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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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From an Italian friend who moved to the US 6 years ago, I have heard that the income tax rate in Italy is around 43% for most if not everyone and that the VAT or sales tax is around 20%. He has said that it is a much better system in Italy than most in Europe, including Scandanavia. But, as much as he loves his mother country, he says that he (and his young family) has a markedly improved quality of life here with lower income, business and sales taxes. He also appreciates our health system. Though different from the system in Italy, payment wise, he believes that he pays less yearly for the private insurance system here than he paid through taxes and private insurance there for a "free" system. He sees value in both, but cannot believe that there is a rush in the US to model our health system after National Health systems in other countries.
I agree that our health insurance system is bloated, overwhelming, imperfect and outrageously expensive. It is a tremendously ineffecient in many ways and an increasingly difficult system. It puts decisions and control in the hands of the bean counters at increasingly beaurocratic insurance companies. Private insurance bureaucracy and paperwork consumes one-third of every health care dollar. It gives too much power to lobbyists. I believe all of that is true. That is why I suggest researching the folks out there who are working for a solution that will work in America. Thinkers, solvers, brilliant minds. There are models being devised that will offer a system that someday will make it accessible to everyone, but not free, and it will be a consumer driven, not a Govt run system.
I have to say that except for a few payment challenges I have faced in my three years in cancer treatment, I cannot complain too much about my insurance company. They are not perfect by any means, but I am pretty satisfied with the coverage and care provided and the lack of hassles for the most part.
Google Regina Herzlinger. Google Dr. Val (Revolution Health). There are other ideas out there.
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Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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