more drama....
After my last post in December I just coasted the rest of the year through Christmas and New Year and planned on hitting the ground running in January to file taxes, catch up on correspondence and get my studio set up to paint.  Those plans were dashed when Kenn and I got the "flu bug" that was an epidemic. Mine developed into a bad Sinus infection and I was sick over two weeks. During the illness I developed symptoms of dizziness, short periods of numbness and paralysis and weakness in the left hand and arm and a couple of times I could not lift my left eyebrow. All this began upon taking an antibiotic for the sinus infection and the side effects on the Rx indicated numbness, muscle weakness and dizziness. I quit the antibiotics thinking that they were the cause but the symptoms persisted a few times a day for another week and I went to my primary doctor on Monday this week to have it checked out.

He sent me right away to the emergency room. After many tests that day I was admitted to Northside Hospital and remained there until Thursday afternoon (yesterday). I had CT's, Xrays, blood work,  sonograms, you name it. The conclusion was that I had been experiencing mini stokes, or TIA's. These can be warnings that a stoke could happen soon. The sonogram of my right carotid artery in my right neck showed blockage of some kind which had been decreasing the blood flow to the brain. After blood thinners, anti clotting injections, aspirin, and cholesterol medicine, the symptoms ceased and I stayed in the hospital for observation. I'll have surgery next Friday the 1st to have my artery slit open and scraped out.

You would think that I'd be upset about yet another condition added to my long list but I'm just so thankful and am blessed that I had this warning and avoided a stroke! Looking back at the disappointment of my rib surgery being delayed and cancelled in November, I'm convinced of God's intervention in timing and of his protection. With the developing blockage, I could have had a major stroke during the major surgery on my rib tumors if it had been performed in November. These are my thoughts and not from doctors but I'm confident that I'm being protected and cared for by my heavenly father. I thank him constantly that my left side is now symptom free, I'm feeling good and will have surgery to fix the blockage. There will be no permanent damage from these mini strokes!

Thank all you facebook friends that have left words of encouragement and held up prayers for me and Kenn. We continue to ask you to pray for provision during this time as well. God has been faithful to provide all our needs and will be going forward. We have not gone without yet and all is due to you many wonderful folks who have supported us financially and allowed God to provide through your generosity, sacrifice and loving care. Kenn and I are so appreciative and humbled by your gifts. We will be forever changed by the abundant love.

time to reflect....

I've known the result of the independent review of my Humana Health Insurance denial for over a week now which was sooner than expected. I don't know if I was surprised that the denial was upheld. In fact, after reading the letter of the decision and sharing it with Kenn I just had no emotion at all and put the entire issue out of mind. I didn't want to write a post about it until I had time to process what I do think about it. To date I still have no emotion about it, just the assurance that this is God's timing and I don't have to think about it anymore. That is a great thing! All those appeals, letters and paperwork were just not fun. I will never regret doing my part in trying to right a wrong with the preexisting issue but am excepting defeat gracefully.

I have two months to get healthy again and prepare for the surgery in March. March 1 is when my policy has been in force for 12 months and Humana will cover any preexisting conditions. The delay will probably not effect the surgery in a significant way, but the denial of coverage for procedures done to date for the diagnosis of the rib tumors will remain. I continue to receive bills for various tests, images, and biopsies for the benign rib tumors but am having success receiving some financial help from some of the providers. The balances have all reached 90 days and the bill collectors are getting pushy. I've been pleased that most will work with us.

I'm always asked how I'm feeling. Until recently I have been feeling great but since my last little surgery on November 6 I've had some continuing physical discomforts as a result of antibiotics. In my last post I mentioned how several rounds of antibiotics over the last few months have caused me to have a candida yeast "overgrowth". This systemic condition continues and will for a while. Getting one's body back in balance with this is not a quick fix and the treatments always make you feel worse before feeling better. This is a result of “die off”of the yeast and the resulting toxins released into you system faster than you can eliminate them. So one has to pace oneself for a long and sometimes slow healing. The common symptoms that I'm experiencing are headaches, nausea, “fuzzy” head, trouble concentrating, fatigue, lack of motivation, depression, dizziness and drunk feeling. These symptoms are all debilitating and I'm having a difficult time doing anything more than what is absolutely necessary. My “to do” lists haunts me. The Christmas cards sit on the table, boxes are still not unpacked, thank you notes never written, no paintings on the easel and on and on. I have difficulty getting up at an early hour and have finally in just the last two days risen at a un-embarrassing hour. I only share this, so that those of you that have experienced a similar result from too many antibiotics can know that you are not alone or crazy. It is not in your head! Some docs don't have a clue. I know that I'll have to take more antibiotics with the next few surgeries but my current treatments for the yeast are to just try to keep it all in check as much as possible. Like I said I'll just have to eat a good diet and try to kill off as much yeast as possible. The symptoms should begin to taper off soon. I've dealt with this before a couple of times so have been down this road before, but just not to this degree. I'll leave it at that, I don't want to get on my candida yeast soap box! 

