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Andrea Barnett Budin · 10-28-2013, 12:15 PM

Breast Cancer In Your Face Month cheers the survivors. And that is wonderful! But is it helping inform women of their rights as patients pre-cancer?

Ask your doctor for the "other" report. Not the form letter. The one with your BI-RADS and lots more.

Some states have passed legislation to make this the law. But where it isn't the law YET, we still have the right to more information. BUT WE HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR IT.

All docs aren't required by law YET, to inform women of the density of their breasts.

We may need an ultrasound and/or an MRI. A DISCUSSION needs to be had! Maybe we should be seeing a breast surgeon every 6 mnths even if we don't have lumps.

I never had a lump. Maybe my dense breasts, even with the additional mammo pictures I always needed, could have revealed what was going on beyond the whiteness of the xrays.

I suddenly had a general hardness of my left breast. It was odd. I check mnthly, first of ev mnth. I was 50. Lots of odd things were happening to my body. Maybe it's a cyst, I thought.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month hadn't alerted me to things other than a lump to see a doc about. ANY changes should send you to a doc. With breast and/or nipple.

I heard the emotional testifying of women who had survived, but no one ever mentioned that it doesn't always start with a lump. That a mammo -- for dense breasts -- may not be enough.

Surely insurance companies don't want us to know this. Next thing, we'd be demanding an ultrasound. Even MRIs. $$$$$$$$$$$$$...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe even digital mammograms aren't accurate enough if 40% of women (the percentage of women with dense breasts and perhaps at higher risk for bc) can't get a full view!

I am reading that technology is progressing. Well, guess I missed the boat. I pray for my dghtrs and granddghtrs... And all my Sisters!

Only b/c "I" now request an U/S w/my annual mammog did they find "something new" last June.

Turns out it was benign -- one very unpleasant needle biopsy and 5 days of waiting for my path report...

Apparently my CT chest/and/pelvic scan only showed "something new" in my abdomen. One surgery later (w/3 laporoscopic punctures) that mystery mass mess was benign!
Thank you Susan Love for this article below:

Thank you Jackie for all the info!! I went on the site and signed up to be on their email list.

Thanks Rachael for the heads up too!

Love,

Andi

10-28-2013, 12:15 PM	#10
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	Re: It should be the law...! Breast Cancer In Your Face Month cheers the survivors. And that is wonderful! But is it helping inform women of their rights as patients pre-cancer? Ask your doctor for the "other" report. Not the form letter. The one with your BI-RADS and lots more. Some states have passed legislation to make this the law. But where it isn't the law YET, we still have the right to more information. BUT WE HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR IT. All docs aren't required by law YET, to inform women of the density of their breasts. We may need an ultrasound and/or an MRI. A DISCUSSION needs to be had! Maybe we should be seeing a breast surgeon every 6 mnths even if we don't have lumps. I never had a lump. Maybe my dense breasts, even with the additional mammo pictures I always needed, could have revealed what was going on beyond the whiteness of the xrays. I suddenly had a general hardness of my left breast. It was odd. I check mnthly, first of ev mnth. I was 50. Lots of odd things were happening to my body. Maybe it's a cyst, I thought. Breast Cancer Awareness Month hadn't alerted me to things other than a lump to see a doc about. ANY changes should send you to a doc. With breast and/or nipple. I heard the emotional testifying of women who had survived, but no one ever mentioned that it doesn't always start with a lump. That a mammo -- for dense breasts -- may not be enough. Surely insurance companies don't want us to know this. Next thing, we'd be demanding an ultrasound. Even MRIs. $$$$$$$$$$$$$...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe even digital mammograms aren't accurate enough if 40% of women (the percentage of women with dense breasts and perhaps at higher risk for bc) can't get a full view! I am reading that technology is progressing. Well, guess I missed the boat. I pray for my dghtrs and granddghtrs... And all my Sisters! Only b/c "I" now request an U/S w/my annual mammog did they find "something new" last June. Turns out it was benign -- one very unpleasant needle biopsy and 5 days of waiting for my path report... Apparently my CT chest/and/pelvic scan only showed "something new" in my abdomen. One surgery later (w/3 laporoscopic punctures) that mystery mass mess was benign! Thank you Susan Love for this article below: Thank you Jackie for all the info!! I went on the site and signed up to be on their email list. Thanks Rachael for the heads up too! Love, Andi __________________ 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...