
12mm Kidney Stone Removal via Lithotripsy
Donation protected
(Short) Hello my name is Jennifer and I need help funding a medical procedure to remove a 12mm kidney stone and possibly biopsy an "unknown mass" in my husband's left kidney. I was able to pay to get him seen using "Peace Health Financial Assistance" and get his scans, tests, and xrays covered using "Charity Care", paying what we could with borrowed $ and creditcards. But Urologists are not covered by or included in financial assistance or charity care coverage for low income no insurance patients and we are at a financial dead end....
(Long) Over 6 months now my husband has been in pain. His work does not have enough people to have insurance provided and we do not make enough money to pay the bills and have insurance payments. Our daughter thankfully is covered fully through the state but we are not. We havent had insurance in almost 3 years since i lost mine when I had our child and could no longer work.
We borrowed $200 for an initial doctor visit. Then after tests, & xrays, ultrasounds, costing all well over $3k we were referred to a Urologist whos first visit was $300. We used a credit card bc he hurts so bad we had no choice. They told us the last doctors analysis of the scans months ago was wrong. That there are stones on both sides and an unknown mass on the left. But, when they said all passable size and sent us home with a urinary widener, it is no wonder nothing happened. He said the stone is over 12mm wide!!! Months have passed his pain is horrible at work, he does physical labor and jostling it around hurts. Every where we go he isnt himself, his pain makes him short attention, and short tempered.
What he needs desperately is to do Lithotripsy treatments, which uses waves to break the stone up from the outside without cutting him open! I talked with billing and they said there are no assistance programs offered for specialists and they can get us in ASAP but Lithotripsy will cost $7000 at the time of the appointment!! (Edit: I found a loop hole lowering it to $2k and have soonest appt set to break it up.) Then there are follow up appointments, some more xrays, and if needed another lithotripsy and biopsy of the mass in his kidney is optional if we can afford it. Now i am afraid his kidneys are in danger of infection or worse it has been over 6months of pain. Lithotripsy is the cheaper option compared to surgery and bed time in the hospital. I do not know what else to do, this is my hail Mary. He does not know I am doing this but I will try anything to help him, we love him so much and watching him writhe in pain every day is heartbreaking.
Thank you for taking time out of your day.
(Long) Over 6 months now my husband has been in pain. His work does not have enough people to have insurance provided and we do not make enough money to pay the bills and have insurance payments. Our daughter thankfully is covered fully through the state but we are not. We havent had insurance in almost 3 years since i lost mine when I had our child and could no longer work.
We borrowed $200 for an initial doctor visit. Then after tests, & xrays, ultrasounds, costing all well over $3k we were referred to a Urologist whos first visit was $300. We used a credit card bc he hurts so bad we had no choice. They told us the last doctors analysis of the scans months ago was wrong. That there are stones on both sides and an unknown mass on the left. But, when they said all passable size and sent us home with a urinary widener, it is no wonder nothing happened. He said the stone is over 12mm wide!!! Months have passed his pain is horrible at work, he does physical labor and jostling it around hurts. Every where we go he isnt himself, his pain makes him short attention, and short tempered.
What he needs desperately is to do Lithotripsy treatments, which uses waves to break the stone up from the outside without cutting him open! I talked with billing and they said there are no assistance programs offered for specialists and they can get us in ASAP but Lithotripsy will cost $7000 at the time of the appointment!! (Edit: I found a loop hole lowering it to $2k and have soonest appt set to break it up.) Then there are follow up appointments, some more xrays, and if needed another lithotripsy and biopsy of the mass in his kidney is optional if we can afford it. Now i am afraid his kidneys are in danger of infection or worse it has been over 6months of pain. Lithotripsy is the cheaper option compared to surgery and bed time in the hospital. I do not know what else to do, this is my hail Mary. He does not know I am doing this but I will try anything to help him, we love him so much and watching him writhe in pain every day is heartbreaking.
Thank you for taking time out of your day.
Organizer
Jennifer Lyseng
Organizer
Bellingham, WA