I love a good miracle!

Last Thursday we were able to get in to see the Radiation Oncologist at USC.  We scheduled the gamma knife for this past Tuesday.  We all felt extremely positive leaving the doctor’s office.  With this type of brain lesion they expect a 90% total success rate with the Gamma Knife.  I’ll take a 90% success rate anyday!  We didn’t have a timeline set up specifically on Tuesday so on Monday morning I called to find out what time they were expecting us.  The words that came out of the phone absolutely sent me through the roof!  “We’ve hit a glitch with the procedure.  Your insurance company has denied it.”  I’ve never been as fearful as I was in that moment.  For the next 24 hours we raised Hell with the insurance company.  Both of my oncologists vowed to make phone calls regarding the necessity of the procedure and it was GAME ON!  The nurses assured us they would hold our 1pm appointment time just in case a miracle happened. 

Around 715am Tuesday morning the phone rang.  It was my mom’s only ally at the insurance company (who had taken the day off the day before).  She said she got my message and the message mom had left for her and was returning our calls.  After we filled her in on what had transpired the first thing she said was “there must be some mistake.  Let me look into this and I’ll call you back”.  Within an hour we had the approval.

 I didn’t have any fear of the procedure (yes, it was a little unnerving that they were going to work on my brain on an outpatient basis…would you like fries with that?), I was most terrified of the pain when they had to screw the halo on me.  Amazingly, I honestly didn’t feel a thing.  They knocked me out for about 10 minutes and when I woke up there it was. 

Considering this procedure has a 90% success rate, I’m feeling very confident.  Far more confident with the procedure than I am with my Angels.  At least my doctor didn’t walk in the winning run last night.

By the way… I’ve got some fantastic pictures of the Gamma Knife Process and the doctors and nurses it took to make it happen.  I’ll get them posted eventually, but I don’t have access to them right now.  They are on my sister’s camera card and she took it with her…… to Europe.