Medicare & other

Got Raj signed up for a different set of Medicare benefits for 2012.  Instead of Parts A & B with Humana Medicare Advantage in 2011, I'm going with Parts A, B, D and F.  So far, the prescription plan (D) got processed, we've received the Member ID & card, and they've even processed my POA so I can communicate with the Community CCRx on Raj's behalf.  With Humana, these processes took 3 months!  We'll see what happens when I try to fill the first prescription, which is waiting for me at Osco.

Hopefully, BCBS-IL will be a good choice for a High-Deductible Plan F.  Since the first set of expenses just go toward the deductible, parallel to base Medicare, I'm not worried that this coverage isn't in place immediately. 

High on the list of what's needed is a hospital bed for Raj.  With his knees so rigid, he literally crashes into the single bed we have there for him, and it can't handle the impact.  Because of the reflux, he should sleep with his head elevated anyway, and this bed will address that, as well.

The patient advocate assigned to help me with the backlog of 2011 Humana claims is working on the first one; We'll see if someone internal to that organization can make any progress!

Raj was home for Christmas-gift opening several days ago, and he was cooperative.  His coughing was almost constant, though, so he's not remembering what the speech therapist taught him.

I heard back from one of the two life insurance companies I applied with today.  I need the cash, so I'm planning to surrender my VUL and replace it with basic term insurance.  I haven't seen how my physical exam turned out, but I was surprised to be quoted at the "Standard" rate.  I have no chronic conditions or diagnoses, am experiencing pretty normal "female" stuff through a long peri-menopause, and take one prescription to manage those symptoms.  I keep up with regular massage and all shots/tests/labs/maintenance/dental/eye stuff, and take supplements for optimal health .  I haven't had a cold or flu in years, BP is great, and my only ER visits were 7/2009 (bad headache after cushioning one of Raj's falls with my whole body on a concrete floor) and 9/2011 (tripped while walking the dog & had sore wrist X-rayed).  Hopefully, the other insurance company will come through with a better rating.

Contact Made!

I finally heard back from the new psychiatrist at Raj's facility, and he's making the necessary med changes to (hopefully) avert mania.  Apparently, Dr. G reduced the main mood stabilizer due to his liver counts.  Raj had mixed up this information, and requested dropping one med while starting another.  Now I think we're on the right track with those meds and liver counts are OK at the moment.  Also, I followed up with his PCP on the new cholesterol med & reminded her to run labs on that.  I even had an initial conversation with Dr. G's billing rep, and was assigned a "Humana Cares" representative to help me with the backlog of claims that they keep denying!  Merry Christmas to me!

Mania?

Raj's mood has been stable for so long, I know I should be grateful.  But his new psychiatrist hasn't ever spoken to me directly, so when he asks the "kid" about the "candy store", the kid certainly isn't going to tip his hand.  For the past couple of weeks, Raj has been increasingly irritable and demanding.  I don't know how long it's been, but my only medical contact for his care at the assisted living facility (Nurse Judy) lost her job.  All I have for the on-site psychiatrist is an email address, so I sent him a message tonight regarding Raj's symptoms and clarifying various med changes.  I hope it's not too late to prevent a full-blown manic attack and/or hospitalization . . .

Maybe he's right.  I do the best I can as his caregiver and Power of Attorney, but he's saying (again) that I'm just not doing well enough.  He's miserable and wants out of that facility right now.  The grass is always greener (blah, blah).  We've gone through this more times than I can count; Each time, I wonder if I can endure yet another round.  I tell myself that there's no one else to take this responsibility, that he doesn't intend to lash out at the kids and me, that this phase of aggression/lying/complaining will eventually pass . . . but it takes a lot of energy and constant vigilance to erect and enforce the necessary boundaries to protect my sanity and safety.

Lord, help me to focus more on the good that is all around me, and less on everything else.

Hopeless

I'm sorry.  I just don't have words.

Catching up on medical stuff

At this facility since late May, it took a while for me to have an official first meeting (last week) to coordinate Raj's care with the onsite nurse, Judy. I'm relieved to finally have contact info for her. And I'm not the only one getting bossed around by Raj's new friend, Don - During our meeting, a resident died, so Judy needed to step out and speak briefly with hospice; Don was furious that he couldn't discuss getting a new cell phone with Judy at that moment; Apparently, in Don's work life, he was CEO of some big company and he's never experienced waiting. He doesn't like it.

