
My wife and I just got home from Shreveport (9-19-11). I’m typing this up while it’s fresh in my mind as I won’t be able to post it until Wed. night or Thu. when my Internet is to be reconnected.
We met with Dr. Henry this morning; we were very pleased with him, nice guy with a good reputation and a lot of experience. As he was going over my history, I told him about my adventure with the VA and he responded saying “ah a hero!” and wrote hero, with underlines, on the bottom of his notes. I’m thinking ok I am a vet. and I was in Nam, but a hero? But if it makes him feel better, oh well. So we continue and he agrees that he WILL do the surgery and WILL implant an AMS LGT 700. He keeps saying how excited he is that I’ll be his 1st “hero” and repeats it a few times and keeps saying how he WILL be doing my surgery. I’m thinking, “If my Blue Cross approves it”.
Dr. Henry tells us that his Scheduling R.N. will call me in 3 or 4 days to set up the surgery date. I asked when they expected to get my insurance pre-approval (one of the main reasons I was there)? He responded that they wouldn’t be using my insurance, as I will qualify for “Project Hero” and the VA will cover it. He just got qualified for this program 2 months ago and I’ll be “his 1st”. It seems Project Hero is a pilot program that is being tested in 4 regions of the USA and we are in one of those regions. The VA is attempting to cut the backlog of specialty surgeries, so the VA has contracted with Humana Ins. to administer this program at a negotiated rate. If anyone is interested in more information go to the vet.gov web page and search project hero.
It looks like about this time next month I’ll be recovering OK, Y’all! and wondering, “why the heck did I do this?” I’m shooting for 10-19-11 (?), I don’t know about him but Wed. is his surgery day) as that’s the best for my wife’s work schedule but he may want to do it sooner (it seems weird to say that after being put off by the VA for so long). Wow, my Dr. of choice, surgery in the next few weeks, no insurance co-payment or deductibles, what more could an Ol’Guy ask for?
Have any of you guys been contacted by an AMS rep. pre-op? Dr. Henry gave me his name and phone # and said that if he didn’t call me in a few days to give him a call. Y’all think he’s gonn’a try to sell me some aluminum siding for my house or sumpen? I may be stupid and dumb but I aren’t no fool, anyway got this good ol’boy came through these parts a while ago and gave me a swell price to resurface my driveway. He done a good job and it looked gooooood! Till the 1st rain. Rain started and that boy was nowhere to be found, and nether was my driveway. Maybe he’s a gonn’a just want to sit and jaw about that pumpie, tubie, pointie thing that he wants me to buy from him, I ani’t gonn’a cut him loose ‘till I get a key ring, so he’d better prepared, I WANT MY KEY RING!!! (and maybe a sticker? Or best yet a super cool pattern for a LGX700 tattoo to across chest, that would way to cooooooool!
It’s getting late and I’m starting to feel a little loopie so will end for now.
I WILL keep y’all posted.
Ron
