Pancreatic cancer in ICU

[Omaha Steve]

My friend was healthy 11 days ago. 3 kids at home. He has health insurance through work. Lifetime benefit max of 2 million. They are figuring how long they can afford for him to stay in ICU before they can't afford it anymore. The deductibles and co pays add up. After 10 days, they are considering a loan against his life insurance. It doesn't look good from any angle. And the Repubs think health shouldn't be changed. He is one btw.

[shadowknows69]

1. So sorry to hear this Steve

[spanone]

2. terrible

so sorry

[CountAllVotes]

3. oh my gawd Steve

I read about your friend last week. I thought of Andy S. I must admit. I didn't offer any good wishes etc. because I was thinking your friend might follow a similar path with pancreatic cancer.

Hang in there and your friend is lucky to have a person like you to be there for him and his family regardless of his political affiliation. I suspect he'll go out thinking a bit different perhaps. :grouphug: for all of you!

:kick:

[panader0]

4. I have zero insurance.

When my time comes, there will no hospital stay, no tests, no therapy. I wouldn't mind some pain killers. Any money I spend trying to prolong my life will destroy my kids inheritance. So sorry to hear about your friend.

[Donnachaidh]

5. He didn't have any signs of problems before 11 days ago?

Wow. My Mum died of that, and she had problems months before they finally diagnosed it correctly. They should check into hospice care. The bills in any hospital are OBSCENE period.

Look into ANY and all other options before taking loans out on life insurance. Seriously. I'm sure the stress and guilt of doing that isn't great for him,either.

Be strong for him. Thoughts and prayers here for all of you.

[MuseRider]

8. My Dad had it too

he said he felt a little bad off and on for a couple of months but that was it. Not bad enough to even stay home from work. One morning he woke up jaundiced and he was dead in 14 days.

Bad stuff. I agree, hospice care would be better any way you look at it and the family will find more help from them than the will the overworked ICU nurses.

[DFW]

27. So did mine.

He was playing tennis in January 2000 and someone said he looked a little jaundiced.
He was checked out and wham, pancreatic cancer. He fought it for 10 months, but it was
a losing battle. My mom called me in Germany and said it was time to fly back to America
to say good bye. He must have been running on fumes (or just waiting for me), because he
lasted long enough for me to get there, and passed away before I left. At least he died at
home with family surrounding him.

[MuseRider]

32. I am sorry.

That was so recent. My Dad died when I was 19 in 1973 so there was really nothing they could have done. I am actually glad he went so fast, it would have been harder I think to watch him suffer. I am glad you got to see him. My mother put the staff on strict notice that neither I or my brothers were allowed to see him. It was really hard.

He probably was waiting for you. I know my brother did. After 2 months at his side I finally made the decision to stop life support, he lingered all night. I left for 10 minutes and he started to go but did not die until I was there and he was in my arms. I know he waited.

I am now older than my father was and soon to be older than my mother got to be and outlived both my younger brothers.....yikes! Stay healthy DFW.

[Beacool]

20. Hospice is a good choice.

It is also a nicer place to spend one's last days, much better than a hospital.

[EFerrari]

6. With you guys, Steve.

:hug:

:grouphug:

[hlthe2b]

7. I went through similar with my very fully insured father....

two excellent policies on top of Medicare... It was still a raging nightmare... I'm sorry Omaha Steve. This is a National Tragedy and I am very ashamed that we let this happen.

[CountAllVotes]

11. same with my mom

she had Medicare and as supplemental policy. In the end, she needed private care and was not covered. Hospice was part of the picture, yes. They were also named in a addendum to her will executed a few weeks before she died while she was heavily medicated on morphine (what a nightmare!). :argh:

It was a hell. I paid the bills for her care from what savings she had left and the Catholic Church helped out too very luckily. There was not anyone else around to help it seemed.

Sure makes me wonder what the hell kind of a world we have become! People get sick and they have to exhaust their lifetime savings because of it only to end up dying penniless is the plan.

:dem:

[livetohike]

9. I'm so sorry Steve

:hug: My siblings and I are part of a study at John Hopkins Univ. for pancreatic cancer in families....we lost my Dad (age 80) and my Grandfather (when he was 79) to this horrible disease. Here is a link:

http://pathology.jhu.edu/pancreas/PartNFPTR.php

I hope your friends can find some help through here. There is a message board for cancer patients and their loved ones, too.

