Good insurance coverage leads me to being "over-treated"

crselby

Can a woman have insurance coverage that's too good?  Yes!  (although the lack of good insurance is a much bigger problem.) It's been a couple of years since I posted.  History: DCIS 2009, stage 0 but aggressive type, lumpectomy, then brachytherapy (interstitial multicatheter, not balloon), Tamoxifen briefly.  So, the affected breast is slightly smaller than the unaffected but it is not generally noticable in clothing.  My oncologist and my general practitioner have been doing my breast exams since my OB/GYN left practice and I have been searching for a new one.  The new one has helped with repeatedly removing endometrial polyps that started as a result of taking Tamoxifen for 1.5 years. Since I am not on any hormonal therapy post-cancer the oncologist wanted semi-annual mammograms until this past April. The usual length of semi-annual mammograms is 3 years but for me it's been 5. April 2014 was to be the last one before I started annual mammograms!  Yay!  This year my OB/GYN thought she should do the breast exam and I said ok, what the heck.  It was almost funny to me to see her face and hear her muttering about not wanting to alarm me.  She had encountered the 4-5 centimeter hard lump in my treated breast!! It is a seroma, the result of the Brachytherapy forming a hard "shell" of dead tissue around the surgical cavity which is filled with fluid.  I've lived with this sometimes-aching lump for 5 years, being told it will eventually shrink but it is nothing to be concerned about.  Well, my OB/GYN insisted on at least an ultrasound of that breast and maybe a mammogram if the radiologist thought that was necessary.  It was so difficult to explain to the imaging center that I wasn't coming in for a mammogram AND and ultrasound but an ultrasound and MAYBE a mammogram.  They wanted to schedule the mammogram first.  So I told everyone I encountered from the 'scheduler' to the 'welcomer' to the technician to the radiologist that I was there because my OB/GYN didn't "understand" my lump and over reacted.  FINALLY, the radiologist understood and without disrespecting the professional integrity of the OB/GYN, the radiologist agreed with me.  There was nothing unusual or different in the ultrasound so I didn't need the mammogram.  I am still on the once-a-year schedule!  Yay!  So, my advice: know your own cancer and treatment results and don't let any doctors talk you in to something you don't think is necessary.  I'm glad everyone is all "aware" of breast cancer, as this month of October is all about that, but over-reaction can lead to expensive and unnecessary treatments.  Doctors have made enough money off of me, my cancer treatments, and treatments to mitigate the side effects of treatments!  I'm going to advocate for myself that unnecessary treatments stop now.

~~Connie~~

GlowMore

DCIS

Ductile Carcinoma In Situ which is not invasive........but it can increase the risk of developing Invasive later on from what I have read. 

How can you 'KNOW' if it becomes Invasive is what I would be worrying about...but it does sound like you are very knowledgible.   Sending you kudos for standing up for what you want....and prayers that it never becomes Invasive.