STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER
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I bought a '98 Buick Regal in 1997 and loved it through a model discontinuation, a model revival, several recalls and it only had 104,000 miles on it when I sold it in 2015. The body was in great shape but it needed a new brake master cylinder and I did not want to pay for that repair. I sold it to a young mechanic who was overjoyed at the shape it was in and told me "it was the nicest new car he had ever owned". The seats were gray leather and still in great shape as well. I received a notice about 6 weeks later that the car had been recalled yet again for a new part so I sent him the info. I sometimes wonder if it is still on the road and to be honest, when they brought back the newer Regal model it wasn't the same. Mine had the black upper and silver trim on the lower half of the car which the newer ones did not. Just loved that car. My newer car is still a black car but black interior since gray was not an option. Love this one as well and it will most likley be my last car and after 3 years it only has 5,550 miles on it. I only had a 4 mile one way commute to work and a 9 mile each way commute on clinical days so not a lot of mileage per week with maybe 2 weeks/tank of gas. Now that I am retired I can get 3-4 weeks out of a tank of gas.
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Great car stories. I am partial to pick ups as well. My son has a diesel beast- Chevy. You almost need a pilots license to drive it.
My friend bought dinner over tonight. She’s unvaccinated and I just don’t care. She has been doing everything she can to not catch COVID. It’s not worth me losing a life long friendship. She says they are working on a different type vaccine that’s not mRNA so she’s waiting for that one. OK. She’s not a crazy person, or misinformed, so I respect that even though I don’t agree.
She noticed I grabbed or touched my left boob a few times. I didn’t even realize I was! So I thought yeah - it hurts a little. I did exercise class yesterday. So I’m icing it now for a few. Was it the weights? A whooping 7.5 lbs? push ups? Who knows. I’ve injured my breast doing what they tell me to do!! Exercise! I’m convinced your body just doesn’t like getting pieces and parts cut off! Damn you cancer!!
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CTMB my affected breast still hurts 6 years later, more so after any kind of activity. I try not to think about it. We can’t help but be protective me thinks.
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ctmbsikia - I totally understand your decision to continue visiting with your unvaccinated friend. I was curious about her decision to wait til there is a non- mRNA available. She may have other objections to the J&J vaccine, but it is NOT mRNA based. https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/covid-19/johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-how-is-it-different Sorry about your breast pain.
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ladies I need your advice, my MO orders scans some time between 2-6 months depending my conditions, a recent bone scan showed a new uptake, plus I feel stiffness and sometimes swelling in my stomach and abdomen, so my MO ordered scans as stat it would be 2 months from the last scan. Guess what? stupid clueless insurance denied it and downgraded the order to plain scan (without oral) in a general clinic! A stupid md in insurance wrote a rude letter to me indicating that “you have breast cancer, your doctor ordered scan of your belly and breast” how disgusting this tone is. and then “you are not considered at this level of high care” !!!! I am beyond speechless.... I filed appeal, when I was explaining my reasoning to another clueless ‘appeal specialist’ I burst to cry and it was hard to breath, at the end she said “is that all?” again another clueless md reviewed the appeal and downgraded it to standard which takes 30 days for them to make decision.
I guess my emotions led the conversation so I couldn’t land better reasoning, open their eyes to the fact, hey stupids what is higher than stage 4 in your land of ignorance. I am devastated and under a lot of stress. Any word of wisdom would be appreciated.
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Snow-drop-- For clarification--- You said a recent bone scan showed new uptake. Did you change treatment based on the new findings or are you and your MO taking a watch and wait approach? When does your MO want to rescan the bone to monitor those new findings? Also, you said you are having stomach symptoms. Are your labs off? Liver enzymes, etc? What does your MO say about your symptoms? Can your MO document that you are having ____ (fill in the blank) symptoms now and he/she wants a CT, MRI, etc to look at the belly? I would think your MO could appeal the insurance's decision. But, without further evidence of an issue-- out of whack labs for instance-- the insurance might not agree to the scanning the doctor ordered. I wanted a PET 1 year into my diagnosis. To see what the PET would look like after a year of treatment. The insurance denied due to my 3 month CT's were stable (at that time).
As far as their (insurance personnel) attitude. Yeah it sucks. They do not care. It is just a job to them. They do not understand what it is like living with MBC.
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Snow-drop - UNBLELIEVABLE!!! Do you have an Insurance Commissioner in your state? I've heard they can sometimes get things moving when your insurance company is balking at a necessary procedure or test. Sheesh!!!
Edited to add: I'm so mad I can hardly type! I'd love to call this so-called MD up and ask "Do you know what MET-A-STAT-IC means???" I'd pronounce the word REALLY slowly, just in case.
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spookiesom that is too funny!! We got our car in February and think we have filled up one time if that much and it was because DH had to drive to to Denver for an appointment which is about 72 miles from our our house to the VA hospital and back. Most miles we've had on it.
snowdrop how is your doctor's office in in their appeals for you? I know with DH one of his docs says he has to do things a certain way and that it is and he has not had an issue. Not sure if he just says he'll lower his fee or what to make them agree but he advocates for him. It is his doctor who does it though and not his staff I know. A lost of docs will not and have staff handle things who may or may not be foreceful or do it right or "code it right" which is often the problem too it seems when they go in to the insurance companies.
