infections won’t go away

It irks me that insurance + Medicare will not pay for home health care unless there is a medical reason for a nursing visit. I would love to have a visit from homehealth caregive once per week or even biweekly to verify we are still doing good work. I have gotten aggrevated and frustrated by the “savings” I am giving to the company because I want to keep Mom at home and happy. I could place her in a nursing home and deplete my funds before they would start paying, so tell me, what am I pay them for? I presently take her to Dr visits and it is not easy getting her in and out of offices with our car. I take care of meals and medications, ect. We pay big bucks for her insurance and it will pay for hospital care and portions on her medication and that is it.

Minnie, infections seem to be a way of life with CC. My husband Tom has been hospitalized twice with severe infections during the past almost three years, one of which I was certain that we were going to lose him. However, with good antibotics he has always ‘pulled through’. Now they have him on Levequin which he takes every other day just to ward off infections.

Since he has an external drain tube, I am super careful when flushing the tube and changing the bandage because with the open wound and the tube going directly into his liver….well you get the picture.. Gloves, antiseptic, alcohol wipes, etc.

I don’t know that I would put my life on hold due to infections, CA has good hospitals and doctors as well. Just check with insurance to make sure that hospitals and docs in CA are in network and he then would want to hook up with a specialist in CA. He can have his records transferred out to CA for the time that you would be there. And when you come back home had any ‘new’ records transferred back so his doc’s back home know what transpired during the time he was gone.

I just re-read your post and am not so sure about what his doc said about the cancer causing the infection? I don’t believe that cancer can cause an infection.
1) Wash hand after using the bathroom…..many infections are caused by bacteria from your hands.
2) Sanatize, door handles, facuet handles, cupboard handles, Flush handle on toilets, etc. Lysol wipes work great for that
3) Get hand sanitizer and everyone coming into the home MUST sanatize their hands!
4) Clean, clean, clean the house, toilet, all surfaces in the house 1 to 2 times weekly. You would be amazed at how many germs are lurking around the house just waiting for a chance to go cause havoc on someone who has a supressed immune system.
5) If your hubby has a favorite chair that he always sits in, spray it with Lysol spray at least 1 -2 times a week

These are the things that we do in our household to help ward off infections for Tom.
Most people can fight off those nasty little germs, but a person with CC cannot combat them cause their body is already working to try and fight off the CC.

You also stated that your insurance would not pay for home health care? I work for a health insurance company and that does not seem right. Have you called our insurance company and questioned that? Home health care is a lot cheaper than being hospitalized. I would double check that.

In any case, your hubby has prayers coming his way from Wisconsin.

Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.

Margaret