Clear MRI & Mammogram

Yea! There's nothing better than a clear MRI. The mammogram did not hurt nearly as much as I had feared, but 45 minutes in the MRI is sure a drag.

Now we have to do some more followup and then see what we can do about getting tested for less money. I understand outside "Open MRI" places charge 1/4 or less of what Mayo gets. The trick is going to be keeping Mayo for my followups but paying $750 for an MRI instead of $4500.

Hair is about 2-1/2 inches now. I'm not ready to give up the wig but I do want to see what my stylist can make of it.

MRI and Mammogram Scheduled

We're set to have our first follow-up MRI and Mammogram this week. The Mammogram is only for the non-cancer side, the MRI will be both sides.

I'm hoping hoping hoping for no signs of recurrence. It will be another sign of being done with this.

I'm worried the mammogram will hurt though, I'm barely 3 months out from the implant surgery.

Also the MRI is $4,000, we'll have to leave Mayo or figure something else out if we're to have one of these every 6 months. Our insurance has a high deductible (it's an HSA) and even after that we only get 70% at out-of-network spots like Mayo.

MRI Day

Today was a pain. We spent an hour waiting for an MRI and then 45 minutes sitting perfectly still while they did an MRI of both breasts, both with and without contrast. We're looking for any reason to do a mastectomy on the left breast too. The results take 10 days but there's nothing showing on the left side. The bill for the MRI is nearly $5,000.00.

Meet the new surgeon

Today we met our new surgeon, Dr. Hartigan. It turns out he's not so new, I had a cyst removed by his partner a few years back. He says we're good candidates for an areola-sparing mastectomy (ASM). He also says that most Europeans don't do mastectomies like we do here, they almost always leave the nipple or the areola. We're also happy that he and our plastic surgeon will be able to work together in the same operation. He says we need an MRI bad to check the other breast for cancer, we agree and couldn't believe our old surgeon didn't want one.