Thanks to you all for your continued support, prayers, an care for Kenn and I. If I don't post in the next 10 days, then I'll now wish you all a very blessed and wonderful Christmas!!!!!  

yeastie beasties....
All is going well except for some pesky fungi overgrowing in my whole system. Anyone that has had multiple doses of antibiotics can experience an overgrowth of the natural candida yeast normally found in our bodies. The antibiotics kill off the healthy bacteria in your gut that keeps the yeast in control. The overgrown yeast can get into your blood stream and cause all sorts of mischief. In my case I had begun feeling "sickish" since my minor out patient surgery on November 6. I was feeling irritable first ( to be expected ) and then I began having whooshing sounds in my head, rapid heart beat, drunk-like dizziness, headaches, and a complete brain fog along with some hives. I just felt pretty awful for a week and just hibernated in the house with absolutely no motivation to do anything except the necessary.

 I thought at first I was just recovering from the anesthesia and the fatigue of the long drawn out move. But then it dawned on me! I've had 4 rounds of antibiotics since May beginning with a root canal that I had that month. Then three more after my three surgeries ( lumpectomy, mastectomy, and nipple removal) with antibiotics after each. No wonder I had a yeast overgrowth!

I was glad that I could recognize this nasty condition due to having had to treat and eliminate the same problem in the early 80's. With helpful info online and getting some supplements and following the no-yeast diet, I have eliminated most of the uncomfortable symptoms in the last 4 days. I have to continue to avoid sugar and starches ( which feed the yeast ) as much as possible for a while and take some probiotics to replenish the healthy bacteria destroyed by the antibiotics. I have felt worse from this condition than any to date in my current health ordeal. Wouldn't you know that it was caused by the treatment of drugs making me sick!  But a necessary assault on my body, I suppose.

I've not heard from the Independent Review Organization reviewing my newest insurance appeal. I would hope to hear early but their time limit is up on Dec 14th. I'll just keep on waiting, but it is tiresome. At least I've had a chance to treat the yeast toxins and be in better health when the time comes. Also I'm so thankful for the time to recover and unpack from the move. This is also tiresome...... but we are settling into our new digs in Marietta and enjoying being close to family.

In the last appeal to the IRO I include images of my rib Hemangiomas. I took some camera shots of my CT scans from the Doctor's computer screen, uploaded them to my computer, and printed out hard copies to send along with other documents and letters. I'll share these images  below for you to see what I've been describing in previous posts. These CT images are viewed from below looking up toward my head so the right side of my body will appear on the left. They are "slices" of my mid section at different points along my chest.  The CT was taken in May of 2012.

 Posterior 7th right rib
 tumor
( lower left of chest wall
near spine )

Front right 5th rib tumor ( behind right breast )


I'll take a break on Thursday from my self-induced restriction on all things good to eat. Yum, pies and cake and the cornbread stuffing! My yeasties will love it but so will I. Happy Thanksgiving to you all and may you be blessed this season. 

if you haven't heard....
I'm not having the huge rib surgery tomorrow. I was not able to obtain an expedited independent review to appeal my continued denial of coverage for the rib tumors. The surgery was canceled and now we are waiting for up to 45 days ( standard review ) to get a decision from the IRO ( independent review organization ).

 I'm hoping and praying that a decision will come sooner and that if the ruling is overturned that my surgery could be scheduled before the end of the year. It would save us lots of money to get it in before January 1 because we have already met our max out of pocket for this year. You may think we are disappointed but after the move has worn us out we are relieved that we will have time to recover from the physical toll of this last month. I am having a minor procedure related to the breast cancer tomorrow in an outpatient surgery but will recover in a day or two and be back to normal. It will give us some time to unpack here in Marietta and get our life back in order.

The move took us longer than expected and it was just today ( Monday ) that we were finally able to hand over the keys to our landlord. We celebrated the day had FINALLY arrived! We really thought this day would never get here such was the difficulty of the move. We both walk with a limp, are stooped over a bit, have a few more gray hairs and constantly forget what day it is. Moving ages us old folks at least 3 years in a month.  Again, I state that we are glad that tomorrow is NOT my big surgery! God is watching out for us! His timing is always best.

I will keep you posted on the independent review. We appreciate all of you who have been so interested in how we are doing, praying for us, supporting us and loving us. We are humbled. 

letting go feels good....
Yes, letting go as in GARAGE SALE! Kenn and I just completed a two day garage/estate sale and God brought the people. We were amazed at how many people were believers. I gave away many Bibles, spiritual study books and Christian themed illustrations ( wouldn't think of selling but giving ). I loved giving away small illustrations that had been published in Mission's magazines for children for the Baptist Home Mission Board. I've been keeping all these for who knows what, and made many little children happy with some original art. I loved the little guy who wanted the picture of a family gathered around their dining room table reading the Bible. I asked him if he knew what they were doing. He said yes they are reading the Bible, "I love reading the Bible". It blessed my heart.

