Help Janelle with her Cancer Debt

My sister Janelle Wingate Buchanan’s life has changed dramatically when she was recently diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer and it all began last June 2019 when she discovered a lump in her right breast.  Then in November it was confirmed she in fact had breast cancer.  Since then it has been a financial struggle for her and to get the right care she has desperately needed.

On Dec. 27 she was treated for pleurisy and released. Then on January 24 she went back to the ER as she believed it was pleurisy again, only to be told it was  Osteomyelitis.  So they transported her from Beaumont ER to Memorial Hermann Houston for better treatment. After arriving and further testing, it was determined that her breast cancer had spread to her right lymph nodes with spots now on her liver. She now is diagnosed with osteomyelitis and stage 2 breast cancer.  During this hospital stay her insurance tells the hospital that she has maxed out her coverage and they need to hurry up and discharge her as they refuse to pay anymore of the hospital stay causing her to be be discharged on Feb 2. This leaves Janelle with her insurance maxed out and medical help she desperately needs for both treatments. Janelle is discharged with this additional diagnoses, and more mounting debt because her osteomyelitis treatment requires 2 months of IV treatments that the insurance now won’t cover. These weekly IV treatments cost her $1,000+ out of pocket, and the in home care & blood work required for treatment.

As Janelle attempts to get treatment for her cancer, the onset of the covid-19 pandemic has begun!  This pandemic has cause her to lose time in getting cured from this cancer and incurred many delays with getting treatment fast! Although her doctors have ordered her to have a liver biopsy, PET scan, etc, but the hospitals see this as elective procedures therefore these crucial procedures didn't happen anytime soon. 

Although she had applied for Medicaid for Breast and Cervical Cancer (it is a slow process), and now with COVID-19 pandemic, EVERYTHING including the doctor and hospital visits are very difficult. One of those challenges  that warrants mentioning was getting her liver biopsy done at Memorial Herman. Since Janelle's insurance did not want to cover anymore to include the biopsy, so she was forced to drop it and Medicaid was pending  approval. Her doctors urgently needed her to get a biopsy on the liver spots to confirm if the “puss” pockets are cancer. But this procedure would cost 20k+ she didn’t have. So her 3 doctors advocated for her to the hospital board of directors to defer a payment plan for 90 days and the board agreed.  Excited for the procedure, Janelle arrived the next day to have the procedure that was previously approved by the hospital board. However after showing up the hospital administration overrode the approval and denied her biopsy procedure. This was because they knew she didn’t have insurance nor could secure the money to pay the hospital for it even though they knew it was URGENT. This was devastating to believe Memorial Herman hospital could do such an act to deny such treatment!!!! Yes they turned her away!!! 

Then on March 3 a biopsy is performed on her breast and lymph nodes and is NOW diagnosed with stage 3 HERS2 invasive ductal carcinoma. Sadly, these delays (because of COVID-19) Janelle  has incurred many medical complications, challenges & was delayed URGENT treatment she so desperately needs.

March 17  finally met with oncologist to discuss a treatment plan for her as she now has stage 3 and both her liver spots & spine (osteomyelitis) are still very much a concern. The doctor is now concerned the osteomyelitis on her spine may be cancer.  After all these challenges, a few weeks later Janelle has her Medicaid insurance approved and they go forward with getting the biopsy done  on the liver and confirms the cancer has spread! These delays have cost her!!  Though this cancer is aggressive she has not given up on getting cancer treatment!

On April 17 Janelle finally received her first treatment of chemotherapy but this is just the beginning of her treatments as there is no cure for her as of today. With all these challenges Janelle has faced, she is still not out of the woods and has a long road ahead of her, as this will be a lifelong battle with stage IV breast cancer.

Janelle is unable to work as her health prohibits her and needs our support now more than ever.

Your generous donations will help her pay medical debt she incurred trying to get treatment not covered by the insurance prior to getting approved for Medicaid.

God bless you and thank you in advance for your generosity!

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. - I Peter 5:7