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Snow-drop, I’m sorry you’re having so much trouble with insurance. I have a question for you. With your stomach, are you having issues with eating or losing weight? I know we’re different because scans don’t see my cancer, but if you’re having stomach issues, you might want to have an endoscopy. That’s how my cancer was found in my stomach
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They think you are "cured" because they see those stupid commercials on TV of people who are Stage IV and on heavy meds living these full happy lives and they buy into it. We know it is not reality and a lot do not make it. Even with "nice cancer" it can come back somewhere and bit you and you are never free once you have it. You are labeled by all the doctors as a cancer patient and they know it. I am dreading pinktober coming too. We are already seeing commercials on TV about it here.
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I guess they don’t actually listen to what those commercials are saying because cure is never mentioned! They simply say the meds may help you live longer.
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I dread the annual breast cancer pinkwashing fest. Give it a week and the UK will be flooded with cheap pink rubbish, marketed to make the gullible believe they're making a difference. If you really want to make a difference then give a your money or your time to cancer research or your local hospice.
I particularly hate the notion that a breast cancer diagnosis means we can join the pink 'sisterhood', have the surgery, have the chemo, have the rads and that's it, we're good to go. Breast cancer isn't pretty and pink, it's ugly and black. This miserable cancer has no cure and it's with us until we die.
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“Breast cancer isn't pretty and pink, it's ugly and black. This miserable cancer has no cure and it's with us until we die.” Well said, Rosiecat!
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Oh, gosh, it's almost October. Here we go. Pink fluffy tutus, pink "save the ta-tas" tee shirts, wild pink wigs, bedazzled pink bras, pink, pink, pink. Breast cancer has been trivialized and sexualized.
The whole pinkwashing approach seems to be loosing a little steam in the last few years, but it's still galling. You're right, Rosiecat, it's ugly and black. But ugly and black--a lumpy red scar where my breast used to be, oozing radiation burns, financial insecurity, wondering how my family will get along without me, relentless fear--these things don't sell products. Breast cancer is for parties! Breast cancer sells! Breast cancer is SEXY!
When we have prostate cancer "awareness" with men wearing bedazzled jockey shorts on the outside of their jeans, wearing tee shirts declaring "Save the Cojones!" then we'll talk.
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The 'save the tatas' T-shirts did it for me. My breast was killing me so I had it chopped off, how sexy is that? Stuff the breasts, save the human being behind them! Sexualising something as horrendous as breast cancer is sick. I'd be happier wearing a T-shirt with 'breasts can kill' emblazoned across it.
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Pinktober has already started here. I was accosted by 2 people, one on each side of the doorway, trying to get me to donate to some pink charity as I came out of the grocery store. Way too close to me even tho we are all wearing masks. I've been dealing with BC for 14 years, I think I've given enough. And honestly, when I needed some financial help to pay for a medication that was not covered, not one of these charities came through.
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Since breasts have always been seen as sexual objects it comes as no surprise that bc should have become trivialized by fluffy, pink, innuendo filled, sexualized campaigns. I want none of it!
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I’m sure I’ve told this story before, but it deserves a re-run. All of my appointments (two mammograms, biopsy, MRI, ultrasound and surgeon visits) were during October. When my husband and I arrived for my biopsy appointment at the imaging center, they were having a “breast cancer party”in the waiting area, complete with pink punch, cookies, goodie bags and music. I passed on the punch and cookies, but took the goodie bag (which had a very useful ribbon-shaped gel ice pack that fit nicely into my bra) because I like free things.
Anyway, it was disgusting and completely tone deaf! I’m all in favor of encouraging women to have annual mammograms, but at the imaging center? I mean, we were already there for imaging! And celebrating?!? What exactly were we celebrating, especially those of us confirming our breast cancer with biopsies?
After that, the other things don’t bother me as much, but the people who profit from the breast cancer enterprise while doing little to help advance survival rates…well, they don’t even merit a comment.
Also, I like pink as a color and it happens to look good on me. Magenta, hot pink, geranium, rose- all shades except Pepto Bismol. I will continue to wear it, but because people know I had breast cancer, now I worry they think it’s for “that” reason. Nope, but you will not take my breasts and my pretty color too!
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candy and kBL, the order is for chest abdomen and pelvis with injection and oral contrasts. I m concerned about fluid in my abdomen. That stupid md downgraded everything he referred chest to breast and abdomen to abdomen, which disgusted me reading those words. I don't feel hungry- happened after radiation- I didn't lose weight, but gain which raises a concern.
Sunshine, I surely called him much worse and made sure they transferred to him! The problem is that the order was approved first by a coordinator then that stupid clueless so-called md reviewed and downgraded it.
