Well, that's what it seems like these days.
First there was the report earlier this week recommending that women delay annual mammograms until the age of 50, and then only get them every other year.
And then today... there's this headline:
Now, Women Told: Delay Cervical Exam
Way at the bottom of the story, they tell you that women should still get their annual pap smear, but advise against using it to test for cervical cancer. Apparently the medical community now feels it's perfectly fine to delay critical cancer screenings for women. WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS??? The excuse about false positives doesn't sit well with me. Sorry, but I'd rather be treated for a false positive than ignore anomalies that could end my life.
Fellow blogger, ALa, of Blonde Sagacity, had a false positive breast exam that resulted in surgery but does not regret the treatment.
My Aunt Kay was diagnosed with cervical cancer in her early 20's as a result of her annual pap. She is now 40, and cancer-free.
My Mom has had lumps removed from her breasts twice now, after finding them during self-exams. Both were benign, but scary nonetheless.
My Aunt Sandy did NOT get annual mammograms in her 40's, and was diagnosed Stage 3 breast cancer by the time it was caught. She now resides with the angels instead of her husband and teen-aged son.
My co-worker, Mike, is facing a similar tragedy, as he watches his young wife slip away from him and their 15 year old son. This is Tammy's second time around with breast cancer, with the first being right after their son was born, when the cancer was caught during a mammogram. This time she will not make it.
A few years ago, I myself had a breast cancer scare. My doctor noticed something unusual during my annual exam and sent me for a mammogram. It was right before Christmas, about four years ago. I will never forget the fear... but I will always remember the relief knowing that my doctor was on my side, looking out for me. With these new guidelines, my faith in the medical community is wilting away. Will my doctors now have to get special permission from my insurance company to perform possible life-saving annual screenings? Or will the insurance companies simply say "NO... the new guidelines say you don't need the tests, regardless of what your doctor says!" and not cover them at all?
I can't wait to see what this looks like under ObamaCare.
~ Castle Denizenne and Protector of Female Body Parts.. AFSis
First there was the report earlier this week recommending that women delay annual mammograms until the age of 50, and then only get them every other year.
And then today... there's this headline:
Now, Women Told: Delay Cervical Exam
Way at the bottom of the story, they tell you that women should still get their annual pap smear, but advise against using it to test for cervical cancer. Apparently the medical community now feels it's perfectly fine to delay critical cancer screenings for women. WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS??? The excuse about false positives doesn't sit well with me. Sorry, but I'd rather be treated for a false positive than ignore anomalies that could end my life.
Fellow blogger, ALa, of Blonde Sagacity, had a false positive breast exam that resulted in surgery but does not regret the treatment.
My Aunt Kay was diagnosed with cervical cancer in her early 20's as a result of her annual pap. She is now 40, and cancer-free.
My Mom has had lumps removed from her breasts twice now, after finding them during self-exams. Both were benign, but scary nonetheless.
My Aunt Sandy did NOT get annual mammograms in her 40's, and was diagnosed Stage 3 breast cancer by the time it was caught. She now resides with the angels instead of her husband and teen-aged son.
My co-worker, Mike, is facing a similar tragedy, as he watches his young wife slip away from him and their 15 year old son. This is Tammy's second time around with breast cancer, with the first being right after their son was born, when the cancer was caught during a mammogram. This time she will not make it.
A few years ago, I myself had a breast cancer scare. My doctor noticed something unusual during my annual exam and sent me for a mammogram. It was right before Christmas, about four years ago. I will never forget the fear... but I will always remember the relief knowing that my doctor was on my side, looking out for me. With these new guidelines, my faith in the medical community is wilting away. Will my doctors now have to get special permission from my insurance company to perform possible life-saving annual screenings? Or will the insurance companies simply say "NO... the new guidelines say you don't need the tests, regardless of what your doctor says!" and not cover them at all?
I can't wait to see what this looks like under ObamaCare.
~ Castle Denizenne and Protector of Female Body Parts.. AFSis
All of my female friends are just in shock. It's like being told that your baby really doesn't need immunization shots when we all know they do.
She was only 42.
Spielman's fight with cancer began in 1998, when she discovered a lump in her right breast through a self-exam.
Just think how much sooner Chris would have lost her if she had skipped her self-exams as the government is now suggesting. How very sad. One more husband without a wife, and four children without a mother.... all because of breast cancer.
The task force Reid is downplaying will be the one making the decisions on whether or not a woman will receive a mammogram, and both Medicare and Medicaid are in for cuts -- they're even spelled out in the bill. Reid is, as usual, lying through his teeth.