Raj saw the neurologist yesterday & the lung/sleep specialist today.  Though we still don't have a diagnosis or hope for recovery, he hasn't gotten worse; This is both good (not requiring higher level care) and bad (no movement toward specific diagnosis or treatment).  His sleep study yielded helpful info, C-PAP adjustments have been made, and he hasn't been to the ER for falling since June.  I also received contact info for the psychiatrist Raj has been treated by at the assisted living facility, so I can try to catch up on his 2 med changes and maybe half-dozen labs.  I also stopped by the new PCP for samples so Raj can try one new cholesterol med instead of the 3 he currently takes.  Got a copy of the medical records from his Rush stay (only had a few pages before), but haven't had a chance to read through.

Ponderings on Retirement

Since I only taught for one year ($8K salary with minimum contributions to retirement), my North Dakota teacher's retirement paid out as a lump sum in 1991.  I worked in IT (programmer, Business Analyst, etc.) for 16 years, with annual salary ranging from $40K to $100K+ depending on overtime, where I always contributed the maximum to my 401K.  I've kept both in separate IRAs over the years, though they've been invested in the same market with the same funds, just out of curiosity:  Public vs private retirement benefits.  I wondered if there was a difference regarding what one "put in" (contributions and years of service) vs the benefit received.  I have several years before official retirement, but I've noticed a great disparity - $11K+ in my account for the teaching year and about $85K for my IT years; Granted, in today's economy, my totals are down 30-40% from a few years ago, but these numbers still drive home the point:

For 1 year of teaching and about $200 in contributions, I now have $11K
For 16 years of IT and about $80K (avg of $5K ea year) in contributions, I now have $85K

So return on investment, in years:  $11K/year vs $5,312.50/year
                        and in % increase:  5500% vs 6.25%

Interesting, huh?

Mornings

Every morning, for as long as I remember, I've gotten up with a song in my head.  It's not the alarm clock, since I use an annoying buzzer!  Sometimes, it's inspirational or uplifting to set the tone for the day.  Other times, it's some rockin' party dance music.  It might be an old hymn, an unfamiliar phrase (that I should probably write down), a drum cadence, even a nursery rhyme!  I wake every so often to commercial jingles that I've heard before on radio or TV, to recent iTunes downloads, 80s hair-band ballads . . .  I've never questioned why this happens, but recently experienced mild panic in a passing thought that this could disappear.  Maybe some morning I'll wake up to silence - no melody in my heart.

That's when I decided it might be a portal, of sorts, for the Holy Spirit.  You recognize a source by its fruit, right?  Sometimes, I wake up with a particular song I associate with an old friend, and I may reach out to that person, prompted by my morning thoughts.  Sometimes I feel the need to pray for a particular person, whoever is brought to mind by the music.  Other times, I'm awash with gratitude;  The dance beats and Big Band sounds energize me; Jazz can be bluesy and sad; But I'm never unaffected.

I can't be sure God's sending me messages daily, but I hope I can always feel this connection, and be open to its possibilities.

Anger

What can a woman do about anger?  Our society has us suppress it (until it explodes at an inconvient time/place) or express it as frustration.  Sorry, but that's not working for me.

Whatever

As of yesterday, the official word from Rush University Cardiology and Pulmonology Billing Departments is that they "don't like the signature" on the Gap Exception letter that was used by the hospital and all other providers to process Raj's March stay. That's funny, because they honored the same "signature" on the CHECKS they cashed from UHC.

Raj came back from his sleep study with a new mask to try, since he has a beard and mustache now, so maybe this will help him to keep it on enough to help with the apnea while we wait for the full report from his overnight.

An older gentleman, recently released from the psych ward at NW Community Hospital, has been at Raj's assisted living for a few days, since they didn't know where to put him while awaiting his court appearance.  Apparently, he was removed from a domestic disturbance with his wife, and will learn Monday what happens next.  Raj insists we must help him, and has been calling several times over the past few days with various requests on behalf of "Don":

"Come and take Don and me to Walgreens.  He needs deodorant and Poligrip." 3x
"What is our family lawyer's contact info?  Don needs representation Monday in court." 2x
"Bring a printer and a USB drive over here.  Don needs to print a letter." 5x

Also:
"Dr. Gardineer says to decrease by Depakote - It's messing up my liver."

