Joyce Crow is not only battling liver cancer, she is fighting to obtain her Medicare insurance benefits to pay for a transplant before the disease takes her life.

Crow has visited four oncologists for their medical opinions. The last one said she may only have months to live, unless she gets the transplant. She has to wait18 months to get Medicare insurance to pay for the procedure.

Six months ago Crow asked Social Security Disability for a waiver on a 24 month waiting period for her Medicare Prime A and B benefits. The insurance would pay for most of her medical bills and ensure that she receives a transplant.

Their Medicare guidelines permit waivers for kidney transplants, but not for livers.

"I don't understand the difference from one organ to another. Kidneys are OK to waive, but not a liver," said Crow, 61 years old and the owner of Smith's Ballard Barbershop on 15th Avenue Northwest.

The University of Washington Medical Center can do the transplant but has said no because Crow has had 28 centimeters of her diseased liver already removed. They have a limit of five centimeters.

Stanford University Medical Center is the only other hospital that can do the surgery at a cost of over $200,000. Stanford wants proof that Crow has the money to pay for the operation before they accept her.

Crow was diagnosed with hepatocelluar carcinoma in August of 2005. In October, doctors removed 73 percent of her liver. What remained appeared to be healthy.

On February 23, CT scans showed new lesions on her liver and an angiogram of liver scan showed her blood markers were elevating.

"I have a very aggressive liver cancer called primary hepatocelluar carcinoma. There are very few medical care options for me at this point, all time sensitive and all involve substantial cost," said Crow.

"Her situation is severely compromised by the fact that she does not have adequate health insurance to pay for any treatment that could possibly save her life," wrote Precht, in a letter of support for Crow as she appealed for the waiver.

Crow is facing another medical bill, $72,000 for 12 weeks of chemotherapy. Her health insurance will not pay for the chemotherapy unless she is hospitalized.

If her Medicare time period was waived, this insurance would pay for most of her medical costs, including the transplant.

She has written letters to Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Congressman Jay Insley to see if they can help her get past the waiver period for Medicare.

"The bottom line is to make sure I have enough coverage. I feel like my back is against the wall and I don't know where to turn to. I've never been in this position in my life. All of a sudden life can get turned around in a hurry," said Crow.

She has a long history in Ballard, attending Whittier Elementary, James Monroe and Ballard High School, graduating in 1962.

Crow has set up an account at Viking Community Bank in Ballard to take in donations in care of: The Joyce Crow Benefit Account, # 1010037453. The bank's address is: 2237 N.W. 57th St., Seattle, WA 98107.