are just so happy here with the 90-day reprieve.

I'm calling it a cease-fire. Ah, the peace and quiet of it all!

Cancer free! (Until my friend JD used that term the other day, I hadn't realized that that is what he really is--cancer FREE!)

And in that one sense, he is better off than any of us. Because ONLY Bill knows, at least for now, that he has NO cancer anywhere in his body!

Can any of us be sure of that?

Well, he EARNED the right to know it, as my other friend GS pointed out, but I'm still a little bit jealous of such a nice piece of knowledge, myself being a hypochondriac.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!!!

Wild Willy and Diamon' Lil

PS As for the continuation of the blog, I am thinking I could update on the same day every week, like Sundays or something, so folks would know when to check, even though there might not be much to update about. Any other ideas appreciated. I kinda really like writing this blog, so I'll miss slowing down. But I'm glad there's no more drama to report for a while.....Unless Kim Jong-Il starts acting up......