[Andrea Barnett Budin]

My Pink one, I did not forget our conversation. Last night, around ?9:30 I got a blank screen trying to SUBMIT my response to you. Then I went to WRITE and tried to remember what I was then talking about. Here it is...

Interesting. That puts a great onus on your GP to be super knowledgeable in every area. In my niece's case -- she has not been to a doc, period. Not covered. Can't afford it. I am esp concerned as she is a young woman, plus has an aunt who had met bc. I told both my dghtrs to get a base line which they did when I met (at ages 28 and 30). They were then advised not nec to follow up unless a problem. I don't approve. I have advised them to self exam mnthly and remind them that what I had was never a lump. It was a genl hardness, or sponginess, of the entire breast. I have explained other ways I've heard of it presenting. I have told my girls, now 37 and 39, that if I were them I'd go to a breast surgeon at least annually. I feel no one examines your breast as this experts. I never had a GYN examine me quite as thoroughly. My son-in-law is an OB/GYN and he answers all my many questions well. But he tells me generally he knows most everything about what goes on down there. Funny but not.

Here's my PS, after reading posts from last night to now. Leslie, you are so in my thoughts. What are your white and red bld cell counts at? Now you're on top of your case and thank goodness for that!

I am told that I am no longer considered a *chemo* patient. I am on a monoclonal antibody, so a whole set of OTHER rules apply to me re things such as Arnaesp. My low counts don't count as much as a CHEMO patient's, it seems. I find that rude. I am grateful not to be a CHEMO patient, and yet -- I do ev 3 wks to the chemo room to be accessed by a chemo nurse w/my infusion and I have a real issue w/my red bld #s and my enormous fatigue.

BTW, I LOVE my port. Finding a vein in my one good arm is a horror. Multiple sticks, veins collapsing, rolling over, blowing out. I have one in my wrist that works and that is it. I know H is as caustic as other chemos I have had, but my battered, bruised arm can't take the reg insult.

And once my wonderful insur co gave me approval for a brain MRI but denied contrast as ordered by my onc. Said, IF they find something they will let me go back and repeat the MRI with contrast. The report, of course, said, they see nothing, but stated clearly that it is very difficult to find met disease w/o contrast. Leaving me happy, nothing seen, but wondering... Doc exasperated, said something about a catch 22 and wasn't up to fighting, waved his hand and told me I'd be fine. That was a yr ago. Now, doc says if I was going to have brain mets I'd have had them long ago... WHAT A MESS HEALTH CARE IS IN, w/us falling in the cracks...
Andi