More Criticisms RE: Insurance

So the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, a panel of “experts” who advise doctors on medical care, recently released recommendations that overhaul the current preventative tracking methodology for breast cancer.  This task force recommends that women under the age of 50 need not be subjected to automatic, routine mammograms.  The task force also notes that women between the ages of 50 and 74 can be tested every other year instead of annually.  Notably, this task force indicates that breast self examinations and breast examinations done by gynecologists during annual exams do no good.

I know I’m anecdotal evidence that probably did not make it onto the task force’s radar before they made their recommendations and observations, but I know in my heart of hearts that the only reason I am still here today is because I had my annual exam and Dr. Rothblatt two years ago, and he found that lump in my breast that he thought was worrisome enough to send me to have an ultrasound and digital mammogram done immediately.  For the task force to implicate that breast examinations done by gynecologists during annual exams have no good spits in the face of my survival and triumph over Karla, and it just straight up pisses me off.

What’s the disadvantage of being screened earlier?  Additional cost to insurance companies?  I can’t think of any other disad and if you do, I encourage you to post a response to my blog so that I can be better educated and continue a dialogue on this subject.  However, until I hear otherwise, the recent observations and recommendations by this task force worry me because they appear to be an “out” for insurance companies to deny coverage for early screening.  I don’t want to think about how many women would be dead right now if they followed the task force’s “recommendations.”  Fuckers better explain themselves better.  Even one life saved is worth it, and I suspect there have been many more than one life saved by screening starting at age 40 instead of 50.

On a lighter note, I saw Dr. Otero for my one year follow-up after concluding chemo last year.  I appear to be okay and continuing on the path of a positive prognosis, however Dr. Otero did recommend that I have an MRI every 3 years to check my implants and also to check any residual breast tissue for changes.  I can’t wait to find out whether insurance picks up the tab for the MRIs without question.  And yes, I’m being sarcastic.

Dr. Otero also reiterated what I learned the last time I met with him approximately 6 months ago, which is that I need to be hyper aware of and observant of my body.  Any weird changes should be reported to my doctor as soon as possible.  I’m freaked out that there’s really nothing I can do except “be in touch with my body.”  I’m not sure I know what the hell that means, though I’m grateful that I’m ignorant.  I suspect that I’ll know when something is wrong, and I hope I never get that feeling.   

All this talk about insurance crap and the pressures of my upcoming move have motivated this as the choice for today’s soundtrack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtrEN-YKLBM.

Switchin’ -N- Bitchin’

I just returned from a “switch-n-bitch” — a ritual with my girlfriends where we clean out our closets and bring our unwanted clothes, accessories, shoes, jewelry, and unopened bath products to someone’s house to exchange stuff over a few bottles of wine and appetizers.  Whatever’s left over we donate to Dress for Success Seattle and Goodwill.  When sending out the email invitation for today’s event, I titled it the “Switch-N-Bitch to End All Switch-N-Bitches,” as I have gone into super purge mode in preparation for my move to the Bay Area and decided to get rid of 3/4 of my closet.  I’m an absolute clothes whore (many of my items still had tags on them), so the ladies attending tonight’s event all left with more stuff than they brought to the party.  I, on the other hand, took only a few items home.  Mission accomplished.

While trying on a few items at the switch-n-bitch, I realized that I have to be more aware of the fact that my nipples are constantly “on.”  I have gone so long without wearing a bra, that I don’t think about putting one on when I get dressed in the morning.  I didn’t have one on today.  So when I tried on a few form-fitting tops today, it was funny how surprised I was by the sight of my nipples piercing through the fabric.  Hopefully I will get used to them soon.

Although I have nipples, my breasts still do not look 100% ”normal.”  I have taken for granted that an areola is an integral part of a breast.  Right now, I have everything but areolae, and my boobs do look incomplete.  I cannot wait for the tattooing process to begin.  I even found a photograph of me in Cancun, Mexico flashing my boobs to a tour bus from my hotel room balcony so that Dr. Paige will be able to mix the tattoo dyes appropriately to match what my areolae looked like before.  Thank God for crazy shenanigans while on spring break caught on film.

If I’m near a computer or radio on Sunday morning, I listen to Johnny Horn’s “Preachin’ the Blues” show on KEXP.  I find rhythm & blues grooves my soul the most out of any genre of music, so I absolutely adore Johnny Horn’s show.  Today this one grabbed me by the horns so strongly that I had to find it and listen to it again several times today (the first song of two on this clip by Big Maybelle):   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzWFhKcLAYo.  Too good.  Just too good.

Insurance Fears

I’ve personally avoided engaging in the health care debate too much because it is overwhelming to process.  If anyone should be well-informed about the debate, it’s me, but I am still in survival mode –  perhaps more accurately “get-through-my reconstruction-in-one-piece mode.”  And I don’t have the mental or emotional bandwith to take on the health care debate with any level of academic rigor.  But as I plan my future treatment to ensure Karla doesn’t return and my reconstructed breasts are well cared for, I realize that I do not know the true implications for my future treatment when my COBRA coverage ends and I am forced to get on another health care plan.

On November 1st, my old firm switched health care plans from UnitedHealthcare to Group Health.  That means that if I wanted to continue with COBRA benefits, I would need to switch plans with the firm.  The problem is, continuing treatment with my providers through the Group Health plan (and being covered the same way UnitedHealthcare covered me ) would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.  Thankfully, I was able to get insurance that will allow me to continue treating with my doctors with less hassle than through Group Health.  However, it will be interesting to see how my new insurance bills for my continued treatment.  I’ll find out soon enough whether my new insurance will deny coverage for my treatment because it’s for a “pre-existing condition.”  I believe Washington state has laws that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage when the patient has had continuous coverage, but I’m unsure what the story is in California.  I think it’s time I call the Insurance Commissioner down there to get the skinny.  Wow.  Add that to my humungo “To Do List” of things I must complete for my upcoming move. 

Shit, I have so much crap to do between now and my planned move date (I hope to be on the road the day after Thanksgiving).  I’m dealing with the stress by procrastinating, which is easy to do when I return home from work totally mentally exhausted.  I shared with my therapist last week that I don’t think I’ve had the ability to process what’s going on because everything is happening so fast.  I fear that my failure to digest and process will continue up until it’s time for me to go and by then it will be too late — I will be in the Bay Area dealing with a whole slew of new crap to deal with.  And by then, my therapist won’t be available to help me sort through the crap.

On a lighter note, my nipples are healing quite nicely and should be totally healed up with all stitches dissolved by next week.  I had a chance to “test drive” my nips this past Halloween, where I dressed up as a “Gold Digger.”  I wore a tight gold lame strapless dress that was tight around the chest area.  I haven’t had nipples for so long, I didn’t think about the implications of wearing a tight dress around my boobs.  But when I went to a very large party that night with a bunch of friends and kept getting a lot of male attention that night — much more than normal — I realized that being in constant “nipping out mode” will attract attention.  And honestly, it’s not always welcomed attention.

For today’s soundtrack, please bear with the obvious (and kinda cheesy) selection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR2DPrcFXeM.