Needing a break from Raj's constant wants and needs, the kids and I had a "Girls Night In" last night & blew off some steam. Took me all morning to recover, but it felt good to laugh with my kids!

More of the same

Since I was on with Humana most of yesterday, I spent a good 4 hours with United Healthcare and Rush University Medical Center claims specialists today.  Equal time and all that.  Instead of measuring progress on getting claims processed and paid, I'm considering measuring by the number of contact points I have within each "inner sanctum" departments at the insurance companies, hospitals & medical facilities.  Raj's claims from March 2011 are no closer to being correctly paid; however, today, I got through to both Kiya and Micah within their respective specialists' departments at Rush (through their supervisor), learned both their last names, got their fax number, and Micah's direct email address.  I also learned the name of the super-duper secret department at UHC that has no outside phone lines, but is the only way to work claims there - the Rapid Resolution Team.  My contacts there grew to both Kimberly (in September) and Robert (in October), no last names are allowed, and they have no fax or email that they'll admit to.  Robert made the mistake of asking whether he could help with anything ELSE today, so I even tossed him the Kiya/Micah issues to see if he can work 'em from the UHC side, even though the error lies with Rush Cardiology and Pulmology not honoring their contracts.

Scoring using the new system, I gained 2 in-network providers today for durable medical equipment, including their step-by-step guidance on how these type of claims work (and coverage level) under Medicare Advantage (Humana, which I have for Raj now) vs. straight Medicare.  I have their direct phone lines, and the fax number for Raj's PCP to send his prescription.

Regarding outpatient procedures (completely different from doctors, inpatient, DME or anything else), I learned that process from my new buddy, Roxanne, and the Alexian Sleep Health Center.  So I'll bring Raj there tomorrow night for another sleep study & pick him up early the next morning before the kids get ready for school.  Since his bed is broken, I figure he'll at least get to sleep on a real bed that night!

Raj said the phlebotomist took his blood this morning, ordered by the new PCP, but I don't get any measurable contact-point progress on this, because nobody knows what entity drew/tested the blood, whether they're in-network, who/what they'll charge, whether it's considered inpatient, outpatient, etc.

Our landline caller ID shows more than 50 outbound calls so far today, and 25 inbound, um - make that 26 . . . .

Yes, it can get worse

So Raj calls me late last night - some doctor who said he was a psychiatrist saw him.  No name, no card, no change to meds (even though one of his blood levels is too high), and he figures I'll probably get a bill from this dude.  In the meantime, I've been calling every psychiatrist in the Humana Choice Advantage network, leaving messages & begging for ANYONE to see him.  I receive one of the following answers - not taking new patients, refuse to work with Humana, or they ignore me.  I call the nurse at his facility today to get a name on the mystery nighttime visitor, and try to figure a few other things out (e.g. why they gave him another chest X-ray, ignoring the one from June, etc.).  The next thing I know I'm on speaker phone, with Raj, several doctors and nurses.  In between all their beepers & cell phones going off, I hear various questions & answers, but none of them can tell me whether the "new" psychiatrist is taking Raj as a patient (or if he's in our network) or if I should keep the appointment I finally made for him tomorrow with the only psychiatrist I could find.  What DOES happen is that Raj is put on 1 new med, discontinuing 3 others that I just paid thousands of dollars to fill.  They've also ordered a blood draw, but don't know what entity is doing it, when, or whether they're in network.

This, all during dinner, while the dog decides she must defend me from the evil phone receiver by barking and peeing on the leg of my chair, the timer is going off, some random delivery is at the door, kids screaming to smash the HUGE spider, and every pre-teen in IL is texting my daughter about homework.

I even spent 3 hours on the phone with Humana this morning, working through error after error, one claim at a time, reciting Medicare and healthcare reform law to "Larry" who must be the only customer service agent who is old enough to understand my questions and concerns - he sounds at least 90, and I don't think he has teeth.

As if all the above drama isn't bad enough, there's a lawsuit now involving my kids' school/district alleging misuse of authority, sexual harrassment, cover-up, . . .  which brings up all kinds of horrible memories of my experience as a teacher, and the garbage my mom went through for so many years.  I can't believe how fresh it all seems in my mind.  I guess I have a lot more to work through from that time of my life.

At least today, the pain in my wrist lessened enough so I could change the burned-out lightbulbs (the CFLs, of course), so I have lights in the entryway and kitchen again!

