Jim PLUS- Your opinions do count!!

From: Jean (creative@enter.net)
Thu Mar 8 18:49:44 2001


After much consideration I felt the need to write this.

No-one is mistaken or reading "Sue" wrong at Dr. Redan's office.....that is how sue is!!! She did not just have a bad day, believe me. You will not get any straight answers from her, and if money is a concern you will have need for concern. Sue will not work with you and / or your insurance company.....I have definitely had that experience. She doesn't care if the insurance pays "anything" or not, she will just bill you for the remainder. Pre-payment is not necessarily your "total bill", it is just what it says, "pre-payment" (like a down payment). If your insurance doesn't pay at all or what is "acceptable" they can and probably will bill you for the rest. You will not get any answers on a final bill until "after" surgery and hope that you can afford it "after" it is too late.

I'm sorry, but these money factors have been my greatest fears.....and yes, I do care about my health and have gone much longer between surgeries than allot of others I have seen on here. I did not have the "perfect" doctors but apparently not that bad either, since I went 3 yrs. twice, 1 yr. once, and "12 years" this last time in-between my ARD surgeries. I didn't have to sacrifice everything I own to do it. I think it is very un-fair to think everyone should be obligated to do that, or else they are sacrificing the "only good care there is". It's like the sick don't deserve anything, not bad enough they have no guarantees on health even if they sacrifice everything.

This is suppose to be a "Support Group"! You "should" be aloud to ask questions, post experiences and voice your individual opinions without being afraid you are saying something wrong or of someone disagreeing with you to the point of "lashing out" at you! You should be able to post if your results were good OR bad with a surgery, whether going to Scranton or wherever!!

This is not Dr. Redan and Dr. Reich's web-site is it??? I thought it was for anyone with ARD. I think it is nice to try to help people get info. on doctors etc., but not to be put down if they differ in opinions on matters or even doctors. Everyone has a right to their individual opinions and concerns and should be respected for that. There is no "perfect" doctor or human being, and no-one can make that assumption for you. Everyone is indispensible and human, no-one is Godly by any means.

We all have choices to make and no-one knows if we will make the right ones, only pray for the best. The "best" is??...no-one really knows yet! Nothing has been proven to be more effective than another long term or even indefinitely where adhesions are concerned. There are good & bad results with every technique and every doctor. How do we know if a "thorough" clean-up is the best or if the "least amount of touching" is best??? If we knew all of this adhesions wouldn't be such a problem. It seems to me it is pretty much trial & error.

Yes, I do think less of an incision would mean less chance of adhesions, since surgery(hence-cutting)is the main cause of adhesions in the first place. There are many doctors who have performed laproscopic procedures for many years. There are also some cases (esp. following many abdominal surgeries & lots of scar tissue) in which laproscopy could be more dangerous than a laparotomy. There are pros and cons to everything and every procedure, but one thing's for sure....NO guarantees! There are allot of un-sympathetic doctors out there, believe me I know from experience. I am sure there are more than one or two who truely care and are good though, we just have to find them.

I am not saying Scranton isn't good at what they do and they definitely are nice enough (except Miss. Sue), but Scranton does need to financially get with the times! They would not sacrifice everything they own, and they do get paid good money for caring about you and doing a thorough job. I would think they would want to be noted for the good job they do and their bed-side manner while accepting most major insurances. This would truely give them an edge on the other doctors. I am sure "more" doctors would have much better bed-side manners and adopt newer and more time-consuming operations if they also could get whatever they want to charge a patient, with no regards to insurances or patients cost! This is not practical though, and only the rich could ever get help and be healthy. Most doctors know this and took an oath to help "all" who suffer, not just the wealthy.

I am writing this with hopes of improving this support group, not to create a war!

Hopefully still a friend to all of my ARD buddies. Let's stick together wherever we go or what-ever the situation or viewpoint!! JEAN (from PA)

At Thu, 8 Mar 2001, Christine Mclain wrote: >
>Jim, I really wanted to respond. I do not think you are being scammed. I
>feel if anyone can help us be pain free it would be Dr.R&R, everyone heals
>differently so what help one will not help the other. As far as the
>insurance girl, and what she said I would say we all human and sometimes say
>things that come out the wrong way without thinking. I feel as long as you
>can except the fact that the surgery might not help, or help for a period of
>time. As you know anytime you have surgery there is a risk that adhesions
>will come back. I will honestly say if I had the money and did not live so
>far away I will be seeing them. I would keep an open mind and whatever you
>decided is best for you .........
>
>chris


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