Here is how I feel. I will never remain passive or lukewarm about this topic (breast cancer) because since my biopsy came back as breast cancer on July 25 my eyes have been opened wide to the disgraceful and unacceptable healthcare system, specifically in my case regarding breast cancer.
I will continue VENTING until things change.

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America's health care system is disgraceful. Mammograms and ultrasounds missing far too many cancerous tumors (up to 30% of cancers are missed on mammogram).

MRI'S that can and DO catch cancerous tumors (as in my case) that far too many mammograms miss are NOT used in catching these missed cancerous tumors, insurance companies not allowing other imaging machines as a standard up front line of defense.

LONG waits for far too many of us for biopsies. (I waited 1.5 months for a biopsy and waiting additional one month for surgery after waiting two additional weeks to see a breast surgeon) Then LONG WAITS again for many of us to see a surgeon and get life saving surgery and therapies in a expedited manner.

Highway robbery costs to get life saving drugs etc that only the wealthy can afford.

Disgraceful. Unacceptable. More women should be outraged over all this.

Things will never change or improve if we remain accepting of what is unacceptable.

My high definition 3D mammogram and ultrasound totally MISSED my cancerous breast tumor in February and only through MY PERSISTENT attitude did I finally get a MRI on June 2nd that showed this tumor in EXACT location my breast has been aching for several months.

Ultrasound earlier had called this distinctly CANCEROUS TUMOR just a BENIGN CYST.

AND WE WONDER WHY SO MANY WOMEN ONCE THEY GET ON THE SURGERY TABLE AFTER MONTHS OF WAITING AND WAITING ETC ARE FOUND TO HAVE MESTATISIZED BREAST CANCER AND WHY MANY WOMEN DIE BECAUSE OF TOO MANY MAMMOGRAMS MISSING these cancerous tumors or giving false negative results AND way too long in waiting to get to surgery for far too many of us to cut this cancerous out of our body.

Every breast cancer patient should have a pet scan to see, before surgery, if the cancer has spread YET MANY LIKE ME have NOT gotten a pet scan. Surgeons will admit they do NOT know fully the true diagnosis or aggressiveness of your cancer until AFTER the lumpectomy or mastectomy SO why a pet scan is not done at the earliest timeframe is beyond me.

I'm still waiting waiting waiting for my surgery to REMOVE this cancer (August 29 is the surgery) and I still have had no petscan even though my entire body feels like total crap.

Things will never change and the status quo will continue unless we women will no longer accept the UNACCEPTABLE.

Joanne Mulvaney

I have sent this long message or email now to every single news media that I can find in the state of Florida from TV to newspapers to radio to breast cancer groups because I am no longer going to except what is totally unacceptable.