Helping My Brother Paul
Donation protected
Hi! I am trying to raise some funds for my brother, Paul Schiff, who needs to undergo lung surgery this month. The funds would bridge the gap and pay his medical bills (out-of-pocket) while he is unable to generate income (he is self-employed).
Any help is greatly appreciated - no matter how small.
The Short Story
In the winter of 2017-18 my brother, Paul, had difficulty shaking a cold. He felt short of breath all the time and had intermittent pain in his ribs. Visits to his local doctor resulted in countless scans, X-rays, and multiple rounds of prescription antibiotics, none of which cleared up his symptoms. His doctor finally referred him to a pulmonologist in Denver, who repeated many of the same tests.
He was finally diagnosed with a congenital defect in one lung that repeatedly becomes infected. The only solution is to remove that part of his lung. Through the last year and a half in and out of doctors' offices and countless tests and scans, Paul has been racking up medical bills while simultaneously suffering from a reduction in income because of the limited time he has had available to run his own business.
He’ll be undergoing the much-needed surgery on April 26th, and will need a lengthy recovery afterward. During recovery he will not be able to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds, and will not be able to work. Paul is self-employed, and his medical bills for the surgery are yet to be determined. By the end of last year, Paul’s out of pocket medical bills for insurance and medical care had exceeded $14,000, and he estimates an additional $7000 in medical expenses will cover his maximum out of pocket for 2019. Paul is single, does not have sick time, vacation time, or disability insurance, and will not have an income for the duration of his recovery. Any help—even a modest $5—toward these bills would be greatly appreciated.
Why it’s important that Paul get this surgery now:
Despite being a relatively benign condition, the potential complications of pulmonary sequestration are serious and may include recurrent sepsis, hemoptysis, and congestive heart failure. Resection of the sequestrated lung is, therefore, the definitive treatment of choice once a diagnosis is made.
The Long Story
Paul Schiff is a resident of Breckenridge, Colorado, where he has lived a healthy life for the past 20 years. His story began in January 2018, when he began jogging with his dog at an elevation of 9,900 feet on a trail near his home. He felt a sharp stabbing pain in his left ribs during exercise and he knew something was wrong.
After undergoing testing for close to two months to rule out heart problems and to search for a cause of the rib pain, his local doctor ordered X-rays and eventually a CT scan w/o contrast revealed an unusual mass in his lung. His doctor thought he had pleural effusion and atypical pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics that did not clear up his lung condition. (A pleural effusion is excess fluid that accumulates in the pleural cavity, the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs. This excess fluid can impair breathing by limiting the expansion of the lungs.) During a follow up visit, with no change in his condition, his primary care physician referred him to see a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health.
Paul contacted Bright Health, the insurance provider he selected through Healthcare.gov, and was informed that if there were no pulmonologists in his area,he could see the one that his physician referred him to because there was nobody local. After waiting a month for the approval to go through to see the referral specialist, Paul began experiencing increasing shortness of breath and deteriorating lung capacity that limited his ability to walk his dog and work. Eventually, Bright Health denied his ability to see a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. After waiting approximately five weeks to see the specialist, they said he could only see one that was located in-network. Paul called the half dozen facilities and only one had an available opening before July. That facility is located in Longmont, Colorado.
In May, after meeting with the pulmonologist, and the radiologists at the hospital, it was decided that a lung biopsy should be conducted to determine if the mass was cancer. During the procedure, an artery was nicked with the needle and Paul lost a lot of blood that drained directly into his lungs. A chest tube was inserted to drain the blood and eventually he was discharged to return home. Thankfully, the biopsy results did not reveal cancer.
Paul returned to his pulmonologist in July after complaining of continued shortness of breath, and his lung revealed a recurrence of pleural effusion in an X-Ray. He was prescribed another round of antibiotics.
In September, Paul returned to his local doctor for a follow up and an X-Ray revealed that the mass in his lung was still present, although the pleural effusion was gone.
In November, Paul returned to his pulmonologist for another CT scan w/o contrast, which revealed that the pleural effusion was cleared up, but the mass in his lung was still present. Paul continued experiencing shortness of breath and a light cough and occasional left rib pain that came and went with irregularity.
At the close of 2018, Paul’s out of pocket medical bills for insurance and medical care exceeded $14,000. Paul elected to switch insurance providers from Bright Health to Anthem Blue Cross in the hope that he would have a better policy. On January 2nd, Paul contacted Anthem and forwarded the referral from his local doctor that he see a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health.
Paul was told that there were ZERO pulmonologists in his Mountain Network and that if he saw a pulmonologist, it would be out of network. After numerous phone calls to Anthem, Paul was told that his visits to National Jewish, though out of network, would be covered at in-network pricing. Immediately, Paul contacted National Jewish to set up an appointment to see a pulmonologist and was told that he would have to sign a waiver guaranteeing payment and that he was out of network with his health plan. After waiting 3 weeks, Paul was able to see a new pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. This doctor reviewed his medical records and imaging and said that she would forward them to her radiologists to see if they could identify what was wrong with his lung.