I'm continuing to heal from my unfortunate up-close-and-personal-meeting with the sidewalk, and can use my wrist for many things, but neck pain has been really bad; So it appears the impact to my neck was a secondary (and longer lasting) injury.  The outside bruises have healed on elbow & knee, but I must have internal bruises - is this possible? - since they are still very tender.

I've been having a difficult time securing doctors for Raj's care.  Thank goodness we found a good PCP, but finding a psychiatrist in his network AND accepting new patients is taking a lot of work.  One of his blood levels indicates problems, but I can't find a doc to address it!  Today, the lung/sleep specialist said his apnea looks much worse, but symptoms are confusing, so we need to get him in for another sleep study.

The slats on Raj's bed at Emeritus fell through,  so I fixed them with a staple gun; then replaced them with new slats from Ikea.  Each of these solutions lasted about 5 minutes.  I can't afford a new twin bed, much less deliver/assemble it with my bum wrist & neck, so I'm not sure what I'll do next.

I've applied to several programs for financial assistance, with a wide variety of results:  Working with charitable groups, schools and churches is pretty straightforward and fair.  We don't qualify for anything that is income-based for our housing, since Raj is on the mortgage - no loan modifications, Illinois Hardest Hit, HUD, federal programs, . . . I can't even refinance!  We don't qualify for Medicaid or Extra Help on prescription costs or even AARP/Senior programs.  Bankruptcy wouldn't even offset the medical/housing costs compared to our income.

Even though we've met the out-of-pocket maximum to satisfy the infamous "donut hole" with Raj's Medicare prescription coverage, all meds continue to be processed with me paying the full cost!  We're supposed to be into "catastrophic" coverage or the final stage of the plan year, but I've had to appeal (sometimes several rounds) to get basic things covered, much less the latest "benefits" of healthcare reform.

The following is a vent - don't read if you're a wimp:

Why are people so naive to believe that just because laws were passed on healthcare reform, the changes will actually take place?!  I'm working both private insurance and Medicare Advantage claims, both before and after reform was enacted, and it's nothing short of a nightmare.  The only entities holding up their end of the bargain, in my experience so far, is the drug companies.  During the donut hole, the drug companies must subsidize half the cost for name-brand prescription drugs, or they can't be a Medicare-participating pharmacy.  There are new departments at insurance companies now, simply to add another level of hoops for the insured to jump through to get any claims paid properly (in my opinion).  When reform went through, no time limits were adjusted to allow for all the extra processing that claims need to go through under the new rules, so it's relatively easy for the insurance company to tell you that your doctor/hospital didn't submit their claim (or resubmit it with new or corrected info) in time.  Another tactic I've run into is no published contact info for the new departments that can actually work the claim.  I've had to "work my way" through the phone tree, customer service hierarchy, appeal process, etc. to GET to the new department; In my case, I have the additional step of providing HIPAA doc (POA or whatever each entity requires) to allow me access to Raj's medical info for each department of each hospital/doctor/insurance company I contact; Then it's a race against the clock to reach these folks before time runs out on getting the claim "fixed".  The premiums paid for the benefits of this coverage?  300% increase with healthcare reform, whereas it used to increase 10-25% annually.

Been awhile

OK, let's see if I can catch this blog up:

July was touch-and-go, when Mom developed digestive issues around her fishing trip up north.  CT scan in WI, as well as various tests/fluids at the ER locally, got her to realize that a few Ritz and sips of water don't count as sustenance for 10 days.  She's adjusted her diet to a plan that works better, and has gained at least a pound back.

Raj was able to receive speech/swallow therapy, where he was taught a breathing technique to help keep him conscious during coughing spells.  It appears to be successful, in that he hasn't fallen since the hospital trip in June.

Julie's hamster died 2 weeks ago, so having the dog now eases some of that sorrow.  I've learned that it's not a good idea to walk the dog in slippers; Tripped on the sidewalk & fell 9/23, scraping my left elbow/knee, while taking most of the impact on my right wrist.  I got my turn with an ER visit, where X-rays found nothing broken, but I'm finding it REALLY hard to have my activities limited while healing.

