As Katherine’s symptoms (headache, nausea, stuffiness, and a general feeling of “something being wrong”) had been progressing (Dr. speak for getting worse) over the past three days, her doctors wormed to the idea of treating her for a fungal infection. Knowing well that a growth of either cancer or infection could be the cause of these stronger symptoms, her doctors (primary care here in Greenville, oncology at Duke, and radiology in Boston) felt the treatment of a fast growing infection to be more imperative and more immediately effective than treating with chemotherapy as if it where cancer.
This movement by her doctors (towards treating for infection) came to a head today, after the report came in from Greenville’s radiology department, of scans (CT and MRI) that we had gotten made last night. These scans where done in order to give the surgeon who would be doing Kate’s biopsy the “lay of the land” so she would know as much as she could before calling us up to Boston. But while these scans where being shipped off to Boston, Greenville’s radiology team read them and saw signs that suggested advancement of the disease. Upon being notified of these readings and of the advancement, her primary care dr. (with agreement from her oncologist and radiologist) started Kate on an anti-fungal medicine. She will continue to take the anti-fungal medicine while we await the biopsy.
In closing we are still no closer to knowing whether the mass is cancer or a fungal infection. The plan is still to await the biopsy to determine what it is and where to go from there, but at least, in the mean time; we are not just sitting on our hands.
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In realm of health care policy, the antifungal medication requires prior approval, while outpatient radiation does not. This is from private insurance, BCBS of NC. Fortunately, I was able to get the pharmacy to aggree to let me pay with a check for the first five days, a sizable sum, to get her started while we wait for the prior approval from insurance.
ReplyDeleteWe truly do have health care rationing now with our combination of private and public systems. And the rationing is based on more on political and economic factors than on efficacy, (probably stronger lobby from American Cancer Society than folks who have been harmed by delayed treatment for fungus.) And if our hope is correct, this is a fungus, a mom who can write the check give her daughter a five day start over the one that can't.
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ReplyDeleteIt is so wrong to deny a patient the possibility of improved health, all for want of a beaurocratic knot. Stuart and I, too, are hoping the problem is funus. Thanks for keeping us posted.
ReplyDeletekaren c
We love you and are keeping you both in our thoughts and prayers. Aunt Sandra and Uncle Dana
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, this has turned out to be cancer, although the final pathology report is not back yet. Kati has met with an oncology doctor that seems to know what he is doing. It appears she will be having some oral chemotherapy and some additional radiation in the coming weeks.
ReplyDeleteWhile the prognosis is not rosey, there is still a potential of a long term remission or even a cure. And most of the doctors feel this will at least buy her some quality time without too many side effects.
Thank you all for your love and support.