Healthcare Reform and Head Gear

No PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan today because the f***ing insurance company refused to authorize it. They say it isn't necessary. The clinic would have done it if I agreed to pay for it if PersonalCare continued to deny it. Yeah, it only costs about $10,000! After an hour of arguing over it, I extracted myself from the very heated argument (I only used a few cuss words). I have fought with PersonalCare before and it's very tiring. Besides I was starving and had a raging headache! My oncologist ordered it because PET is considered particularly effective in identifying whether cancer is present or not, if it has spread, if it is responding to treatment, and if a person is cancer free after treatment. And people say we don't need healthcare reform. Ha! What really pisses me off is that I didn't go to the ICADV Retreat at Rend Lake because I needed this test!

Right now I am scheduled for a modified radical mastectomy, where the entire breast is removed, as well as most of the lymph nodes under the arm. This surgery is most commonly performed if the tumor is large and/or cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes. A modified radical mastectomy without reconstruction takes 2 to 4 hours and usually involves a one- to two-night hospital stay. A single incision across half the chest usually allows the surgeon to remove the breast and the lymph nodes. Ironically, I am scheduled for surgery on October 2, which is It's All In The Jeans Day, where employees pay $5.00 to breast cancer research to wear blue jeans at work. Now that your all medical experts, I'll stop being so serious!

Since I needed a good laugh, I'm watching Caddyshack. The swimming pool scene with the Baby Ruth candy bar cracks me up every time! Also, I love the gopher. We've been discussing head gear for when I lose my hair. I have one suggestion for an Afro wig, one for a clown wig and one for Harley-Davidson bandanas. Anyone else care to weigh in?