What else can we do besides signing the petition?

Colette37

What else can we as women do to stop this from going forward?  Any other ideas besides signing the petition?

I am just afraid that this is only the tip of the ice burg concerning government ran insurance.  It is even more scary, since I think more young women are being diagnosed with breast cancer than ever before.  At least that is what it seems like to me, which means there will be even less of a chance of stopping the breast cancer beast in young women.

Colette37

Do you think it would help if we contacted our Senators and Reps?  How can we gain attention that more young women are getting diagnosed all the time and they need MORE screening, not LESS?  If every single woman on this site got behind and created a force of information, and spread it to their families and friends we could get serious attention because I know there are many people who have been affected via breast cancer in their families.

Any ideas?

JourneyNC

My suggestion is to do a Million Woman March in Washington, DC to Fight Against waiting for Mammograms if this gets passed. We can Rally together the same way we do with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Our voices will get heard. We can let go Pink Balloons and Fling Pink Bras!!

2GIRLSII

I am feeling compelled to do something. Americans just are not this dumb. This is obivoulsy part of some political deal cut to push this new healthcare plan through. It is TOTALLY disgusting....and also quite negligent. I say we sue our government for selling out the wonderful women of this great nation.

AnnNYC

I do think we should contact our Senators and Representatives.

I would like to sincerely, humbly suggest that we women who have had BC try to unite politically on this one issue...  Mammograms are essential and access should be expanded, not reduced!   We don't have to agree on HOW the access will be paid for, but we can all agree that these new guidelines are insane! 

(This stupid Task Force has been working on these recommendations for 7 years, and its members were appointed a while ago!  The studies were completed by December 2008 and the paper submitted for publication well before the current health care debate going on in Congress...  Many people who support an expanded public health care option ALSO are outraged by these guidelines!  I personally think it would be very strong if we showed a unity of opinion among women on the "right" and "left" on the need for mammograms!)

Colette37

Do you think having NOW get behind this would help any?  What they are proposing to do will ensure many people will not get the health care that they need to be able to survive.  It may be something they may be interested in since it is for womens right to get adequate health car!

sheila888

I believe one of the council woman in my jurisdiction is a Cancer survivor. I have to do some searching.

GramE

Most elected officials have a website.  There should be an address to write and/or a place to send an email message.  

I cannot say how much this disturbs me that this is the beginning of denying essential diagnostic tests and what used to be called " Preventative Medicine "...    Maybe the next time someone had a severe sore throat with lumps and bumps, they do NOT do a strep culture and then deny antibiotics.    

lvtwoqlt

I am for the march on Washington, they have done a 'Million Men's march', why not a 'Breast Cancer march'. I am working on composing a strong worded email to my congressman and senators. I have their email addresses in my contact list. I may even include the link to Dr Marisa Weiss's point of view on this proposed change.

Sheila

Anxiousmama

I too am looking for something more to do. I am under 40 with breast cancer and my insurance refused to pay for a mammogram a year before the lump was found. Then, they tried to not pay for the mammogram that confirmed there was a mass because I was under 40.....(hubby made a ton of calls and it was taken care of, but they only paid part)  Sooo, it would fall to reason that NOW they will not be paying for mammograms for anyone under *50* because the lives of those of us who get BC at a younger age are neglible??? 

I'll do whatever I can. I think some type of march or mass protest may be in order. 

EleanorJ

I like the idea of flinging pink bras I don't do breast cancer walks & stuff, but I would totally go to one to fight for mammos, especially for the young women, I was only 33. Right now, besides being angry, I'm not sure there's much we can do RIGHT AWAY. Is this a sure thing or are they talking about changing it? I know most people will hear about this over the next few days/weeks, I posted it to my facebook telling people to NOT LISTEN to those guidelines, but LISTEN TO THEIR BODIES, be their own health advocates and to keep doing the self breast exams. I'm still so mad and so angry over this! And it's not like I'm enjoying the mammos!

Moderators

Call your local Networks!! Tell them you want this to be a story. Offer to be interviewed. Call local newspapers too!

KEW

I think contacting state and federal reps is a good start.  Women who belong to a union should contact their union reps--huge lobbying power--the media should be flooded, BUT know where this came from and don't confuse it with the health insurance bill, or the importance of both will be diluted.  

To find your representative at the federal level, see below 

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml 

http://www.senate.gov/ 

Many states have a program like this one http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/bcc/index.shtml 

I'm sure these groups will be active, try Googling your state and see if you can connect with them. 

Colette37

Moderators...that is a great suggestion and I will do!

