Guaranteed Healthcare

Hello, Thank you for the opportunity to tell my story. It's long, but I will try to keep it as short as possible. I know that your time is valuable & I appreciate your consideration.

Briefly, I am a 46-year old female in Indiana with a very long medical history, beginning at the age of 12 with my appendix rupturing & not getting taken to a doctor for 6 days. Beginning with that surgery I have had a total of 15 major surgeries, 4 of those dealt with the scar-tissue which resulted from my ruptured appendix & took all of my female organs. At the age of 24 I was already going through menopause. In 1999, at the age of 38 I became a colon cancer survivor, nearly dying from an infection caused by a nasal-gastric tube perforating my duodenum during surgery. I went in for 5 days to have the part of my colon containing the cancer removed, & 20 days & another surgery later (including 9 days in Critical Care), I was finally released. Two years later I again spent 21 days in the hospital, beginning as a mesh-repair of an incisional hernia & getting an infection from the mesh, again nearly dying & spending another 10 days in Critical Care & 6 days in Private Care due to an EV infection. Between those surgeries, I was let out of the hospital long enough to see my son get married.

I also have a history of migraines & hypo-thyroid-ism. I take 5 different prescriptions every day plus another 2 taken as-needed. Now, I have my own small business I run out of my home. This is due to not wanting to drive on several of the medications I take. I have, of course, been deemed "uninsurable" due to my prior surgical history, prior cancer history & current prescription medication use. Last June, 2006 I had a 16cm tumor removed from between my abdominal wall & skin. Luckily this tumor was benign. About 3 months later I began growing another tumor above the site of the first one, visible to the eye. Finally, on May 25, 2007 the general surgeon I have been seeing since 1999 decided that it was growing, getting into the muscle & time to come out. We scheduled surgery that day for July 5, 2007, & the nurse told me she would mail me the pre-op schedule.

On Friday, June 29, 2007 I received a letter from my surgeon's office requesting a 25% deposit, per office policy. This is the first time in 8 years that anyone has informed me of this policy. I have been making monthly payments during this entire time & they are quite aware of my uninsurable status. After a phone call on Monday, July 2 they are also aware that I cannot afford the down-payment & surgery was cancelled until I can come up with the money. I asked the girl handling accounts for the surgeon if they request a down-payment from insured patients, she replied no. When I asked her what I am to do if this is cancer, she stated that she would leave a note for the doctor.

To this day, I have yet to hear anything from him. No tests have been made to be sure this tumor is not cancerous. I am now experiencing similar symptoms in a couple of new areas on my abdomen & just yesterday discovered a tender spot in my right breast. Since it takes a down-payment, I do not know when I will be able to see the doctor next to have these new areas checked, and I fear what the results might be by delaying but am powerless to do anything about it. Last year, I also made $2000 above the income requirements for assistance from my local Volunteers in Medicine Chapter & do not qualify for Medicare/Medicaid because I am not permanently disabled. Any suggestions?