One of the biggest challenges lately has been financial.  When I moved Raj to a lower-cost assisted living facility to offset the additional health insurance premiums, I was making ends meet.  Then both tax installments on the land (approximately $10,000, including the annual property insurance) and the infamous "donut hole" for Medicare prescription drugs hit.  Add to that the seemingly endless payments to Rush University Medical Center for Raj's March stay, Ruth needing her wisdom teeth out, and the unexpected medical expenses for me - uterine and breast biopsies over the summer, before my unfortunate "fall" - and I'm just not able to keep up.  Our savings have been used up, I'm carrying balances on credit cards (for the first time since 1995!), and I can't sell our possessions fast enough!

My kids are thriving, and God always provides, but recent healthcare reform has made my daily life exponentially more difficult.

Fall into Summer

Raj has had more falls recently. Since moving to Emeritus, he's fallen twice with no significant injury; then yesterday, he fell and hit his head on the sidewalk when I dropped him off from getting new cell phones. This required an ER visit, where he had various tests to determine brain injury/concussion/blood levels. He had a chest X-ray and CT scan, which he needed anyway, and there was no lasting damage found. This will be the first hospital services under his Medicare/Supplemental coverage, so it will be interesting to see the difference.

The kids are finished with the school year, and adjusting to Daisy, the dog.

A May to Remember

This has been an eventful month! After a successful short sale closing on Dave's house, Raj received the official "release" from foreclosure proceedings.

It took all of April and May, but we now have medical/dental/vision coverage in force for all 4 of us (hope to have a corrected bill generated by tomorrow so I can pay the right premium!); I have Raj signed up for Medicare A & B, as well as a Medicare Advantage plan, to commence June 1. Thank the Lord his pass-outs have lessened in frequency, so no emergency care was necessary during our lapse in insurance!

I researched and found Emeritus, a better fit for Raj's assisted living care and our budget. He is now moved into this facility - within our own suburb, and a stone's throw from most of his medical providers. By some miracle, he found his lost wallet right before the move!

The bills from Raj's stay at Rush have begun to arrive, so I'm working with a 3rd party to reduce them to a more manageable level. There's also RUMC Financial Counseling, which I'll work with after insurance, to explore any additional help.

The Line of Credit we had on the Wauconda land came due, so I paid off that balance, incurring unexpected fees, while coming up with the 1st half of Lake County property taxes ($4,260). Why they collect the 2nd half of the taxes in only 3 months, I do not know.

My Financial Advisor and her partner are retiring, so I've had an initial meeting with the replacement, and he'll have his work cut out for him! I've become rather creative in saving/finding cash flow - paid surveys, cashing in points from various reward programs, selling the remaining silver and gold, selling sporting equipment/DVDs/electronics, accepting help from Mom, stopped saving for retirement/college, taking only essential medications, . . .

It's exhausting.

Oh, and we (read Ruth) adopted a shelter dog named Daisy 2 days ago!

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Good: Short sale on BIL's house closed 4/21; Estate sale company sold several items on consignment & sent a check; We're looking at other possibilities for Raj's assisted living;

Bad: Raj's termination from Allstate was processed incorrectly, and needs to be fixed before we can enroll in COBRA, so we're "on hold" for all medications/appointments; During Raj's stay at Rush, various out-of-network doctors decided to bestow him with visits & tests (separate from the pre-approved stuff he was there for), and now we're receiving HUGE bills; Sunrise increased their price for Raj staying there TWICE so far in 2011; Still have a bunch of stuff to sort/store/throw from the house clean-out;

Ugly: Sorting through and cleaning the BIL's house was truly awful, especially on short notice - the smells, life forms, lack of help/money, uncovering the years of deception and what we were really paying for . . . it makes me sick.

Updates

We lost all insurance with Raj's termination from Allstate 4/1, so I'm trying to figure out COBRA and Medicare (Raj is eligible 6/1). CitiMortgage accepted a short sale on Dave's house, so Mom and I have been feverishly trying to clear decades worth of STUFF (including a lot from their parents' place) out of the house we provided for my BIL. The new owner takes possession with the closing, scheduled for Thursday, 4/21.

Just Stuff

The kids and I had a nice Spring Break in Orlando, where we got to see my sister & her husband. And it was wonderful to have my aunts drive down to see Mom and us for a long weekend after that. Raj's PCP decided he had to SEE him to change a prescription, so I had to coordinate paid transport to/from St. Alexius & copay over the phone during our return travel Thursday. I'm also discouraged about Raj's inpatient stay at Rush University Hospital. They ruled out epilepsy, then scheduled him for many new tests, all with gastro-specialists at Rush (similar to tests he's had the past 11 years), and we lose medical insurance April 1. Raj will have access to Medicare health insurance June 1, but I'm going to have to wait for COBRA paperwork to come so I can review possibilities for the girls and me. I'm dreading the Rush and Medicar bills, especially since Raj just broke another filling.