Bcincolorado, I had MO's nurse to call them so they would change the authorization but I guess she did not put a good effort to convince them, she sent me the address of new location and advised to bring cd of images in your follow up appointment!!!!! again I called her to let her I filled an appeal and if she can provide support, still waiting for her call back! My good guess is that staff in cancer center don't want extra responsibility, in simple words they don't care at all....
and surely those nonsense commercials brainwashed easily whoever does not have any clue what MET-A-STAT-IC means, or what is like living with mbc.
Rosiecat, I am going to quote this here and there specifically during October! In fact the mentality that created pink for BC leads many shallow minded towards downgrading mbc or BC that stupid md included, tone of his letter proved it.
Thanks all for input.
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If ANYONE wants a donation from me, I run my hand across my chest and say I’ve donated enough.
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I found these on a trip to New York in the Rochester area in 2019. They almost ruined my vacation.
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Let me state that I dislike all prescription drug commercials. I wish they had never been allowed. Commercials are there to sell something and although I am no marketing expert, I would imagine that they are carefully crafted to generate the most sales. You know all those happy, well looking folks on the Ibrance/Qisqali/Verzenio commercials? I look just like them though I know I am the exception. Re none of these commercials claim to cure bc. With that in mind, no pharmaceutical advert shows the ugly side of the disease it’s supposed to help and they are never going to. I think the real solution is to stop allowing these commercials altogether but I don’t hold out hope for that.
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Snow-drop -- Your treatment has been appalling. Your MD has no idea, probably never will have. Wrong person, wrong job. Maybe you could educate him, tell him exactly how it feels to have been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer - someone should! Your stress levels must be through the roof, I'm angry on your behalf. And no, the fluffy pink shallow minded image doesn't help.
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Snow-drop: the insurance reply is totally unacceptable and cold hearted. The insurance company MD needs to go back to med school for more training if they don't understand Stage IV. I am so sorry you are going thru the insurance approval hassle while dealing with a serious illness. You don’t need more stress in your life. Is there a patient advocate at your cancer center that you can contact for assistance?
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Random Rant - I have lost all confidence in U.S. healthcare over the past year. The system is broken. There have been too many mistakes in my BC treatment. Errors made during biopsies, surgeon didn't think about incision placement prior to getting in the OR and now admits it was less than ideal leading to permanent breast lymphedema; nuclear med tech telling me that radiologist injecting radioactive material for SNB 'didn't know what he was doing'; bizarre RO team; another patient's info being ported into my records etc.. All in the past year.
The last straw was this past week. My SIL started having seizures 7 weeks ago. Her rural hospital ER doctor was very concerned and had her med-flighted to a larger hospital with instructions for brain scans. The larger hospital blew off the ER doc's recommendations, diagnosed a UTI and released her. She ended up back in the rural hospital ER a few weeks later and they transferred her to an even larger hospital. Those docs were concerned. SIL was diagnosed with glioblastoma this week. Prognosis is 2-3 months. While the delay in diagnosis didn't change the prognosis, I do wonder how the heck the first hospital diagnosed a UTI instead of the correct diagnosis of brain cancer.
A regional hospital in my area (not the hospital system I am using) didn't renew the contract with the anesthesiologists group. They hired another 3rd party that does not have any doctors certified to work in my state. It is expected to take months to resolve. Meanwhile the ~2000 surgeries/month that were being performed at this hospital are being cancelled or shifted to other facilities. Public health department just revoked the hospital's trauma certification. How do they manage to screw up so badly?
I'd like to say I'm done with doctors, but at my age, I don't think it is possible. OTOH continuing to see doctors scares the heck out of me.
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Is your sister in law older? If so they probably dismissed any cognitive symptoms as part of a UTI since in older people a UTI can present like that. Terrible that happened and I'm sorry all around.
RE: the cute-tifcation of breast cancer. If it's cute and pink and fun then it doesn't need to be taken seriously.
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@2019 - yes, my SIL is 72 and I’m aware that UTI can cause seizures and stroke like symptoms in the elderly as I went through this with my Dad. What bothers me is the that first hospital disregarded the ER doctor’s request for brain scans. Probably because the ER doc is in a small, rural community hospital and thelarger hospital figured they were smarter.
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Snow-drop:
That is horrible your insurance company is treating you this way. My request for authorization for a bmx initially got denied...by an ENT! That's right. The person my insurance company had deciding what cancer treatment they would pay for was an ear nose and throat doctor! Thankfully they backtracked pretty quickly and then denied it ever happened even though I had the letter.
Does your MO have someone in the office who can advocate for you?
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Harley - so sorry to hear about your SIL. Cancer just plain sucks, always stealing our loved ones
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We had a pink trash receptacle when we lived in Ohio. The trash collection business was owned locally and a portion of their profits went to our local hospital for its mammogram program for low income women. When pink does good I'm all for it. But when gigantic corporations make pink products just for October (think M&Ms) all they care about is their bottom line. Makes me want to puke.
And those damn drug commercials - I want to throw the remote at the TV.
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