Profile for calmmcfarland

Member Since: August 29, 2008
Last Login: September 19, 2008
Location: Naples, Fl United States
Occupation: Employment Manager

Biography

Diagnosis

Diagnosis:	Dx 8/9/2008, DCIS, 2cm, Stage I, 0/4 nodes, ER+/PR-
Diagnosed:	August 9, 2008
Type:	Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
Recurrent?	Local recurrence (in the breast where it started, or in the skin and underlying tissues where the breast used to be)
Metastatic?
Stage:	Stage I
Lymph Nodes Removed:	4
Positive Lymph Nodes:	0
Tumor Size:	2cm-2.9cm
Tumor Grade:
Hormone Receptor Status:	Tumor has estrogen receptors but not progesterone receptors
HER2/neu Status:

Recent Posts by calmmcfarland

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Surgery - Before, During, and After, Created: Sep 16, 2008 01:00 pm

reconstruction issues

Thanks everybody. . .I appreciate the response. I am in Florida and I work in the HR office of my company so I know exactly how much we spend on our insurance coverage for our employees. It is ridiculous that we spend so much money as a company and individually to be covered by our health insurance only to have them let us down when we need them the most. The area I live in is a very prominent area with tons of PS's. They are used to dealing with a population that pays to cosmetically alter themselves and are in no hurry to create a contract with a difficult to deal with insurance provider for less money than they would earn from someone paying for implants. According to our plan, I will have to meet my out of network deductible of $5000 prior to them paying for anything and after that they will pay only 40% of the remaining which is $2000. But the fact that I have to come up with $10000 first then wait for the insurance company to approve my claim to get the $2000 back. . .who knows when I will actually get that money, it is all so stupid.

LIke I said, I have the money but it will wipe out my savings account but the point is that it is still wrong! In a situation like this, the insurance company should be forced to pay for all parts of the reconstruction at the full rate. They are within the law because they will pay me $2000. . .eventually!

Annie, I cannot even imagine having to pay for everything out of pocket. I guess that should make me see this differently, I should feel blessed that I have insurance to pay for most of my care.

I truly believe that something needs to change because this is just so wrong!!!!!!! Thanks for letting me vent. I hope noone else has to go through this. . .

Calm

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Surgery - Before, During, and After, Created: Sep 16, 2008 10:59 am

reconstruction issues

Hi all,

My question is for those who have had a mastectomy with reconstruction. I made the decision to have the mastectomy after 3 surgical attempts to get clear margins and it was determined that the cancer is much larger than they thought. Anyway, I will be getting immediate reconstruction following the mastectomy. But the plastic surgeon who will be performing the reconstruction is not covered by my insurance so I have to pay him $10,000.00 up front. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield and they do not have any plastic surgeon's in my area that have a contract with BCBS. My plastic surgeon does participate with other insurance companies, just not BCBS because they have been too difficult to deal with. So, they will pay all the fees to have my boobs cut off, they will pay for the implants but they won't pay for the guy to actually install the implants! What a cruel, nasty joke to play on a women! I spoke with several plastic surgeons in the area and everyone said the exact same thing. So, I have to deal with having cancer, having my boobs cut off but let's go ahead and hit someone when they are down and say that unless you pay for it yourself, you can't begin to look like yourself again!

Has anyone else had anything like this? I am so mad! Fortunately, I have the resources to do it, but that is not the point! I actually know of one girl who is in the exact same situation and cannot afford to have her's reconstructed. I didn't know that was the reason until this happened to me. It is just so wrong!!!!!!!

Posted in: Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis + LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ), Created: Sep 3, 2008 11:22 am

How is family responding?

Gosh that felt good. . .just to get it off my chest! Then to have other people read and care! We have decided to break up! He just couldn't handle the no kids thing!

CAZ - I have actually really thought about alot about what you said about loving me and not the potential humans I can make. Why should I feel bad about a guy that obviously didn't love me because he didn't want to be with me when I couldn't have kids. I mean . .come on!

I should be glad that this happened. . .but it makes it so much harder when he was so amazing with my children and really helping them when their dad died. You know, as a mom you put all of your needs aside and try to do what is best for them. That part of it made it so much harder.

Thanks for listening and responding. It has felt really good!

Posted in: Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis + LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ), Created: Aug 29, 2008 01:52 pm

How is family responding?

Ok. . .so this has been a really crappy couple of years. My husband died, leaving me to raise our 2 very young children. A few months ago found a lump, everyone thought it was nothing but just wanted to be sure. . .turns out to be LCIS. My children obviously do not know that I have been diagnosed with LCIS and I will do my best to keep it that way. Seriously. . .could this be caused by stress? I was a stay at home mom when he passed away. I was suddenly supposed to grieve, be strong for the kids, become a single parent, go back to work. . .I would say this is totally caused by stress!

Anyway, I had been seeing someone new for about 10 months and he loves and adores my children. He is from a huge family and wants a huge family of his own. But, since I was diagnosed he has been a little weird. My dr told me that I would not be able to get preggies while on the anti-hormore treatment and once the 5 years are up, I will be 42. Not too interested in having a baby at 42. Now the BF is unsure of a future with me because he really wants kids. I guess I can understand that but it totally sucks that he would want to break up with me over something I can't control. It's not like I am saying no just because, I have a pretty valid medical reason! But on the other side I don't want someone to stay with my just because of this, out of guilt. Who wants to be known as the guy who dumped his girlfriend when she gets diagnosed with CANCER!

I have had people come out of the woodwork offering to help me and be there for me. Which I feel guilty about because I feel fine and I will be fine! But the one person really special backs away from me. That feels really bad! Should I be mad? I don't know how I would respond if the situation was reversed. . I would hope better, but you never know. Should I be glad that we never got married. . .he couldn't handle the "in sickness" part? I don't know. . . .Anyone have anything similar?