March 2014 Surgery

Got a 150 cc fill in each foob on Monday and no discomfort at all.  My foobs now fill my old bras - the ones without underwires - and they are comfortable in them.  I still have 175 CC left - I wonder if that is gonna be too much?

Oh thanks sandra, I wondered about how much smaller they would be so that is helpful.  I was going to ask either in the 101 forum or ask my PS next visit but now I can just go forward.  My PS is impressed with my supple skin and ease of taking fills.  I am happy that I really don't have any discomfort with them - I mean I feel them and know they are there but no pain and I can still sleep on my sides.  I am currently at 375

Has anyone else's insurance denied payment for Femara and your monthly labs? Mind did today. Funny thing that they will pay for surgery, reconstruction, chemo, and all kinds of other things but not the drugs that could prevent a reocurrence? I don't understand. I have a great oncologist who is going to bat for me on this one but he said he has other patients that are having the same problems with their insurance. I wonder now if they will approve my bone scan? I think the insurance fun has just begun!

SpecialK, they said it is not a covered drug. The monthly labs are the bloodwork that the oncologist wants to monitor how Femara is reacting with me. It won't be every month forever, just in the beginning. They drew blood yesterday and will do it again in 4 weeks providing I start taking the Femara. My insurance also says they don't need pre-auth for procedures such as bone scans but they are getting one anyway because he just had a pt. that had a bone scan and they payment was denied. She had the same insurance (Aetna) but not through the same company as mine. Just a precaution for me. He also said there is an injection given every 6 months when you are on Femara if you experience bone pain that probably won't be covered but they will pre-auth that if necessary too. I  expect to hear from someone today about the Femara. Either way I am picking it up and will just pay for it for this month to get things going.

SpecialK. yes it was written for the generic. I found it bizarre as well. Prolia is exactly the injection he was talking about. I will be sure that it is pre-auth'd as well. He didn't say that was a question about menopause for me but maybe there is. I had a partial hysterectomy in 96. Still have ovaries. I am going back to the pharmacy today since they had to order the med for me and I will make sure it was written for a generic. And 2K for an injection??? Won't be happening in my lifetime if my insurance won't cover it. I will keep you posted! Thanks for the help and advice!

SpecialK, he is acting preventively. I am being scheduled for my first bone density test but have had no issues that I know of. Off to the PS now for my first fill in 2 weeks thanks to the allergic reaction to adhesive. Hope this part is done soon too!

Hey Special K and KLJ.

was just reading on the femara issue and I have Aetna also - I am not at point to be prescribed anything yet but I decided to go online to Aetna to see if I could price it out - it appears that it MAY not be covered by my aetna plan either - even the generic.  

Forgot to mention that PS said two more fills. That will put me at 600 cc's and my exchange is tentatively scheduled for Sept 2! The light at the end of the expander/exchange tunnel is shining!

Thanks Julie! I am not the only one on here that Aetna has denied. My oncologist said he has been having a lot of trouble with Aetna lately. Let's hope everything else gets approved! Can't wait for Sept. 2nd! We need to have exchange party!

Us March gals are moving along!  I have a tentative date of September 9th.  My last fill to 650cc (of course my hubby thinks I might want to go a little bigger) will be July 9.  PS said I could have the surgery in August, but after this long, horrible winter we had, I didn't want to give up my summertime!  So opted for the week after Labor Day.  Plus the nurse said that would be good to wait a couple of months.

Frostcat and KLJ, so happy for you both!  I'm actually an April sister, but was watching the March thread when I first found these boards.  

I just had my last fill and I'm at 660cc.  I'm also hoping to schedule for the first week of September.  I could have it sooner, but want to enjoy my summer too and have some pool time.

Julie, you are right on top of things as usual.  I have no idea what my PS plans on inserting, I'm just going with the flow.  You are much smaller than I am as a person on the whole, so don't feel that way.  I also gained 10 pounds during all of this eating processed/sympathy foods.  I said the heck with it, I'm eating mac and cheese.  Obviously a wrong move, but ya know with all we had to deal with I guess I was just in a "the hell with it " mode.  Yes now paying the price, but I don't think I would have changed things.

I'm right there with you Julie and Frostecat. Except I beat you, I gained 15 lbs. And I have no idea what my PS plans on using but I trust him. He is quite the meticulous guy. My daughter says he is very "starched"! We have a good time getting him to laugh which we have managed to do a few times. My daughter has been to every single appt. I have had but will miss the next few. If she doesn't go into labor on her own by Tues. they will be inducing her! So by Tues. for sure I will have a new grandson! I'm going to miss my sidekick at my appts though!

I'm going to work hard at losing these pounds by Oct. We have a family reunion at the beach and I want to look good!

Julie I know I am older than you which is I guess why I am taking Femara instead of Tamoxifen. Did either of you have a bone scan? I am scheduled for that on June 30th. I wonder if Aetna is going to cover that?

KLJ, you must be so excited about a new grandbaby coming!  Tamxifen is supposed to improve bone strength while AIs do the opposite.  I had a bone density scan about 4 years ago and it showed osteopenia.  I haven't had it checked since.  I was also low in D3 with a score of 19 so I am being diligent about taking D3 and calcium.

If you meant a regular bone scan looking for cancer, I did have one after diagnosis and it was clear.  They only ordered one because I have a long history of back pain and sciatica due to having spondylolisthesis.  I never had an MRI or chest xray or anything even though I told the doc that I get a pain in my back lung area when I take a deep breath.  I've had that for years, though.

Being at grade 1, stage 1, with negative notes, there will be no future scans or blood tests looking for metastasis unless I were to have symptoms.  My Onc said that early detection of metastasis through scans did not improve quality of life or length of survival.  That's rather unsettling.  I've read that with ER+ cancer, there is a continued risk of recurrence after 10 years.  I guess we'll always have that hanging over our heads.

Sailon, it's funny that you said that your mounds look smaller to you as time passes.  I had my final fill and I'm at 450cc.  When I first had that fill, I thought I looked so busty!  N^{ow not so much.  I looked at a lot of pics on the picture forum, though, and I still think 450-500 implants will be a good size for my frame.  I think I'm more nervous about the fat grafting than anythig else.  I'll be wearing a compression garmet for weeks after so poolside in a bikini and swimming won't happen.  Even now, I'm afraid to go into a pool or jacuzzi because my scars are still red and annoyed looking.  I don't want to risk messing them up!}

I went back to my low carb eating on Thursday.  I'm already down 3 pounds and feeling better.  I'm angry at myself for eating so much sugar in the last 5 months knowing that it is not good for breast cancer.   

Thought I would try and give everyone a good laugh on a Saturday afternoon. Just went out to get the mail and had a big envelope from Aetna our insurance company. They have denied all medications including generic for Femara. Their decision was based on "the member does not have a documented diagnosis of breast cancer". I wonder why they covered the DMX and all of the diagnostics I had as well as the PS and placement of expanders? I suppose next they will try to get out of paying to have the implants placed! Geez! Can't wait until I can start making some phone calls on Monday. They were kind enough however, to give me a list of Assistance Programs! I'm still in shock!