Fighting Breast Cancer

It just so happens that the world famous Mayo Clinic has a facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, about 40 minutes from my home.  My husband absolutely insisted that I get, what he considers to be, the best medical care available.  He called our insurance company and they said that we were technically covered, but for the Mayo Clinic, there is a $10,000 deductible, plus you have to pay for any diagnostic work out of pocket.”

Basically, she made me feel like we were crazy for making this insurance choice.  My husband doesn’t care.  His response:  ”I have an American Express Platinum, a Bank of America card with a $36,000 limit, and an AT&T Universal card with a $20,000 limit.  I’ll bankrupt us if I have to.” 

I know that he really doesn’t want to file bankruptcy, so I reminded him of the high interest rates.  The response:  A.) “We’ll find a way and money isn’t important right now” and B.) “I don’t give a shit Karen!  You are going to Mayo and that’s that.” 

The idea that our medical bills are going to max us out has my stomach in knots. 

I just got off of the phone with Mayo and scheduled an appointment to see a surgeon in the Breast Clinic.  They won’t be able to see me for 2 weeks, but I feel better about going there for treatment.  In the meanwhile, they have requested that I have my biopsy slides, mammogram films and ultrasound images sent to their facility so that they can look at them and have an idea of what’s going on with me.

I feel very fortunate that they could get me in.  When one pulls up to the hospital, there is a hotel right on campus, and tons of out-of-state license plates in the parking lot.  In other words, it’s a good hospital with great doctors. 

Although we do live about forty minutes from the Mayo Clinic now, we used to live five minutes away.  I don’t know why we didn’t think about this to begin with.

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