Tragedy

I have an 87 year old friend who lives in Independence, Kansas . Her daughter, who is not working and is 60 years old has been to the Montgomery County Medical Clinic clinic....basically a free clinic. The daughter's name is Kristi. Kristi has felt bad for months and that's why she gave up her job last year. She has just recently been diagnosed with an ulcer. They have been treating the ulcer.

Last month her disability was approved and she was issued a medical card. Even with treating the ulcer, she has just felt terrible and is in constant pain. She hurts in every bone in her body. She was referred last Thursday to Dr. Patel in Independence to see about removing screws from her hip which was just killing her. She had been in a major auto accident in the past and had broken just about every bone in her body including the hip. Dr. Patel had a bone scan done and discovered that the screws were just fine but there was a large mass in her hip. There is also one in her brain and one in her back.

Her doctor in Independence wants her to go to Chicago to Northwestern, the medical center there, for treatment. Her brother lives in Chicago and six years ago when she had cancer of the soft tissue of the palate, she took experimental treatments there. That cancer is in remission. But she is such pain now that she can't stand to make the flight. An aunt volunteered to take her but she can't stand the 10 hour drive. She would simply like to know the prognosis so she can decide what she wants to do. If it's an inoperable and untreatable cancer, she wants to just be kept as comfortable as possible.

Here's the catch. She had been award her disability in June in the amount of $690. Then she had applied for SSI as well and that was to be $670. Yesterday she received a letter from the SRS office saying they were revoking her medical card as of July 1 because she was "making too much money".

I told Juanita, my 86 year old friend, about the cancer center here at CRMC in Coffeyville and I thought we had an oncologist on staff here. If we do, that oncologist might look at her test results (two MRI's ) and the bone scan and give her a prognosis. I know the administrator of that cancer center. Kristi would only be able to pay on a bill. Her daughter is at the SRS office today to try to get that decision reversed so she can get a medical card again and see a doctor and get treatment or at least a prognosis.

I just learned that she got that accomplished. I called my friend with the news that the cancer center would see her and read her tests. I don't know whether she has the strength to even come.

This is a terrible tragedy. Juanita has outlived three husbands and her elder daughter was murdered twenty years ago.. This is the surviving daughter. It looks like she may outlive her too.