Wow, what a successful sale it was! We made enough to support us for a month during our time without income.We have been so blessed and learned so much during this month of moving and time of need. We will be much more ready to help and serve people in the future. So many folks have given of themselves physically, financially, prayerfully and just moral support and encouragement. We have Tom as our daily angel. He would be embarrassed to know that I am even sharing about him but I just have to. He is 80 and has been by our side for more than two weeks almost daily. His van has taken loads of stuff to Marietta and our Tucker storage unit more times than I can count. He and Kenn have loaded the things and Tom wears Kenn out! I think he runs on High Test Holy Spirit. I know he has the gift of service, there is no doubt about that.

So now we have until the end of the day on Wednesday, October 31 to have all things out of the rental house and much work is left to be done. A combination of moving some things to storage still to be sold or kept, and moving things to the end of the drive for trash pick up will keep us busy tomorrow. Then we will have the rest taken or picked up by non-profit org. and the rest to the dump. We may have to hire some junk removal service to do the final haul. We will be sooooo glad to be done. We are so physically tired and need a rest.

Due to some set back, I didn't get my review request for Humana sent out until Thursday evening. If I'm granted an expedited review I may hear something about my appeal on Monday or Tuesday. If not it will take 45 days to know if Humana will cover the upcoming rib surgery. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something, Thank you all for your prayers in this matter.

Going now to just lay back and take a breather. Later......

it's awful.....
It is truly awful that I have not posted in so long! After the awesome fund raiser at Rocco's I had been without internet for over a week, had doctor's appointments every day for a week and trying to move at the same time. I've been getting comments about what is going on with insurance appeals and how I am doing and such and thought I'd better grab a minute and update.

First of all I want to thank you all for your continued support both through your prayers and financial support. The fund raiser on the 13th was a huge success and we received a good amount toward our living expenses and doctor bills. We have also been receiving donations through our YouCaring.com site and many of you have contributed anonymously. So I thank you all so much! God is really providing through his people. A special thanks goes out to Debbie, Marie and Stan and many others for the time and devotion they put into the Rocco event. Bless you!

The move is going day by day. We have been at the Marietta location now for almost two weeks but have so much more to move out of the Tucker place before the end of October. Everyday it is back and forth, I've never seen our gas tank empty so fast! We have too much stuff to sort through with a cleaning business and my art studio added to all the personal things. What an ordeal it has been in the midst of the medical issues. I have not been able to lift so I have been little help with physically moving things. We have had much help with the move as well and couldn't do this without you!

After my first appeal to Humana for denying my claims they returned with a decision to cover the breast cancer but still hold to their original claim that the rib tumors are preexisting. I have been putting in more numerous hours in my second appeal to a third party review board to have that overturned in time to have my scheduled rib surgery on Nov. 6. I have been gathering letters from doctors/surgeons copies of CT scans, addendum to office notes, and a 5 page letter explaining that the offices notes from which their decision has been made are incorrect. It has taken hours again to do this but I think it will be all faxed to Humana tomorrow. Time is short until surgery but I am asking for a expedited decision. Please pray for this for if not approved I will cancel the surgery for now and that could be mean waiting until next March when it will be covered. The doctors all think this is not in my best interest.

This is all I have for now, must go to Tucker and move more stuff! Love to you all for your continued support and care for Kenn and I.

"dog sick and out of toilet paper".......
After yesterday's mail my life has been a country song.

*Humana letter arrived denying rib tumor claims, official now ( this was not a surprise )
*Expect that Nov 6 surgery be postponed until after March when it will be past the 12 months since policy began, no longer pre-existing and Humana will cover it.
*Hospital bills pouring in.
*Letter from Northside Hospital stating that my assistance application approved but finding out that it will not cover half of what I thought it would.
*$24 in bank account, $4 cash, 1/8 tank of gas, and eating beans, beans, and more beans.
*one roll of toilet paper left and my dog is sick.

With the dawn of this Saturday morn and overcast skies with a pounding headache I had lost my "peace" of mind. My "first thing in the morning" times with the Lord have not been consistent this week and I felt it. I hungrily met Him in my "place" with emotions intense and tears ready to spill. I never ask the question "where are You?" but more often "why do my plans have to be changed?".  Lord, I want to have things my way and everything run smoothly––please, no more surprises!

It shames me that money issues and provisions not apparent throw me more than facing death that I experienced three months ago. God has allowed us to be without money for a few days ( just a few days! ) to show me my heart and see that I still have a long way to go in completely trusting Him to provide and to fully yield to his timing and plans for me. I am comforted by this verse today:
Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the LORD", plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Today has developed much better––my dear brother deposited funds to cover some immediate needs, my dog is not sick after all, my headache is gone, I found some spaghetti sauce and made a carrot salad, I'm sorting bills and feeling better about the totals and found a box of kleenex just in case the last roll of toilet paper runs out.

I'm yielded to the "plan" and changes and trusting again that my Heavenly Father has my back and knows what is best in the long run. Peace has returned. Thank you, Lord for never forsaking those you own. 

Hebrews 13: 5-6 " Let your conduct be without covetousness, and be content with such things that you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you," so that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me. "

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