A week later, National Jewish ordered a CT-Scan with contrast to rule out a Pulmonary Sequestration. Anthem received the notice and waited several more weeks before denying the scan at the hospital, citing the $2500 cost as too high. Instead they approved it at a third-party facility in March of 2019. During the trip from his mountain home to the facility, an avalanche closed I-70 and Paul got stuck on the highway for 3 hours. He was able to reschedule the visit for the following week, but on the return trip, he was stuck on the highway for 4 hours for an accident due to the snowy conditions. His round trip for one CT scan took 13 hours to complete and he missed his follow up meeting with his pulmonologist to review the results.
Ten days later, the pulmonologist called to tell Paul that he was diagnosed with a rare congenital lung condition called Pulmonary Sequestration.
Pulmonary Sequestration - Definition
A pulmonary sequestration, also known as bronchopulmonary sequestration, is a cystic piece of abnormal lung tissue that doesn't function like normal lung tissue. Paul's sequestration is located within the lower part of one lung. The abnormal tissue can be microcystic, containing many small cysts, or macrocystic, containing several large cysts.
Pulmonary sequestrations vary in size and can change throughout. Experts do not know what causes one part of the lung to develop abnormally.
Pulmonary sequestrations are characterized by a blood vessel that comes directly from the aorta, the main artery. All pulmonary sequestrations should be surgically removed because the high blood flow through the tissue can cause heart failure
* * * * * * * * * *
Normally this lung defect is found at birth with a prenatal ultrasound that shows a mass in the chest of the fetus and then it is removed surgically after birth. In 1969 they did not do routine ultrasounds for pregnant mothers or they would have found the problem.
Paul’s pulmonologist scheduled a meeting with Paul and a Surgeon at the hospital, as well as additional Spirometry tests for April 8th and 9th. After meeting with the surgeon, it was determined that it was necessary to remove the mass from his lower lobe in a thoracic surgery and lobectomy scheduled for April 26th, 2019.
He will be hospitalized for 4-6 days and then need 4-6 weeks for recovery. During this recovery he will not be able to lift anything over 10 pounds and will not be able to work. Paul is self-employed. Medical bills for the surgery are not known. He estimates an additional $7000 in medical expenses will cover his Max Out of Pocket for 2019. Paul is single, does not have sick time, vacation time, or disability insurance and will not have an income for the duration of his recovery. It is not known if Paul can return home after the surgery, but it is expected that he will see an additional 10-15% reduction in lung capacity, depending on how much of his lung is removed.
Any help is greatly appreciated - no matter how small.
The Short Story
In the winter of 2017-18 my brother, Paul, had difficulty shaking a cold. He felt short of breath all the time and had intermittent pain in his ribs. Visits to his local doctor resulted in countless scans, X-rays, and multiple rounds of prescription antibiotics, none of which cleared up his symptoms. His doctor finally referred him to a pulmonologist in Denver, who repeated many of the same tests.
He was finally diagnosed with a congenital defect in one lung that repeatedly becomes infected. The only solution is to remove that part of his lung. Through the last year and a half in and out of doctors' offices and countless tests and scans, Paul has been racking up medical bills while simultaneously suffering from a reduction in income because of the limited time he has had available to run his own business.
He’ll be undergoing the much-needed surgery on April 26th, and will need a lengthy recovery afterward. During recovery he will not be able to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds, and will not be able to work. Paul is self-employed, and his medical bills for the surgery are yet to be determined. By the end of last year, Paul’s out of pocket medical bills for insurance and medical care had exceeded $14,000, and he estimates an additional $7000 in medical expenses will cover his maximum out of pocket for 2019. Paul is single, does not have sick time, vacation time, or disability insurance, and will not have an income for the duration of his recovery. Any help—even a modest $5—toward these bills would be greatly appreciated.
Why it’s important that Paul get this surgery now:
Despite being a relatively benign condition, the potential complications of pulmonary sequestration are serious and may include recurrent sepsis, hemoptysis, and congestive heart failure. Resection of the sequestrated lung is, therefore, the definitive treatment of choice once a diagnosis is made.
The Long Story
Paul Schiff is a resident of Breckenridge, Colorado, where he has lived a healthy life for the past 20 years. His story began in January 2018, when he began jogging with his dog at an elevation of 9,900 feet on a trail near his home. He felt a sharp stabbing pain in his left ribs during exercise and he knew something was wrong.
After undergoing testing for close to two months to rule out heart problems and to search for a cause of the rib pain, his local doctor ordered X-rays and eventually a CT scan w/o contrast revealed an unusual mass in his lung. His doctor thought he had pleural effusion and atypical pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics that did not clear up his lung condition. (A pleural effusion is excess fluid that accumulates in the pleural cavity, the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs. This excess fluid can impair breathing by limiting the expansion of the lungs.) During a follow up visit, with no change in his condition, his primary care physician referred him to see a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health.
