Sammie's Surgery

[Tambrey]

it is a quarter after 2 in the morning and we are just getting home...

We left at 8:00 this morning to take Sammie in again for observations and possible recommendation for surgery...then went to Omaha (2 hour drive south) for an educational consult for my son...

We got back into town around 3:00, picked up Sammie and headed back towards Ames, IA to Iowa State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital...a 4 hour drive one way...
got there a little after 7:00 and Sammie was checked and admitted and scheduled for surgery Tuesday at 9:00am...so far he still has reflexes and feels pain and wags his tail, so prognosis is "good" right now...

However, the hardest part was that they no longer accept payment plans...and our vet had told us it would probably be $1500.00...however, when he called to schedule from here, they told him $1800-$2000...okay...then when we got there, they quoted us $2000-$2500!...I mentioned what our vet was quoted earlier, so she immediately scratched out that quote and changed it down to the one he got for $1800-$2000...we told them that we do not have the funds right now, were supposed to get our taxes done tonight and will hopefully be able to get in tomorrow...and said by the time he is ready to come home, we will have the money...and their notice on the door when we came in stated payment is expected at time of dismissal...
However, they now want HALF down before they will even DO the surgery...we said there is no way...the lady would not budge, so the doctor talked with her, and she finally lowered it to $500 by 9:00 am or the surgery is cancelled...

I left there crying terribly...even $500 by 9:00 was impossible...the bank is not even opwn by then for us to try to get a loan...my husband and I talked that if we cannot find the money from someone, then he wa not going to let Sammie suffer through this any longer if he was only going to be paralyzed in the end...

We called around, no one has that money on such short notice...but finaly, my brother has a friend...in Uganda, and he had sent my brother some money to ship a printer to him...$500...he said we can borrow it and pay him back in two weeks...so Sammie will get his surgery...now we need to come up with the rest to get him home this weekend of all goes well...

We can only pray that we can get our taxes done tomorrow, and it is a substantial return...enough to pay Sammie's vet bill, plus the bills we were hoping to get paid off...mainly the car, which is a $350 a month payment...that extra $350 can pay alot on other little bills to get them gone...

Soooo...please say a prayer for Sammie around 9:00amCST Tuesday, that all goes well with his surgery....

I am tired...I am going to bed...I need to be up in 4 hours to get my son to school, go get the money from my brother...get it either into the bank for them to transfer or go back to the city to WalMart and MoneyGram it to them...oh I was planning on getting housework done tomorrow, but no such luck!!

I am still up...cannot sleep and I need to...but here is a link to the doctor who will be doing Sammie's surgery later on today
http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu/faculty_s ... kkline.asp

and here is a link to the hospital he is at
http://vth.cvm.iastate.edu/index.php
Sammie is at the Small Animal Hospital

okay...I am really going to go try to get 3 hours of sleep!!

[Marty]

Prayers will be sent for Sammy...and I'm sorry you had such a rough time of it. I'm sure he is in good hands, though.

[JMM]

Do they accept care credit? It can't hurt to apply for it if they do.

[Tambrey]

Thank you Marty...I know he is in good hands, and I pray the surgery does well, and will be spoiled rotten while he is there...they called this morning to work out how to get the $500 to them, and the financial lady said she had gone to see him and one of the residence was holding him and rubbing his nose and he was just smiling up at her, she said he is just adorable...he just loves everyone and gets along with all people and animals...

Thank you JMM....I forget about care credit...I will check into that...

However, this morning the lady was in a bit better mood and she said as long as we have the $500 down payment, they will even let us set up payments when we come to pick him up...what a change from lastnight...but we still want to get it paid as soon as possible...

[davet]

i just can''t be;eive that a university would have a policy like that when they are going to have students observe the surgery which benefits the school and the student. Although i did run into that situation with a dog with radial paralysis at the U. of Pa....however i think, if they are "real vets" ie ones with a conscience they will not operate on the spine unless it is really necessary and that would follow a myelogram....good luck either way.,...

[Tambrey]

thanks davet, he is in getting the myelogram right now...they will call us with the results of that, but we already gave them permission to proceed from there if necessary..

I will keep you all posted as we get more information from them...

[Tambrey]

Well...they found the compression and Sammie went into surgery at 11:10am CST...

[Traci]

I too, am rather surprised at the university's "policy", especially since they are a teaching hospital, and this was done as a "referral" from your own vet, knowing that you are in good standing with your vet. In any event, it sounds like it's going to be taken care of.

Try to think positive, Tambrey, I am so relieved that the condition has been finally been properly diagnosed, and corrected. Imagine Sammie not being in pain anymore, or the potential of further risk to his spine. You did the right thing!

In the immediate sense, anything else of value you can sell to help with payments? (i.e., like a pawn shop, etc? Sometimes you can take in an item of value, request they hold it for a x-amount of time, then you can "buy" it back, when you get your tax refund back, worth a try to find out)

My prayers and thoughts are with Sammie and you, hang in there.....(((HUGS)))

[JMM]

When we were at Cornell you had to pay in full at the time services were rendered. They had CareCredit brochures and flyers all over as I recall.

At the local specialist, if you are dropping the pet off, they take a deposit before they'll do anything.

[Beth Va]

Prayers, thoughts and (((Hugs))) sent for Sammie and for you Tambrey. I understand all too well about having to find the $ during the late hours of the night before anyone will do anything. Try to get yourself some rest and nourishment.

I never had to use CareCredit but I understand that they will come through and one can usually be approved for it quickly. I considered it for a short time last summer then found another alternative until I could be take care of the $ myself the next day. I understand why places must do this but it sure further stresses pet parents when they are already stressed.