KEW That is an excellent suggestion.  Keep to the fact that this is coming from the Federal "U.S. Preventive Services Task Force" which sets the clinical standards for preventive medicines that the medical field follows.

iodine

Good morning America has a place to put up a video on You Tube(if you know how) to say what you are thannkful for; I suggest you say you are thankful for early diagnosis per yearly mammos beginning at age 40.

Or--you can do as I, a computer challenged gal, did: send the same comment to them in a box at the lower left hand part.  You do have to join and leave your email addy.  Only took a second or two to join---you can always block them if/when they contact you.

cmb35

Call you local news, radio and newpaper offices. I was not a candidate for the TV news story or radio story, as they want to focus on women who were dx as a result of a annual screening mammogram (i.e., no palpable lump.) They are looking for women to interview!

Ozzi

We must march,  we must wear t-shirts "I am the one" - for the one woman they are willing to sacrifice to save money. . . . . they must, must see us in mass to know what they are really recommending. 

sheila888

MTG

Is there a larger petition somewhere beyond BC.org ? My family and friends want to sign too !!!!!

montana7p

I too am appalled by the new guideline recommendations. What does that leave those of us who will be diagnosed under 50 (or 40 for that matter)? I made a couple of t-shirt designs last night and posted them at cafepress.com: http://www.cafepress.com/detectbc.417339126#  Show people you disagree with the new guidelines.

CatbirdC

You Go Girl !!!!!!!!!!

CatbirdC

LOL  I meant that for I believe it was Journey with the million women march and the pink

bra throwing.  LOL

iodine

How thoughtful of you, you even included the commas!  thanks for making it so easy

living4today

Just wanted to say Thanks to you all!  After I read some of your posts yesterday, I emailed our local news station, they contacted me for an interview, and tonight I was on the news...this was all totally out of my comfort zone; but this is the time to speak out...we must do our part to prevent these guidelines from becoming the norm.  For those interested here is a link to the interview.  http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=92912 and here is another link from a very respected breast surgeon in our area http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=92920. 

iodine

Very well done!!

allvirgo71

who organizes a million boob march? Ill come, with my 9 year old daughter and husband - pink bras in hand- tell me what to do or who to contact. We are there.

seizetheday

I believe we should get organized / be ready to do something.  Not only in Washington though b/c some may not be able to travel.  We should do something nationwide in the big cities.  Maybe we should dress up as ghosts because they don't seem to see or hear us.  Also b/c we could be dead if we hadn't caught our cancers early enough.  Are we faceless to them?  Maybe we should carry posters of who does see and hear us (our families, friends, etc).  Maybe our hands need to be in handcuffs because to use them for BSE is of no value according to them!!! 

We also need to find a new leader of the research movement.  The "army" needs a new general.  Please, I soooooo want to see someone else gather us for research.  I want to contribute to research but not through someone who agrees with these guidelines.

OneBadBoob

The Koman group has put up a petition on line for signing.

http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/task_force_rec?rk=S1vcTpFaq-JlE

Please pass it on to everyone you know for signature.

MTG

Something else we can do: sign a petition SUPPORTING The "EARLY ACT", a bill advocating early screenings and self exam......and this has apparently been around for a while.

For information about the EARLY ACT: http://earlyactawareness.org/

 "Authored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) and sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), "Young Women's Breast Health Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009'' or ‘‘EARLY Act". would direct the Centers for Disease Control to develop and implement a national education campaign about the threat breast cancer poses to young adult women. The EARLY ACT would also create a national education campaign for healthcare professionals and create materials to help patients address long-term effects and challenges associated with breast cancer."

For the petition: http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/alert_early_act?rk=K7c1wxKaovtHW .fill in the blanks and hit send, so SUPER EASY

For the contrarian and scary view, that the act "would do more harm than good" for such stellar reasons as  "In addition to making young women more aware (and undoubtedly more worried) about breast cancer" and "....breast self-examinations to achieve "early detection of breast cancer among young women." But there is no credible scientific evidence that this would reduce breast cancer deaths": http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/31/opinion/oe-woloshin31?pg=2

Please note: this article came out July 31, 2009 so apparently the New Mammography Guidelines have been brewing for a while; in my opinion, this makes them all the more dangerous.

Anonymous

living4today - SEE! It really does work - contacting local new stations and just about ANYONE else who can "air" your opinion. AWESOME...good for you! Our phone calls, e-mails, faxes, letters, really will make a difference!

SaraF

A group of Washington DC based bc survivors and advocates are staging a protest at USPSTF offices in Gaithersburg MD on Monday 11/12 from 8am - 5:30pm.   See my post "Protest of USPSTF mammogram recommendations" in this forum for details or reply here if you can't locate it.  Any and all are welcome to join us - the bigger the group, the stronger the message we send.  Note: we're just a group of outraged individuals and are not associated with any organization.   Thnx!