There’s a joke in my family (and friends) that I can never do anything easily. Whether it be my organization tactics, my food preferences, you name it, complicated seems to be my path. I like to say I know what I want. I’ll do what I can to get there, no matter the winding, bumpy road. However, when it comes to my health, it’s not exactly a choice I would’ve made, so here I am, navigating as best as I can with the crappy map I’ve been given!

After my insurance was denied at Baylor Hospital, I applied for a transplant at a hospital nearby that has been ranked as one of the top hospital systems in North Texas. When I met with the team, I had high hopes that I would be a great candidate for them! However, they rejected me and I was shocked at how quickly they did so. They told me they didn’t approve of me being on a certain medication for my heart, but they also kept stressing that I was “high risk”. The PA going over my history kept dismissing me saying, “they’re going to say no… I’m telling you, they aren’t going to accept you…I see this all the time, they’ll say no.” It felt as if she wasn’t even going to give it a chance. I asked her to respectfully submit my information to the committee and let THEM decide. She did, and the reply was a loud rejection due to me being a “high risk” patient. They even told me that because I was high risk, I wouldn’t even be able to reapply in the future. You know what I heard? I heard, “You aren’t worth it, so piss off!”

Yes, I am pissed, but it has also opened my naive eyes to realize that sometimes hospitals are not always about saving our lives, they are also a business. I’ve heard many conspiracy theories from bitter people who don’t get approved for procedures due to one reason or another, but this situation proved to me that some hospitals/doctors keep their ratings high because they only accept “easy” cases. If that’s the case, I may be better off going to a hospital that has stronger (possibly better?) doctors willing to push the boundaries with patients like me! I’ve always believed there’s a reason for everything and maybe it’s meant to be that I don’t go there!

So, I went back to the drawing board, researched which insurance plans Baylor DOES accept, and reapplied for new insurance. I submitted that info to the Baylor transplant team today, so hopefully I’ll hear back from them soon with good news! I’ve been with their doctors for more than 15 years now and I know they will fight for me. Here’s hoping that this newly laid out map finally leads to my destination!

Link to donate – TBD

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Things I’m thankful for today:

1.  My mom recently found out that she had THREE blood clots that caused her to be in a lot of pain. I’m extremely thankful that she was able to get to the hospital in time to be treated before it led to something fatal! She’s doing much better and her pain has decreased…glad to have my mommy back. 🙂

2. My cardiologist ordered me to go through what is called “Flow therapy” that is supposed to help the vessels in my heart grow stronger. It involves hooking up to a machine with pumps (like blood pressure pumps) strapped to my legs and hips that pulse strong pressure to your heartbeat, helping the heart pump the blood more successfully. It’s not pleasant, but I can already tell a difference in my energy! I am no longer exhausted after dialysis and I’m able to do more on my non-dialysis days!

3. Oversized sweatshirts, soft blankets, and oatmeal…have helped make these last few weeks of cold weather nice and cozy.