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“The main reason I had sort of a fighting attitude was because I started watching this show called Spartacus while I was in the hospital. And for some reason, watching those gladiators every day I would go into each thing thinking it twas a fight – like a round in the gladiator ring – a bone marrow sample when they are digging into your back, or a test where they have to cut into you or whatever, I was like, I’m going into battle
“My name is Alex Kip, and I live in Columbus, Ohio. Senior year, I was having vocal issues pretty much the entire year. As the year went on, my voice really just started giving out. It was very confusing and then I started wheezing all the time. I’d be at the gym, and couldn’t do exercises. I thought I was developing asthma, actually.
“So I went and got checked and the X-ray showed this really big cloud. And so we got a CAT scan, and sure enough, it showed that I had this giant tumor in my chest. They found out that it was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. So, cancer basically. The big C word.
“Luckily, at UnitedHealthcare, they have what’s called the Center of Excellence – where you can literally look up a certain field or a certain hospital and see their rates. So, luckily a great hospital already existed – James Cancer Hospital. Making the transition was really simple. After I was diagnosed, they wanted to move very, very quickly because I was getting worse. The tumor was already a huge size and growing.
“I think I started chemotherapy two days later. They weren’t very sure if it was going to work. I had about a 30% change, honestly, of it doing exactly what they wanted it to do. But it worked, it worked very well. And here I am today. With hair.
“Looking at it from my perspective now – you have no idea what can hit you. I had no idea what was going to hit me. It happens all the time. And it’s not just cancer. You could be walking down the street, get hit or run over by somebody and break your leg. You go to the hospital for some regular checkup…It adds up. The amount of money that I’m sure our insurance paid was enormous. Had we not had that, had I not had that, my options would have been very, very limited.
“A lot of our financial stuff got a little crazy sometimes, but luckily I was under UnitedHealthcare’s plan and they were always there, for any questions we had, any problems we had, and we didn’t have to worry about it so I could worry about getting better.
“I’m in remission. I just got my results yesterday. They called me and said all my scans looked great, clear. Going through this has definitely changed me in major, major ways. I thought I was invincible. I thought I could conquer the world and do all those things, and maybe I will, who knows. But I’m approaching life much differently, with a positive attitude. I’m much more in synch with knowing that everything will be provided if you just hope and believe. You gotta keep going through it.
“My name is Alex Kip and this is my health care success story.”
Storytellers
Alex Kip's Story
UnitedHealthcare Centers of Excellence
During his senior year of college, Alex was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. The UnitedHealthcare Centers of Excellence program directed him to a facility with experienced doctors and a track record of success for his type of condition.
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