Fundraiser - Light the Night

Hey there Friends and Family.  Help support those fighting Leukemia and other blood Cancers.  Rassie and I are participating in the Light the Night Walk.  (To learn More, go to www.lightthenight.org)  We have created our only little family team and we need your support!  Our personal team goal is to reach $200 by October 20th before the walk starts on October 22nd.  We have an swesome friend who is willing to help.  She has opened up a Scentsy Party online.  20% of the total sales (before tax and shipping) will be donated directly to our team fundraising page. ( Team Rassie's Fundraising Page or you can donate yourself on the fundraising page). 

The link provided below takes you directly to the Scentsy Party that was created for our Light the Night Fundraiser.

Light The Night Scentsy Fundraiser <- Click here
Thanks for any and all continued support.  Whether it be through donations or prayers.

Light the Night

I am excited to announce that Rassie and I will be participating in the Light the Night walk this year. And hopefully many more to come.
This is a great way for us to celebrate in Rassie's remission and to honor those who are still fighting against blood cancers.

You too can help.
Help to honor those lives already lost.
Help to give strength and encouragement to those still fighting.

Our local walk is October 22nd, 2011 in Austin, Texas.
There are two ways you can help in supporting our cause.
1) By Joining Team Rassie and walking with us.
2) By making a Donation on our Team page.

Thanks for your continued support in our Journey.

God Bless,
Amber & Rassie

All is Well

All is well with the "Rassie Family". I have been just awful in keeping up with the blog lately. I hope to be making entries more often.

In the meantime, Rassie is doing well. He had an early visit with this fellow. It will be his last. She is moving out of state and he will be under the care of a new fellow. Of course a staff doctor oversees his CML and that won't change. But all doctors have to start somewhere and his fellow has been just great through this entire ordeal.

We had a little scare this past month. It was a financial scare and not a health scare. Rassie lost his insurance. His employer finally decided the worker's comp case had been going on too long and they had to let him go. (mmhmm). So I immediately added him and the kids onto my insurance. Not thinking, I forgot to upgrade my coverage in the process. So when it came time to renew his Gleevec RX it was $500+ copay! Talk about a whopper! We immediately went to work getting assistance. There is no way we can afford an extra $500 a month. The hospital social worker has helped us take care of everything and through November we will have assistance with the copay. Come November I am upgrading our health insurance coverage and our copay will go back to the $50 a month. What a relief, right?

Onto the dreaded worker's comp. They really tick me off. They won't approve more therapy. They barely approved a new knee brace. And in the meantime, the one Rassie had keeps falling apart and has had to be sewn up several times. They're useless people who really get my blood boiling. His benefits are up in November and even though they're supposed to continue with medical coverage I doubt they will. We're already having so many problems.

For now, Rassie is a stay at home dad. He does such a great job taking care of the kids. And me, well I'm working at S&W in the cariology deptartment and I'm loving it so far.

Oh, stay tuned for the announcement of the Light the Night walk. Rassie and I are really wanting to participate this year and hoping to get a team together soon.

God Bless

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband. I true Hero and life long fighter. We Love you Daddy!

Update Update Update

I realize it has been way too long since I have blogged. Everyone that I have not talked to is probably wondering what is going on. There's lots of good and a little not so good.

Let's start with the good. First, Rassie is still considered to be in remission. His counts look great. He is a little low on the sodium and potassium side. But nothing that can't be easily taken care of. He is hanging in there and still fighting strong. He has finally encountered a side effect of the Gleevec. Rassie is retaining water. That was a simple fix and they have him on a water pill. It seems to be doing the trick. Even though Rassie does not care for the frequent bathroom visits. I guess it could be worse so we don't really complain.

Another good update. Rassie Ida making vast improvement with his legs. His right leg is the one that was still paralyzed from the knee down. He has been having lots of tingling sensations in it and delayed feeling. Some days can feel it slot and there is some pain. Other day he doesn't feel it near as much. Any feeling at all we consider "WOW" since there was no feeling before.

Ok, onto the bad. Rassie went back to the designated doctor for workers compensation. Although he is showing improvement at every single appointment this doctor labeled him at Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) and also labeled him 10% permanently disabled. They are also refusing anymore physical therapy for him. It's almost as if they do not want him to get better. I remember the day that the workers comp nurse case manager said he would never get out of a wheel chair. Well guess what, HE DID! I do not understand why people have to be such Debbie Downers and have no faith. In the meantime, he continue to be on workers comp for the next several months.

More bad news. Although Rassie is still on workers comp his employer has terminated him. They did it over the phone. They said he has been out too long and they can no longer hold his position. I really do understand that it has been a while since this whole thing started. But Rassie continues to show improvement and is still on workers comp. So how they can fire him beats the heck out of me.

We are meeting with a lawyer this coming week to see where we need to go from here. Hopefully he will get us headed in the right direction without breaking the bank.

In the middle of all this, Rassie has been a wonderful stay at home dad. He really loves being able to spend so much time with the kids. Not so much the cleaning part though. I am happy to say that I finally got off the midnight shift at 911. So no more 911 calls, no more dispatching and no more sleeping days. I really do love my sunshine. Instead I am working at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in the Cardiology Department. I have been training and testing for the last 3 weeks. I have my first day in Cardiology on Monday. Wish me luck.

