HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

Andrea Barnett Budin · 10-26-2013, 04:42 PM

MODERN DAY HEROINE IN MY BOOK

Addy Jeffrey did more than make women aware of breast cancer issues midst the pink madness of the month of October.

She worked with the Commission On The Status Of Women to draft legislation to REQUIRE DOCTORS TO INFORM WOMEN OF THE LEVEL OF DENSITY IDENTIFICATION IN THEIR MAMMOGRAMS. To equip women with the knowledge that would have helped her (diagnosed in 2011) to detect her tumor many years earlier.

She spoke at her state capital and asked the North Carolina House to support Health Bill #467 (last February). This July, Governor McCrory signed THE BREAST CANCER DENSITY NOTIFICATION AND AWARENESS Bill.

Similar bills should become law in every state across America! To help protect women and require their doctors to make them informed -- by law.

Raise your hand if you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with breast cancer. 230,000 women will be diagnosed this year alone. 39,000 will lose their lives to this disease.

I wish every day that I had known more than "you have very dense breasts... we need to get a few more pictures" by the mammo tech. I now know that there are reports written about the level of a woman's breast density. Some include notes saying AT HIGH RISK FOR DEVELOPING BREAST CANCER. All I knew was that I had dense breasts.

Now, I advise women with very dense breasts to get an ULTRASOUND with their mammograms. Now, I do this. So many women are told they have dense breasts -- and nothing more...

I am not a medical professional, but I feel this practice of not informing women in greater depth should be against the law.

Bravo Addy Jeffrey! You made a huge difference. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

10-26-2013, 04:42 PM	#1
Andrea Barnett Budin Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW... Posts: 1,904	It should be the law...! MODERN DAY HEROINE IN MY BOOK Addy Jeffrey did more than make women aware of breast cancer issues midst the pink madness of the month of October. She worked with the Commission On The Status Of Women to draft legislation to REQUIRE DOCTORS TO INFORM WOMEN OF THE LEVEL OF DENSITY IDENTIFICATION IN THEIR MAMMOGRAMS. To equip women with the knowledge that would have helped her (diagnosed in 2011) to detect her tumor many years earlier. She spoke at her state capital and asked the North Carolina House to support Health Bill #467 (last February). This July, Governor McCrory signed THE BREAST CANCER DENSITY NOTIFICATION AND AWARENESS Bill. Similar bills should become law in every state across America! To help protect women and require their doctors to make them informed -- by law. Raise your hand if you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with breast cancer. 230,000 women will be diagnosed this year alone. 39,000 will lose their lives to this disease. I wish every day that I had known more than "you have very dense breasts... we need to get a few more pictures" by the mammo tech. I now know that there are reports written about the level of a woman's breast density. Some include notes saying AT HIGH RISK FOR DEVELOPING BREAST CANCER. All I knew was that I had dense breasts. Now, I advise women with very dense breasts to get an ULTRASOUND with their mammograms. Now, I do this. So many women are told they have dense breasts -- and nothing more... I am not a medical professional, but I feel this practice of not informing women in greater depth should be against the law. Bravo Addy Jeffrey! You made a huge difference. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart! __________________ Andi BB '95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive... '98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!) + good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either... Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now... Last edited by Andrea Barnett Budin; 10-26-2013 at 04:54 PM..