"Praying for a Minnesota Heat Wave"

Friday, November 5, 2010 "Praying for a Minnesota Heat Wave"
It is November! Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday. I love the Thanksgiving meal that Patra prepares for lunch and then later that night, we have "squished" turkey sandwiches with worchestershire sauce. Can you tell I'm ready? It may be different this year because I am having a significant problem with my appetite -I have no appetite. That is really weird for me. I think I want something and when it touches my mouth, it turns to metal and that is the end of eating. The doctors have given me an "appetite enhancer" (hormone) but so far not a lot of success.

What makes the situation more interesting is that I am also retaining fluid so my weight is increasing rapidly. Wednesday I weighed 190 - it seems like only days ago, I wrote that I was down to 167. They have started me back on a diuretic to get rid of some of the fluid.

I've decided to be thankful all of November. Every day I try to think of some way God has blessed me over the years and then spend that day thanking Him for the specific way He has worked.

We really do solicit your prayers this next week as Patra, Adam and I travel to Minnesota for my consultation at the Mayo Clinic. We had a real answer to prayer this week and a confirmation that we are on the right path in going to Minnesota. When we got the appointment, I learned that the Mayo Clinic was "out of network" as far as my insurance plan was concerned. This meant that we would be personally responsible for all of the costs and expenses associated with my medical care and tests. My case manager at Moffitt worked with us as we tried everything we could think of to get coverage. Nothing worked. On Tuesday (November 2) of this week, I decided I would make my last pitch and I confess, I worked myself into quite a frenzied state as I prepared to make my case. A nice young man ("Jack") eventually answered (after I spent 20 minutes pushing every conceivable number on my phone to get a human being) and asked if he could help me. I started in.

After a short while, Jack interrupted me. "Mr. Bugg, I think you will be pleased to know that as of November 1, the Mayo Clinic is a network provider for your insurance plan." "Pleased?" Are you kidding me? I wanted to kiss Jack. I'm glad my conversation with him was recorded "for quality control purposes." I told Jack to immediately go and give himself a raise. While we were prepared to do "whatever it takes" to get this consultation, this certainly was good news. While we had made efforts to move up the appointment at Mayo when it initially seemed "far off," this important insurance issue was resolved 1 week before my appointment.

Sunday night was "Trunk or Treat" at Jenny and David's church. I had planned for weeks to attend. I went in the wheelchair and really enjoyed seeing my grandkids and also visiting with friends from many years ago. Jenny and David had a "booth/car trunk" handing out candy. Jenny's theme was from the movie "Up." She and Andrew and Megan dressed in character.

Dear God, thank you for everything you do and have done for me over the years. Give me an attitude of gratitude this entire month. Thank you for friends and family who are standing by me and who are praying for me. I pray that you would bless their lives. Father, give us a safe trip to Minnesota. Be with the doctors that I will see. May their knowledge and years of experience enable them to devise a plan of attack to counter this "nasty little disease." May your will be done. Give me strength to do whatever it is you want me to do - I pray that even now, I would be able to serve you, that somehow I might be a blessing to someone else. More than anything, I thank you for Jesus.

Until next Friday! God willing.
Bob