Paul contacted Bright Health, the insurance provider he selected through Healthcare.gov, and was informed that if there were no pulmonologists in his area,he could see the one that his physician referred him to because there was nobody local. After waiting a month for the approval to go through to see the referral specialist, Paul began experiencing increasing shortness of breath and deteriorating lung capacity that limited his ability to walk his dog and work. Eventually, Bright Health denied his ability to see a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. After waiting approximately five weeks to see the specialist, they said he could only see one that was located in-network. Paul called the half dozen facilities and only one had an available opening before July. That facility is located in Longmont, Colorado.
In May, after meeting with the pulmonologist, and the radiologists at the hospital, it was decided that a lung biopsy should be conducted to determine if the mass was cancer. During the procedure, an artery was nicked with the needle and Paul lost a lot of blood that drained directly into his lungs. A chest tube was inserted to drain the blood and eventually he was discharged to return home. Thankfully, the biopsy results did not reveal cancer.
Paul returned to his pulmonologist in July after complaining of continued shortness of breath, and his lung revealed a recurrence of pleural effusion in an X-Ray. He was prescribed another round of antibiotics.
In September, Paul returned to his local doctor for a follow up and an X-Ray revealed that the mass in his lung was still present, although the pleural effusion was gone.
In November, Paul returned to his pulmonologist for another CT scan w/o contrast, which revealed that the pleural effusion was cleared up, but the mass in his lung was still present. Paul continued experiencing shortness of breath and a light cough and occasional left rib pain that came and went with irregularity.
At the close of 2018, Paul’s out of pocket medical bills for insurance and medical care exceeded $14,000. Paul elected to switch insurance providers from Bright Health to Anthem Blue Cross in the hope that he would have a better policy. On January 2nd, Paul contacted Anthem and forwarded the referral from his local doctor that he see a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health.
Paul was told that there were ZERO pulmonologists in his Mountain Network and that if he saw a pulmonologist, it would be out of network. After numerous phone calls to Anthem, Paul was told that his visits to National Jewish, though out of network, would be covered at in-network pricing. Immediately, Paul contacted National Jewish to set up an appointment to see a pulmonologist and was told that he would have to sign a waiver guaranteeing payment and that he was out of network with his health plan. After waiting 3 weeks, Paul was able to see a new pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. This doctor reviewed his medical records and imaging and said that she would forward them to her radiologists to see if they could identify what was wrong with his lung.
A week later, National Jewish ordered a CT-Scan with contrast to rule out a Pulmonary Sequestration. Anthem received the notice and waited several more weeks before denying the scan at the hospital, citing the $2500 cost as too high. Instead they approved it at a third-party facility in March of 2019. During the trip from his mountain home to the facility, an avalanche closed I-70 and Paul got stuck on the highway for 3 hours. He was able to reschedule the visit for the following week, but on the return trip, he was stuck on the highway for 4 hours for an accident due to the snowy conditions. His round trip for one CT scan took 13 hours to complete and he missed his follow up meeting with his pulmonologist to review the results.
Ten days later, the pulmonologist called to tell Paul that he was diagnosed with a rare congenital lung condition called Pulmonary Sequestration.
Pulmonary Sequestration - Definition
A pulmonary sequestration, also known as bronchopulmonary sequestration, is a cystic piece of abnormal lung tissue that doesn't function like normal lung tissue. Paul's sequestration is located within the lower part of one lung. The abnormal tissue can be microcystic, containing many small cysts, or macrocystic, containing several large cysts.
Pulmonary sequestrations vary in size and can change throughout. Experts do not know what causes one part of the lung to develop abnormally.
Pulmonary sequestrations are characterized by a blood vessel that comes directly from the aorta, the main artery. All pulmonary sequestrations should be surgically removed because the high blood flow through the tissue can cause heart failure
* * * * * * * * * *
Normally this lung defect is found at birth with a prenatal ultrasound that shows a mass in the chest of the fetus and then it is removed surgically after birth. In 1969 they did not do routine ultrasounds for pregnant mothers or they would have found the problem.
Paul’s pulmonologist scheduled a meeting with Paul and a Surgeon at the hospital, as well as additional Spirometry tests for April 8th and 9th. After meeting with the surgeon, it was determined that it was necessary to remove the mass from his lower lobe in a thoracic surgery and lobectomy scheduled for April 26th, 2019.
He will be hospitalized for 4-6 days and then need 4-6 weeks for recovery. During this recovery he will not be able to lift anything over 10 pounds and will not be able to work. Paul is self-employed. Medical bills for the surgery are not known. He estimates an additional $7000 in medical expenses will cover his Max Out of Pocket for 2019. Paul is single, does not have sick time, vacation time, or disability insurance and will not have an income for the duration of his recovery. It is not known if Paul can return home after the surgery, but it is expected that he will see an additional 10-15% reduction in lung capacity, depending on how much of his lung is removed.
Organizer and beneficiary
Brian Schiff
Organizer
Breckenridge, CO
Paul Schiff
Beneficiary
