My Opinion

I was reading in todays newspaper about a local practice that has Cancer screenings that save lives. This test is for breast cancer and ovarian cancer and cost $3000. Of course it is not covered by most insurance companies. If you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer you are a candidate to have this test done. Here is why I get a little no alot ruffled. If this is a test that can detect or prevent these horrible cancers they need to be readily available to everyone not just to the people that can afford pay $3000. There was a recent article I read that most people already cannot afford to go to the doctor for regular screenings and when they are finally diagnosised with cancer sometimes it is to late. I had no insurance so of course I am one of those people that put off having my test done. Then I started having severe health issues that kept me going to the doctors for 4 months before I was even diagnosised with STAGE 3 Endocervical Cancer. And guess what? I have no family history of cancer. Ours is heart disease. So that throws that theory out the window. I think everyone should be a candidate.

My second thought is why don't they do better with the screenings they already have in place? Reason being in 2004 I was pregnant went in for my first OB appointment and of course had my pap done. I had a miscarriage, the weekend after my miscarriage I received a letter in the mail from the doctors office stating I had an anormal pap and needed to schedule a biopsey. (yea cold huh, they had to mail it to me and not call me, anyways) I had to have a biopsey and my cervix did not match the pap results so he had to take to biopseys. I asked him if it was possible that was not my pap and of course he said anything was possible. My results came back normal. I had 3 paps afterwards all in which were normal. Then When I was diagnosised in April the Gyn Oncologist in Macon said that was more than likely my pap that I had this cancer for years. 7 cm, a size of a lemon. Why did no one mention endocervical cells. Most times when you have a pap done they don't get these cells because they are higher up in your T zone. So you see I believe they need to be better on doing the test that are in place. I bet everyone or most people that has been diagnosised with cancer have a story to tell as well. Sometimes I think we all get so comfortible in what we do we overlook or don't do the best that can be done. Especially now in healthcare since providers have to see more patients they can't or don't spend the quality of time with the patient or reading the test results or listening to the patients and their cheif complaints.

If there are any cancer screening test out there that can save lives I believe it should be readily available to "EVERYONE" not to just those who can afford it. In the long run it would save a tremendous amount of money and lives.