Listen
to Lottie share a cancer experience in her own words. (384 K .au
file)
Listen
to Lottie share a cancer experience in her own words. (384 K .au
file)
Lottie was just beginning to think about the need to start regular mammograms when she heard a radio announcement about a breast cancer screening program for low-income women. She was worried about a "catch 22" and was happy to discover that the program covered screening and any necessary follow-up.
Lottie signed up the breast cancer screening program and went in for her first mammogram. The results of the mammogram showed cancer. She felt that she had a lot of support from her family, friends, and the people in the breast cancer screening program.
Lottie talked about her treatment options with her health care providers. She felt that they were being honest with her about her condition. She knew that the decision was up to her, since it was her body, and she decided on a lumpectomy and radiation.
Lottie believes that she is a positive person, but now she feels more appreciative of life around her. She has found that people are available to help her when she needs it. Technicians babysat her special needs kids at the hospital so that Lottie could receive her radiation treatment on time.
Lottie's Introduction: I felt very blessed
I was like, surprised. No history of any type of cancer, even in
my family. None. It's just like they die of old age, of natural
death. But like I said, I was okay with it and I felt very blessed
because it was at the very, very early stages. They couldn't even
feel it. It was on the mammogram and it was my first one that I've
every taken.
Lottie's Introduction: I didn't have insurance
They tell you about you don't have to pay for it and you're
thinking like, "Sure, what's the red tape?" You know I don't have any
insurance and you always think there's a catch 22. Later on once I
get in the program and they'll come back with, well, you'll need to
pay this amount and that amount, but it wasn't the case. I didn't
have that problem at all. Getting authorizations, you know, they gave
you names, and doctors, and directed everything to you. And I had a
lot of support and it worked out great.
Lottie's Introduction: I wanted others to know
I might be able to touch one person to let them know, you know,
that you feel the need to do this, or that you should do it.
Especially minority women, because I have a bond with them and I've
had the experience and I'm a very truthful person, you know. And I
wouldn't be just sitting saying something that wasn't true about how
I was treated. Because they don't have any insurance, they might feel
like they're not going to be treated as well as the next person. But
I didn't find that to be true at all. Not only that, it's how people
treat you. For me, I was treated really well from day one. And it
might even save your life. As they said, just do it.
Lottie's Introduction: I was billed by mistake
I was billed once. I got the bill and I was like, oh no, I thought
I wasn't going to get billed. And I was thinking ahh, there's the
catch 22. So I called over and got with the person that I was
supposed to check with and she followed up and they took care of it.
So that was a big relief.
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Lottie's Diagnosis: I never had a mammogram
At the time I was 48 and I never had a mammogram, so they set up
an appointment for me and I went and that's when I got the news. They
did find out that I was at the very, very early stage of breast
cancer.
Lottie's Diagnosis: Everybody else worried for me
Its nice to know that there's peoples out there care about you and
concerned about your well being. I didn't really have to be worried
or, but it was like everybody else was doing the worrying for me.
That was pretty neat. I was thinking, I'm going to be okay. Just
everybody calm down, its not the end of the world.
Lottie's Diagnosis: I found out by phone
So they call you on the phone and they tell you right over the
phone. This particular worker that works at Community Mental Health,
I was telling her and she noticed that I was home by myself and she
says, well no, don't make the phone call until I get over there. I
says, oh, I'm fine. I don't have to wait. But she would have been
very unhappy if I hadn't have. So I said, okay, I'll wait until you
get here. So she took her time and came over and we made the phone
call together. And so that's how I found out for sure that I had
cancer and she was there to support me with this.
Lottie's Diagnosis: My children were supportive
I got a lot of family support and a lot of friends. And since I'm
a single parent and I'm not married either. My daughter got very
emotional because she's not in the state and she wanted to be with
me. My son, he's 22, and he was like kind of sad. But I had to kind
of set the mood for them and I said "Well, we can't worry about it.
It's going to be all right and we need to do what we need to do." And
they met the doctors and went on a couple of appointments. I felt
pretty positive, because everybody was so nice, you know, that energy
just comes off. So you know you have positive feelings, so I was
pretty much okay with it.