Rush

Raj has been an inpatient at Rush (downtown) since Monday. He's had several tests to possibly diagnose epilepsy or narcolepsy for when he loses consciousness. It would be nice to have additional information on what happens during his "events" to prevent or somehow improve his quality of life.

Today was supposed to be an FHA appraisal on Dave's house, since CitiMortgage accepted a short sale offer from an FHA buyer. I contracted with an estate sales company to sell as much stuff out of the house as possible, on consignment, and hope to pay for cleaning out the rest with those proceeds.

Updates

Raj had another fall on Feb. 20, which resulted in a bruise on his back; otherwise, OK. CitiMortgage refuses to accept any offer less than $155K for Dave's house, and by some miracle, offers keep coming. I haven't found a way to coordinate cleaning it out - especially without heat & plumbing. Unexpected expenses (snow service not showing up after the blizzard, then threatening to sue me for payment anyway; washer broke; Raj and Ruth both chipped teeth; I needed a biopsy) have really made finances tough. Sunrise, where Raj resides, also increased costs, although our disability income remains the same.

The Line of Credit against the land is due this spring, when Raj is being terminated from Allstate. Unfortunately, in 2 years none of the investments have recovered, and I can't wait any more; I sold the last of the Estate to pay off the Line, and will need a miracle to pay the taxes and insurance point forward! Medicare doesn't start for Raj until 6/1, so I'm not sure what we'll use for medical (for Raj, nor for the rest of us), since COBRA for all 4 of us will probably be too costly.

Falls

Raj is having a harder time covering up his falls. Without full sensation in his extremities, he doesn't always recognize the extent of his injuries; So I'm glad the staff at Sunrise at least check him out each time he falls, and let me know most of the time. Saturday was the first time he fell twice in one day (that he will admit to!), and Monday he fell again - all involved scrapes and bruises, but he doesn't seem bothered at all by the injuries, and none of the recent falls necessitated a trip to the hospital. Sunday, I brought him home to enjoy the SuperBowl with us, and thankfully, he didn't fall here!

Jerome

Raj lost a friend from Sunrise yesterday, Jerome, and he was with him when he died at Alexian Brothers. Raj is sad, and he will really miss him. It's interesting to observe him amid this loss, because he actually had a relationship with Jerome, and this is not common. Even when "well" in the medical sense of the word, I rarely saw Raj reach out to "be there" for another. It's not that I think he's completely selfish, but that he never had much practice being a friend, pretty clueless in the "giving" part but well-versed in the "taking"; As a spouse, he simply stated what he needed/wanted and if it was within my ability, I provided it. When life would get me down, Raj was more like a coach that would tell me to get back in the game, rather than a comforter or listener. I assume his buddies and coworkers had the same experience. He called it "Rajian Physics" - the way everything worked out in his favor, all the time. Anyway, I'm grateful to Jerome for bringing out a different side of Raj, for giving him the opportunity to BE a friend.

Christmas review +

Looking back over Christmas, I can't believe how relaxing and low-stress things were without having to walk on eggshells and cater to every preference of a demanding Dave. We had Raj home for opening gifts on Christmas Eve, and enjoyed some much-appreciated downtime the rest of the kids' break.

Raj fell into the bathroom door of his suite at Sunrise while walking around eating chocolate in the middle of the night recently, but didn't get checked out since he said he wasn't injured. At least there is less wandering at night, because he's been using his C-PAP machine for his sleep apnea (3 weeks now!), and he's actually well-rested. The down side (more for me than anyone else) is that he's awake during the day, calling with multiple requests. And without a sense of priority, he may or may not tell me about falling or running out of meds, while requesting a particular shirt 10 or 20 times!

In the meantime, there have been 2 offers on Dave's house - $120K, which CitiMortgage countered with $155K and the buyer backed out; then $100K cash, which we can't even present to Citi because they've already set their price. Selling prices continue to fall, and now interest rates have started to go up. I don't know what the bank negotiator is thinking.