My post-op doctor visit after my lumpectomy was May 21, and at 7 pm (after LA's rush hour), I started the drive to Colorado, planning to stay for a month and return for radiation in late June.
However, my radiation oncologist, Dr. Susan McCloskey, wants me to get the breast cancer genetic testing done before the radiation. There's a small chance I could have the BRCA 1 or 2 gene, in which case I would have a mastectomy instead of radiation.
They couldn't do the blood test on May 21 at the UCLA Breast Cancer Center in Santa Monica for several reasons:
Medicare has to approve it before the blood is drawn.
I already had a scheduled appointment for the genetic counseling and blood test on Friday, August 1, but my doctor said we need to get the results sooner. She asked her staff to try to get the Medicare approving done quickly and get my blood test date moved closer.
I asked her if I could just get this blood test done in Colorado. "They do have hospitals and clinics there," I said.
"Oh," she said. "It's not the third world! But I don't know if it could be arranged...."
I didn't like the idea of sitting around in Santa Monica waiting for all these things to happen, so I just hit the road with my two dogs.
On Friday afteroon, however, May 23, someone from UCLA called my home to report that they had had a cancellation and could give me an appointment for sometime in the next week. (Was Medicare approval already granted? I don't know.)
My husband picked up the phone and said, "No, she can't take an appointment for next week. She's in Colorado and won't be back until June 20." He emailed me to let me know about this.
I was driving across the Navajo Nation near Medicine Water when the email showed up on my cell phone. I didn't notice it, of course. I was trying to listen for phone calls and check text messages in between stopping to walk the dogs, but I sure wasn't checking email.
That night when I reached our second home near Telluride, I called John to tell him the dogs and I had arrived safely. He mentioned the phone call and the offer of an appointment next week for blood testing.
My heart sank. Just after doing the arduous drive with two dogs, was I going to have to turn around and drive back?
I knew the health center offices would be closed until after Memorial Day weekend. On Tuesday morning, I began phone calls trying to figure out whether the testing could be done in Colorado and whether I needed to drive back to California.
The answer was: drive back.
So the dogs and I are on the road again. We spent the night at Motel 6 in Flagstaff, and one of them peed on the motel room's floor.
Off I went to buy dog urine odor remover. I used my elect-Obama sweatshirt from 2008 as a cleaning rag.
And now we're about to hit the road again for my appointment Friday at 9 am.
After that, I will turn the car around and start back to Colorado. Maybe John will come with me and drive part of the way.
However, my radiation oncologist, Dr. Susan McCloskey, wants me to get the breast cancer genetic testing done before the radiation. There's a small chance I could have the BRCA 1 or 2 gene, in which case I would have a mastectomy instead of radiation.
They couldn't do the blood test on May 21 at the UCLA Breast Cancer Center in Santa Monica for several reasons:
Medicare has to approve it before the blood is drawn.
- Medicare has to approve it before the blood is drawn.
- You need an appointment for a full genetic counseling session along with the blood test.
- It has to be done with the proper kit (from Myriad Genetic Testing, the only place in the US that does BRCA genetic analysis).
- UCLA only does these tests for Medicare/Medicaid/Covered California patients on Fridays. (Persons with private insurance can get the test on Monday through Thursday).
I already had a scheduled appointment for the genetic counseling and blood test on Friday, August 1, but my doctor said we need to get the results sooner. She asked her staff to try to get the Medicare approving done quickly and get my blood test date moved closer.
I asked her if I could just get this blood test done in Colorado. "They do have hospitals and clinics there," I said.
"Oh," she said. "It's not the third world! But I don't know if it could be arranged...."
I didn't like the idea of sitting around in Santa Monica waiting for all these things to happen, so I just hit the road with my two dogs.
On Friday afteroon, however, May 23, someone from UCLA called my home to report that they had had a cancellation and could give me an appointment for sometime in the next week. (Was Medicare approval already granted? I don't know.)
My husband picked up the phone and said, "No, she can't take an appointment for next week. She's in Colorado and won't be back until June 20." He emailed me to let me know about this.
I was driving across the Navajo Nation near Medicine Water when the email showed up on my cell phone. I didn't notice it, of course. I was trying to listen for phone calls and check text messages in between stopping to walk the dogs, but I sure wasn't checking email.
That night when I reached our second home near Telluride, I called John to tell him the dogs and I had arrived safely. He mentioned the phone call and the offer of an appointment next week for blood testing.
My heart sank. Just after doing the arduous drive with two dogs, was I going to have to turn around and drive back?
I knew the health center offices would be closed until after Memorial Day weekend. On Tuesday morning, I began phone calls trying to figure out whether the testing could be done in Colorado and whether I needed to drive back to California.
The answer was: drive back.
So the dogs and I are on the road again. We spent the night at Motel 6 in Flagstaff, and one of them peed on the motel room's floor.
Off I went to buy dog urine odor remover. I used my elect-Obama sweatshirt from 2008 as a cleaning rag.
And now we're about to hit the road again for my appointment Friday at 9 am.
After that, I will turn the car around and start back to Colorado. Maybe John will come with me and drive part of the way.
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