[flashl]

10. Sad. All the best to you, your friend, and family.

:grouphug:

[graywarrior]

12. Tragic and so scary.

I wish there was someway to help. It's bad enough worrying whether you're gonna make it, never mind how you're gona pay for it.

[cherokeeprogressive]

13. Please give my best to your friend. A childhood friend of mine has the same thing Tony Snow had.

When he found out Snow died (he didn't really even know who he was) he sunk to new lows as far as his depression is concerned.

He has no insurance. Got laid off for reasons his employer has yet to explain, AFTER he needed to take time off for chemo.

[cbayer]

14. He may be eligible for Medicaid.

In some states, once you reach a certain number on your medical bill, you become eligible for Medicaid. The hospital should know about this.

I am sorry about your friend.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. I am so sorry *hugs* I lost my MIL to that

[NewEnglandGirl]

16. I lost two close family members to PC

and one has it now. I know how awful it is and it tends to strike young. I am so sorry for how I know you are feeling. As others have said, I would look into Medicaid.

:hug:

We have to push really hard for National Health care.

[glitch]

17. My mom just died of it two months ago. For such a rare cancer it sure seems common.

Everybody seems to know someone close to them that's had it.

I have a horrific feeling it isn't going to be as rare as it used to be.

[shanti]

23. it's cancer, period.

whenever i know someone who's just been diagnosed with a disease, invariably it's cancer. i know very few people who haven't had some kind of cancer.

[glitch]

30. Sure, but some cancers that used to be rare don't seem so any longer.

Cancers that attack the digestive system seem to be on the rise. I think the rise of certain types of cancer is something to watch, as well as the rise in incidents in all cancers.

[daleo]

18. Pancreatic cancer is bad

A brother-in-law in his 40's lasted about 4 months from diagnosis to funeral. From my reading, that's about the norm.

I am in Canada, so he got health care through the province of Ontario. It was still hard for the family, but money was never an issue.

[The Doctor.]

19. I'm so sorry. Let him know that people on DU are praying for him, it can't hurt...

Heck, maybe he'll be amused, and that's good too.

There's an especially sore spot for pancreatic cancer among a lot of us here.

[Beacool]

21. I am so sorry for your friend and his family.

Pancreatic cancer has such a poor prognosis. It sucks!!!

I don't know, I'm just sooooooo sick of people getting cancer. A friend of mine had a mastectomy a few weeks ago. My boss just came back today after surgery for uterine cancer.

Then one hears about other people like Tony Snow, Teddy Kennedy, Elizabeth Edwards and so many others.

I HATE that disease!!!!!!!

:mad:

I just had a mammogram and for the first time they called me back to go back and get an ultrasound for a better reading. Everybody tells me not to worry, that it's very common. But in the back of my mind I keep thinking, what if they do find something?

:scared:

[Breeze54]

22. Wow! That's terrible. You're in my thoughts, Steve.

:hug:

[diva77]

24. so sorry. at least visit www.pancan.org They might be able to offer help

[Omaha Steve]

25. He called in sick and went to the doctor on July 3rd.

On the 4th of July, he had emergency surgery. He has two separate tumors they couldn't remove. Thank you all for the kind words.

[DFW]

28. My dad had the same thing.

There is an operation called the Whipple, but it only has a chance if it is
done in time, and pancreatic cancer is silent, it has almost always caused
fatal damage before it was detected. My dad's tumor was inoperable, too. The
operation was done in April, and he lasted until the end of November (diagnosed
in January), which was no mean feat in itself.

[LeftishBrit]

26. OMG that is so horrible. I am so sorry.

Wish I could offer helpful advice, but being British I don't know your system well enough. Are there cancer charities that could help? Not that one should have to rely on charities for basic human rights.

[DailyGrind51]

29. I had three malignancies removed, two from the inside of my spine,

yet, I am in constant fear of one day having pancreatic or liver cancer, neither with promising outcomes.

[wryter2000]

31. I'm so sorry

My daughter-in-law died of that 4 months to the day after she'd been diagnosed. It's a really bad one. My thoughts are with your friend and his family.