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Lottie's Treatment: I wanted the truth
Although people helped by their being nice and making life a
little easier, you should know what's going to be happening and how
bad it is, because after all, it is your body. People can sympathize
with you, but you're the person that actually has to go through it.
And I felt the doctor that I was dealing with was honest in
communication and wasn't trying to just pacify me. He was just that
type of doctor to say this is how it is, and I guess he knows that
I'm the kind of person that just, she's needs to hear the truth. I
think it was just the communication of being honest.
Lottie's Treatment: Having no insurance didn't matter
The professionals, they were really nice. I mean, they treated me
really good, you know. At the time I was thinking like, am I going to
be treated different because I didn't have any insurance? That kind
of stuff, it comes through mind and its just the fact a lot of people
don't have insurance and they don't want to have to go through the
hassle of having red tape. Because it is a very emotional thing, you
know. But they treated me really well, very caring. My family that
was there was me, they were treated really well.
Lottie's Treatment: The operation wasn't painful
They did remove some of it, but they didn't have to do the whole
thing. So I was very lucky. The operation, actually it wasn't a big
thing. It was not painful at all. It was very, very little pain. It's
just the hardest thing was for me is waking up, you know, and feeling
like grogginess.
Lottie's Treatment: I had to make a choice
I could either have radiation or a type of pill that you could
take, but it would send you into menopause, you know. And you had to
take it for a two year term and I says "No, no way," I didn't want to
deal with that. I had the final say of "no." I said no, so I didn't
have to go with that, and that wasn't any problems. It wasn't like if
you don't do it, we're not going to pay for your care. So I chose the
radiation over that, and it went well.
Lottie's Treatment: I kept exercising
I jog and I walk every day, even with my radiation. Because it was
during the summertime, I did my daily routine. I did experience a
little tenderness somewhat, but not very much discomfort. So it was
just like a daily routine.
Lottie's Treatment: You connect with other women
They really work around your schedule, so its just like a daily
routine. And I needed to have all morning appointments, and so they
made that happen. So when you first come in you're feeling really
scared and like we're looking at each other, and where yours is at,
and nobody really saying anything. But you kind of bond with the
other women that's there, you know. You kind of connect and like give
each other support, because you get to know each other and you feel
kind of like family.
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Lottie's Recovery: I became even more positive
I thought I was a really positive person, but I kind of felt like
I'm even getting to be more positive. Because at first my breast were
kind of sore after, you know, during the radiation as it went on, it
did get a little sore and I couldn't run as well or as long. And then
I would like kind of look up at the sun and like be glad to see the
sun shining. And I'd think about like what could have been for me,
but which wasn't. Things that like kind of bothered me before. I'd
just think, oh, that's not even worth thinking about.
Lottie's Recovery: I didn't need extra support
And they offer support groups, and the days that you go for
radiation they let you know where you can go, and its right in the
hospital so it was very convenient for you if you need that extra
support. But I didn't actually need the extra support, but it was
good to know that it was there for you if you needed it.
Lottie's Recovery: I gave up coffee
I'm a high energy person, you know. I've always been. However, I
kind of got afraid, you know, I always thought maybe coffee's why I
was so hyper, you know. I used that for an excuse, but I've stopped
drinking coffee since then, you know, and that was one of my favorite
recreational things to do. Its like, don't bother me until I have my
cup of coffee. But I feel great without it and I still feel the same,
so. But I do eat healthier.
Lottie's Recovery: They even babysat for me
After I started radiation at one time I didn't have anyone to keep
my kids. I care for special need kids and here I had three kids, you
know, and its the day taking them to the person that's supposed to
keep them, and I was like so upset because I'm always there for
everybody else and I need this, you know. And this is the first time
in my life that I've ever had any kind of surgery or anything, and
its like nobody's here for me. So I just went over and told them and
they said well just bring them in. That's no problem. You have to
come in. This is very important. They even babysat for me, they did,
and I felt really good. Because at that point, that was one of my
worst moments. It was even worse than finding out that I had cancer
that particular day.
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