Epo...

Before I start my rambling I have to say that our Canadian Health care system has worked in our favour over and over and over again. The services and supplies we get are top notch and I am so thankful that our government supplies everything we need and more for Kourtney.

Unfortunately though most of the services we have received have not been approved with out many phone calls, letters and sometimes even pictures of Kourtney, attempting to prove that Kourtney warrants the services that are rendered. We have faced these challenges over the years with medication, dressing supplies and also home care. There have been many phone calls back and forth to Victoria attempting to be "heard". We have learned over the years that red tape is a natural part of receiving services, products and medications that Kourtney needs. Once again we are in the middle of the battle and feeling a little frustrated by all of this.

As you all know we have been battling severe anemia issues with Kourtney for over a year. Kourtney's hemoglobin, although higher than before, still was not coming up despite the iron infusions. It was a bit puzzling for everyone that she wasn't responding to the iron like she was supposed to. The AH! HA! moment arrived for the hematologist when her blood work from December 08 finally showed up on his desk after sitting on someone 's desk for 9 months. Kourtney's EPO levels were very low so her production of red blood cells was at a halt. Finally, an answer to the very life altering problem, but down deep I knew that this was the start of another long drawn out process that we had faced many times. The hematologist told us he would look after getting the medication for Kourtney, and all I could think in my head was, "good luck with that". He was going to get Kourtney on it the next week, and I was a little leary that this could happen so quickly. Sure enough, a week later, there was a long answering machine message from a very tired hematologist. He had worked long and hard to get the medication for Kourtney. You have to understand that hematologists are highly specialized and there are only a few in North America. He was treated like a peon by someone sitting at a computer telling him that Epo is not an eligible benefit through Pharmacare.

I really hoped that Dr. Davis would have broken through, but nope . . . off to Plan B. Plan B takes many phone calls, hearing many no's, but pressing on despite the rejection. I spent 2.5 hours on the phone attempting to talk to someone who could help me, with no avail. I then called my trusty MLA and right away the ball started rolling to get approval for this medication.

Then I talked to Dr. Davis and we finalized our game plan and by the end of this week Kourtney will hopefully receive her first dose of EPO.

If Kourtney was in kidney failure, she would qualify. Dr. Davis joked with me and told me he could put her on some meds that would make her blood work look like she was in kidney failure, but then he would have to get approval for those meds. He has a dry of a sense of humour but I totally appreciated his willingness to work with me on this one. As a nurse I have worked with many doctors over the years and know how rare Dr. Davis and Dr. Courtemanche are for going above and beyond for Kourtney.

So . . . I am asking you if you have time send up a prayer for this situation . . . it will drastically change how Kourtney is feeling.