Cancer sucks rotten eggs!

Radioactive34
Radioactive34 Member Posts: 391 Member
I am so angry I can't see straight. My sister may have OVC or some sort of cancer. She is in shock. OK I get that, but she is not moving. She has no health insurance, so I found one. There is no GYN Oncologist so I have been looking all over the state for the closest one to her.

She is focused on the side effects of her hormone med. It might make her gain weight. I was so angry. I can't fill out her paperwork for her. I can't drag her to surgery. I was chatting with her and was blunt.

I told her if this was OVC and she wanted to see her children grow up, she needed to get her **** in gear. I understand the fear the mere mention of cancer invokes. I can't understand her not moving on it out of sheer pride at the cost. There is a family ready willing and able to help her....and yet she does not move. I have met many a woman who would give their eye teeth for this kind of support.

We are different her and I. I know that once the fog of denial lifts, she will want to throw everything at it. She will fight tooth and nail for her children. I want to give her that fighting chance......but she won't respond. I am praying for a benign growth. I am praying I am overreacting. But I can't just ignore family and personal history.

Comments

  • undertreatment2012
    undertreatment2012 Member Posts: 126
    denial
    I cannot imagine how you must feel. Like you said there are options for people without insurance, and the hard truth is, it can be a "while" before it will be approved adn all the red tape cut. I agree, she needs to start this NOW. Let me know what she decides. Funny, I never felt denial, I guess I always knew in my gut I was sick.
  • mopar
    mopar Member Posts: 1,972 Member
    I FEEL YOUR PAIN
    I can totally understand your position. And I agree with you that once this all 'settles in', IF there is something to deal with, she will face it head on - she has a great, loving sister and supportive family to help see her through.

    What state are you in? If in Michigan, or even Ohio, my gyn/onc is the best. He's located in Southfield and Novi, Michigan. So even a drive over the border from Canada is a hop-skip-and-a-jump.

    Sending lots of prayers and hugs - keep us informed.

    Monika
  • Cafewoman53
    Cafewoman53 Member Posts: 735 Member
    You can only do so much
    I hope she is not in as much trouble as she could be, it is horrible to worry about our family. I have one sister who is proactively doing what she can to make sure her and her dr don't miss ovca and another one who thinks passing a dr in the hall of the hospital that she works in counts as a physical !
    Keep at her , my biggest fear is that I won't be here to nag my family about being vigilant so they do not have to go thru what I am going thru. Good Luck .
    Colleen
  • mom2greatkids
    mom2greatkids Member Posts: 528

    You can only do so much
    I hope she is not in as much trouble as she could be, it is horrible to worry about our family. I have one sister who is proactively doing what she can to make sure her and her dr don't miss ovca and another one who thinks passing a dr in the hall of the hospital that she works in counts as a physical !
    Keep at her , my biggest fear is that I won't be here to nag my family about being vigilant so they do not have to go thru what I am going thru. Good Luck .
    Colleen

    My sister and I are very
    My sister and I are very opposite in every way. She went with me to my first appt. with my medical oncologist. (I had to go 3 hrs. away to find a gyn/onc. for my surgery). Anyway, she is very naive. I told her she should live her life as though this is hereditary. She said she's just now worried about it. (her gyn is including a Vaginal ultrasound in her annual check ups now). My dr. told her she should be worried about it! She thinks most things are basically "in your head." She implied that my being hungry all the time from the steroids was "in my head," since when she was on them for a cough and other respitory problems. She didn't get hungry. She said she just told herself that she wouldn't be hungry.

    If only we could beat disease at will.....

    I'm sure your sister will come around. We all know the fear and denial. I have never been so scared in my life. I have a 21 yr. old daughter. She knows she now has a higher chance of developing ovca in her lifetime. It scares her, but she understands.
  • kimberly sue 63
    kimberly sue 63 Member Posts: 421 Member
    ?
    I don't even no how to respond to your sister's reaction. However, everyone deals with bad news, stress, and changes from the norm in different ways. Hopefully she will begin to start to manage it and seek care.

    But I agree CANCER SUCKS!!
  • lovesanimals
    lovesanimals Member Posts: 1,366 Member

    ?
    I don't even no how to respond to your sister's reaction. However, everyone deals with bad news, stress, and changes from the norm in different ways. Hopefully she will begin to start to manage it and seek care.

    But I agree CANCER SUCKS!!

    You're a really good sister
    and you're not overreacting. We can truly understand your anger - you're frustrated and scared for her. I too hope and pray that she has a benign growth and when her fog of denial lifts (hopefully really soon), I know that you'll be there for her every step of the way.

    Kelly
  • 6kats
    6kats Member Posts: 12
    Sorry
    about your sister. This durn thing is so hard to be hit with. You can't know how to accept it early on OR ever. Glad she has you.
    kat
  • garden gal
    garden gal Member Posts: 212 Member
    6kats said:

    Sorry
    about your sister. This durn thing is so hard to be hit with. You can't know how to accept it early on OR ever. Glad she has you.
    kat

    hang in there
    like some of the other ladies have said, everyone deals with bad news diferently. She's lucky to have you at her side. Once the shock wears off she'll come around and start fighting tooth and nail. Realy hope and pray its not as bad as you think. Kathy
  • Radioactive34
    Radioactive34 Member Posts: 391 Member
    Update
    She is actually going to apply for the insurance. I called the insurance to make sure they covered cancer full or the possibility of it and they did.

    http://www.healthcare.gov/index.html

    That site provides links to federally and state funded health insurance for people with preexisting conditions.

    We are moving forward!!
  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member

    Update
    She is actually going to apply for the insurance. I called the insurance to make sure they covered cancer full or the possibility of it and they did.

    http://www.healthcare.gov/index.html

    That site provides links to federally and state funded health insurance for people with preexisting conditions.

    We are moving forward!!

    how is your sister
    I hope she doesn't have cancer..sending prayers and good thoughts..val
  • Radioactive34
    Radioactive34 Member Posts: 391 Member

    how is your sister
    I hope she doesn't have cancer..sending prayers and good thoughts..val

    clueless
    We are still clueless about what she has beyond a mass. The doc ordered an ultrsound which found nothing. The mass was found via the CT. So next thing is to do a colonoscopy. Her current doc still refuses to do a CA 125. I know you can get false positives with it but with our family history there is just cause to run it.

    I did get a copy of what the CT report read. Beyond it being more than a simple cyst, and not having ascites....no clue.

    There are places in this country that offer crap for healthcare. She is in one of the regions. It is actually the poster child politicians use for healthcare reform.

    Huge expenditures no decent outcome.
  • lovesanimals
    lovesanimals Member Posts: 1,366 Member

    clueless
    We are still clueless about what she has beyond a mass. The doc ordered an ultrsound which found nothing. The mass was found via the CT. So next thing is to do a colonoscopy. Her current doc still refuses to do a CA 125. I know you can get false positives with it but with our family history there is just cause to run it.

    I did get a copy of what the CT report read. Beyond it being more than a simple cyst, and not having ascites....no clue.

    There are places in this country that offer crap for healthcare. She is in one of the regions. It is actually the poster child politicians use for healthcare reform.

    Huge expenditures no decent outcome.

    Dear Radioactive34
    So sorry that your sister is having to deal with healthcare headaches, at a time when she's trying to find out what the mass is. Sending good thoughts and prayers to her and you, and hoping that she doesn't have cancer.

    Kelly