On Saturday morning I glanced at the maps that our insurance company provides to detail the approved (in-network) transplant facilities. It was updated and changed!
The North Carolina section now has 2 additional facilities listed. Duke is listed and kidney is one of the approved options!!!! I had to call and confirm, but I had to wait until Monday morning! (For those of you that are unaware, as of last year our insurance company would not approve Piper's transplant at Duke unless we paid for it ourselves! Read more here.)
Monday morning arrived, but before I could make phone calls I had to take Piper to the pediatrician for her 3 year old wellness check up. She did great, and the strangest thing happened. Her pediatrician asked questions about our transfer back to Duke and where we were considering for transplant. I told her about the updated maps and that I needed to call the insurance company for confirmation. Here's the strange part .... she asked if she and another could pray for Piper before we left. I, of course, said absolutely. I believe so strongly in the power of prayer, and it's such a blessing that we stumbled upon a pediatrician who loves the Lord and prays for her patients. I have never had a medical professional do this. I'm sure most would thing it's crossing a line, but she knows us well enough to know that it was okay.
So, we ventured home .... lollipops in mouth and treasure chest items in hand. Big sister also chose a few treasures for being a good girl, and not interrupting mommy while I was talking to the doctor. I made the call ..... and I left a message....
They finally called back within the hour, and the representative confirmed that Duke is now an approved "in-network" transplant facility for pediatric kidney transplant! She double checked to make sure there weren't any additional restrictions on our policy, and she said it looked fine to her! I immediately emailed the team at Duke to let them know. They are having their team verify to make it "official".
So, it appears that God is answering our prayers .... in His time. We really wanted her transplant to be at Duke. We are so glad that we're back where we belong. We feel "at home" at Duke. We have been through so much there, and we feel comfortable knowing all of the doctors, nurses and staff so well. We even had some of the doctors sending us emails saying "Welcome Home."
Oh, and some other wonderful news .... The E/N/T at Duke had recommended (in March) that Piper have her adenoids removed. This was in response to the cellulitis incident. I called yesterday to finally schedule, but she changed her mind. After further review of Piper's records and noting that she has been fine since March, she decided that Piper does not need to have her adenoids removed at this time! Praise the Lord!!! One less thing to deal with!
Thank you God for answering our prayers. Thank you for helping us to be patient while we wait for your timing.
