Article Link Angelina Jolie's Medical Story

[goldillocks]

Not sure if this has already been posted in another thread.
I really admire Angelina and i am touched by her strength and courage.
I too am a breast cancer survivor with a mastectomy and i have found all the other threads and stories on this forum very inspiring and i hope i will share my story as well soon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/op...oice.html?_r=0

[caligurl]

while i find the stories of breast cancer survivors inspirational and feel it's important for those brave people to share what they went through to help others have the same courage... i, personally, don't think of AJ's story as being one that is much help to the normal, everyday woman. most people don't have the money that AJ has nor can most working people afford the extended time from work..... not to mention the cost.... how many people can realistically afford the full cost of an elective surgery of this magnatude? most (all?) insurance companies do not pay for any portion of elective surgery.....

and before even getting to that point: most people cannot afford that type of genetic testing and insurance companies won't pay for it.

that said.... goldilocks... i'm looking forward to reading your story when you are ready to share it..... HUGZ

[BamaTanya]

I'm glad she's sharing her story to encourage other women. Like Angelina, I lost my precious mother to cancer. I do not have the BRCA issue, but I was diagnosed with Stage 1 bc last May. Choosing mastectomy is never an easy decision. It helps to hear courageous women tell how they have fared after the surgery. I hope she enjoys many years of good health!

[JackieB]

Originally Posted by caligurl

most people don't have the money that AJ has nor can most working people afford the extended time from work..... not to mention the cost.... how many people can realistically afford the cost of an elective surgery of this magnatude? most (all?) insurance companies do not pay for elective surgery.....

and before even getting to that point: most people cannot afford that type of genetic testing an insurance companies won't pay for it.

I was visiting with some women today and this was the exact comment from one woman.

Jackie

[HRCFitness]

Couldn't agree more! I am happy that AJ found was able to do what she did but let's face it even if most women wanted to they can't afford to. So glad she could afford to what she did and I'm sure it took a ton of courage but not all of us have her funds to make it happen.

[Clare*]

Actually, many insurance companies do now pay for Prophylactic Mastectomy for women with the BRCA mutation. For instance- here is Aetna's policy:

BRCA Testing, Prophylactic Mastectomy, and Prophylactic Oophorectomy

So, maybe AJ's high profile will lead more women with breast cancer in their family history to have this checked out.

[gmfreund]

A friend of mine recently had this same surgery and it was most definitely covered by her insurance. Of course policies differ, but if I had a family history like my friend's or Angelina Jolie's, it would be worth discussing with my doctor and my insurance company.

[andtckrtoo]

And the time off would absolutely be covered by your employer - probably as disability, but still at the majority of your pay. Honestly, as a manager, having had team members with Breast Cancer - I'd much rather see them be proactive and take a month off to do this, then to have to go through when my employees have. Employment laws vary from state to state, but most are strongly in favor of the employee when it comes to things like this. I am happy to see her come forward to bring awareness to this.

[Susan]

Personally, I'm happy for her that she could afford the testing and the surgery, because her odds of getting cancer were very high, and even though I've never been a big Angelina Jolie fan, I would hate to think of anyone getting any kind of cancer, let alone a type that could have been prevented.

I think it's great that she's sharing her story. Many people may not even be aware that testing is available, and in this type of situation, having more people become informed about it could potentially save lives.

As I understand it, many insurance companies do cover both the testing and the surgery for high risk patients, so it's worth it for anyone who is worried that they may be in Angelina Jolie's situation to take the time to check into it.

I think it's kind of sad that anyone is being cynical about this -- and I have already seen many nasty comments online about it. OK, so she has the money (or good insurance) to pay for the testing and the surgery, but for goodness sakes, the woman just had a double mastectomy, and I don't care how much money she has -- it had to have been tremendously scary, stressful, and traumatic for her.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I wouldn't have traded places with Angelina Jolie for a billion dollars on the day she found out that she had an 87% risk of getting breast cancer -- or on any of the days after that when she was trying to deal with the news, figure out what to do, and then once she made her decision, worry while she waited for her surgery date (probably scared she might die and leave her children without a mom.) And she's probably still recovering from the extensive surgery. I'm sure it has been a very difficult road for her to travel.

[hedygs]

Well put Susan.

For people to poo-poo what she has done because she has better resources is sad.