Sorry it took so long for me to update on everything. Just know that we are all doing well. Thanks for your continued support and prayers.

God Bless

Amber, Rassie and the 2 Baby Munckins

Verdict of Benefits Review

I know I'm a little late, but.... Rassie won the Benefits Review. The findings from the designated doctor that the worker's comp insurance tricked Rassie into seeing were thrown out. In the mean time he is getting full benefits again and they have to back pay him.

The insurance should be setting up for Rassie to see the original designated doctor soon.

Everything seems to be going smooth.

Just Thinking...

Tonight as I sit here I think back to when this whole CML thing began. I just can not believe how fast time goes by. My sweet Lane was a few days short of being 2 months old when Rassie was first diagnosed. He is now a bouncy, sweet, loveable 18 month old! And little Miss Independent Scarlett, she is now 3!!! We have all grown together in someway and are truly Blessed. I am so Blessed that Rassie has responded well to the Gleevec. I am Blessed that he has lived as normal a life as possible without chemo or radiation. (aside from his injury/paralysis). God is Good without a doubt. I am just in awe of how far we have come and how strong my family truly is.

Lane

September 2009

Lane

February 2011

Scarlett

September 2009

Scarlett

January 2011

Ombudsman

Rassie and I met with the Ombudsman this past Thursday. We talked about the benefits review hearing. I am praying things go in our favor.

Our main concern is that the insurance company made false claims stating that Rassie had surgery pertaining to his accident. When in reality he had his tonsils out and that had nothing to do with the accident. The ombudsman said we will ask that the findings from the new designated doctor about Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) and his % of disability be thrown out. Then we will ask that Rassie see the original designated doctor. Based on what the original doctor says, will determine what benifits Rassie will be eligble for.
The insurance company has also been denying physical therpay treatment based on what was said. Their claim is that if he is permanently disabled he no longer neads treatment!

Next Thursday, February 17th, we have the benefits review hearing. I will update everyone then.

Benefits Hearing

So, Rassie has a benefits hearing Scheduled for the morning of February 17, 2011. Just trying to get everything settled with worker's comp.

The 3rd party doctor says Rassie has met MMI (maximum medical improvement) and labeled him 10% disabled. Worker's comp has decreased his weekly checks and will only pay him for a remaining 30 weeks.

Dr. F at Scott & White, disagrees. He has documented improvement at each appointment. And says that if Rassie works hard he will still fully recover.

Rassie is extremely determined to fully recover and go back to work in the oil field. He continues to do therapy on his own here at home. Worker's comp has not approved any more physical therapy at the hospital and I dont think they will in the future unless we win the benefits hearing.

I am praying that the benefits hearing goes in our favor. Worker's comp played a sneaky game by switching out the 3rd party doctor Rassie had been seeing just so they could get the answer they wanted. They don't want to have to pay anymore. But, they've been playing this game since day 1 when they tried to blame his paralysis on his CML. It was like they were trying to say getting hit in the back twice with a cable would not cause paralysis but luekemia would.

I am just ready for this all to be over with!

On another note, I'm adding a few pics. They're not the newest and most up to date but they'll do :)
The 1st is Rassie mowing the grass back in October! Practicing that physical therapy at home. And the 2nd is Rassie and the babies on Christmas Morning.

January

So, things seem to be going well around here. Rassie is still improving day after day since his accident. We've had a few bumps in the road with worker's comp but we are definitely work on it.

Zurich, the worker's comp insurance decided to pull a fast one on us. Rassie had to see a 3rd party doctor again for his 2nd opinion. The difference this time, they claimed the 3rd party doctor he had been seeing was not certified to see him because he had surgery. BIG LIE. Well, Rassie did have surgery, he had his tonsils out. But, it had NOTHING to do with the accident and therefore, worker's comp had no right to change doctors. Want to know why they changed doctors for their 2nd opinion? It's because they didn't agree with the original doctor. They were wanting a doctor who would say Rassie was permanently disabled so they could quit paying. We're in the middle of disputing this claim. The Dr. F and the physical therapist have both written letters disputing the 3rd party doctor's claim. Everytime Rassie goes in for an appointment he shows improvement. So there is no way he has met Maximum Medical Improvement (mmi) when he is still in the process of making improvements! Worker's comp is such a pain in my butt!

On another note, Rassie had an oncology appointment on January 4th. His numbers are still good. There was a slight increase though. The last time he had labs done his Abr was at .0007 and this time he was at .03. They said this was normal. That sometimes the levels vary and just to make sure he is taking his Gleevec at the same time everyday. (which he does) Other than that, there weren't really any concerns. Rassie goes back for the next follow up in 3 months. Same with the labs.

Everything else is going good. Rassie has been a great help being my Stay at Home Dad! I know he'd rather be out there in the world working but I also know he's enjoying the time spent with our 2 growing babies! Scarlett is pushing 3 at the end of this month and Lane will be 18 months. I cannot believe how time flies! Lane was only 2 months when Rassie was diagnosed with leukemia. We have come a LONG way!

And just so you all know, Rassie is the most wonderful husband. Today is my birthday and he has spoiled me with letting me sleep in, cake, lunch and dinner! Not to mention he's on diaper duty!!! HAHA I Love my Honey!

God Bless Everyone!