New Guidelines Would Have Killed Me...

tinyriot

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

My name is Brooke Purdy. I am not a celebrity, I am not the daughter of one nor do I have any books on the market,  music videos on You Tube or congressmen to endorse… I am simply a mother of two (brilliant) children, Max 5 and Scout 2 and I am a Cancer survivor.

I am writing this letter because if the current recommendation from the US Preventative Task Forces to raise the recommended Mammogram age from 40 to 50 passed a year ago I would be dead.

My story is simple. In September 2008, at the age of 40 I went in for a routine mammogram. Something “suspect” came up and after 2 more mammograms and a biopsy it was determined that I had DCIS, in the early stages. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ is small and cannot be detected from self-examination because it is contained within the ducts. I went in for a Mastectomy on my right breast in November. When I was diagnosed, my Cancer was considered “Stage 0” because it had not gone invasive yet but, when they biopsied the tissue after the surgery they discovered it had “Just” gone invasive. To add to that, my type of Cancer, “HEP2” is a particularly  aggressive, destructive type that spreads quickly and destroys indiscriminately. Basically, I was saved by seconds and inches.  Had I not gone for a routine, simple mammogram at 40, my children would be burying their Mommy.  Had I waited until 50, I would be dead.

My story is NOT unique. I have talked with COUNTLESS women, just like me, young mothers who got early diagnoses and were saved by early detection.

How many orphans is the US Preventative Task Force prepared to explain their decision to?

I am incensed about this and am sure- to my very core- that this, like so much of our broken health system, is about money. I am wondering how much is really saved on mammograms when countless women will have to be treated for liver, lymph, brain and other invasive cancers after their TREATABLE breast cancer has gone undetected for an extra 10 years. I would also wonder if the legislators recommending this bill would gamble with their daughters, mothers or own lives for a 10 year Russian Roulette game… Can that be tallied in a “Cost Effective” spreadsheet?

I am now undergoing reconstruction and am officially “Cancer Free”, although I will be on medication for the next 5 years. When my Daughter turns 40- do I tell her she has to play a dangerous waiting game for 10 years because someone on a panel wanted to save some money?

I am willing to speak to whomever will listen, write to whomever will read and shout to the rooftops to stop this DEADLY recommendation from becoming legislation. If you know of someone or somewhere where my simple, humble but passionate voice will be effective please let me know. I am a survivor. I can make a difference. I am alive and I will fight for that right for other women like me and their families.

Thank You For Your Time-

Brooke Purdy

tinyriot@sbcglobal.net

(818)563-4704

Anonymous

I started doing bse's at a time when it was heralded as a great prevention technique - aka: early detection. So...like a good little soldier, I started doing them regularly. Well low and behold, bingo...lump found! After a diagnostic mammo, that lump was confirmed to be malignant...ALONG WITH A 4CM MALIGNANT LUMP THAT HAD BEEN MISSED ON MAMMO'S FOR 4 CONSECUTIVE YEARS!

Had I NOT found the first lump during a BSE...today, I would be stage 4 or dead.

ginamaria

I had a wonderful young md who had me get a baseline mammogram in my mid 30's.  It showed some minor calcifications which we kept watch on yearly.  My MD moved and I went to another who advised every 2-3 years but I decided to keep having yearlies-THANK GOD I did because I had multi-focal tumors with nodular involvement(stage 2).  I am here 10 years later because I did not follow "guidelines". It p's me off to think of the women who would not be here or whose cancer would be more advanced-to save a lousy $100.00.

Colette37

THe new guidelines would have killed me too.  If I had not been doing SBE I would have not known what my breast felt like when I found the lump nursing my daughter.  But because of the recommendation to start mammograms at 40 the new GYN out of college refused to let me get even a baseline at 35 even with my mother having breast cancer under 50...she said it was not needed until 40...now at 37 I had a 10 cm tumor which was very late diagnoses and rated at 3b because of an internal mammary node involved which was found during the bone scan.  It limited my choices that I had from having some at 35 (when I SHOULD have had it) to ZERO at 37 which would have KILLED me at 37.

I am living proof what these recommendations will do to people and there will be MORE stories like me...only this time it will be of DAUGHTERS, GRANDDAUGHTERS, NEICES, SISTERS and WOMEN FRIENDS.  They seriously need to stop with the limiting testing because TESTING SAVES LIVES!!!

My sister-in-law found something on her first mammogram done this year at 40.  They told her to wait for a year and come back for another mammogram without and further testing being done.  It is already happening where people are being denied.

WAKE UP AND DEMAND THE REVERSAL!  So what if a woman has to worry about a test and it comes up b9?  She should be relived that they are doing everything to make sure they catch it early to stop it.

And yes, I do think this has everything to do with politics because it wasn't until recently that these changes have really started getting dramatic with their lack of any kind of testing that they are recommending not be done at all!

Anonymous

These stories are amazing. I just know that our voices will be heard. We need to continue "screaming"!

my2boys

Your story brought tears to my eyes, Brooke. 

I'm sad to say that these new guidelines would have killed me too!  I was diagnosed at 46.  I found the lump myself during my breast self exam.

I hope that those in charge can hear us now!!!!! 

Colette37

We have to stop this health care bill and their depending on what the USPSTF as the stadards of care!  They are one in the same disaster.

kmccraw423

Arggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg -- that's all I can say - I am speechless.