So…..The infection is cleared up. The seroma still slightly
draining, and the hole almost closed. Which means that my actual new “normal”
size breast is much more apparent. While the radiation will tend to tighten up
the tissue even more, I’d say my left breast is currently somewhere between a c
and d cup. For most people this may seem to be slightly larger than average to
begin with.
However, my right breast, the one that didn’t try to kill
me, is somewhere between a f cup and a g cup. So knowing there is at least
already a 2 cup size difference between the 2, (possibly 3 already) – which could change to even more with the radiation treatment, I called the insurance
company to ask about reconstruction.
Maybe I’m vain. Maybe I just want my clothes to fit right
and not all hang cockeyed. Maybe I just want both breasts to be relatively the
same size. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t really matter. The insurance won’t
pay for it because I didn’t get a full mastectomy.
When I asked about reconstruction, I was asked why would I
need it if I only had a lumpectomy and NOT a full blown mastectomy. I explained
because they took tissue the size of an orange out of my breast and knocked me
down a couple of cup sizes. In the insurance companies own words, they
reconstruct the taken breast so that it is symmetrical to the non-taken breast.
But not in my case.
Had I have been an a cup, a b cup, or even a c cup it WOULD
have been a full mastectomy, but because I happen to have larger than normal
breasts they did NOT have to take the entire thing. And because they didn’t, I’m not eligible for
reconstruction.
So let’s get this straight.
If I had been an A cup, or even a b or c, I would have had to have a
complete mastectomy because with as much tissue they had to take, there wouldn’t
have been anything to leave behind. Rebuilding me to an A (or B or C) would
have been covered at 100%. So I may only had to have been rebuilt one cup size and that would have been covered.
But because my breasts happen to be large, I had more tissue
taken than what a or b cup is to begin with, there was plenty of tissue left to
actually KEEP part of my breast, so they won’t pay anything even though the difference may very well be 3 cup sizes making me utterly lopsided. (no pun intended) Small breasted women can have their breasts reconstructed to
match, but large breasted women can’t?? How is this not complete utter
discrimination against large breasted women?
I’m going to fight it. They did say I could have my surgeon
send in a request with documentation, so they can review it and make a predetermination.
But even then if they approved it, it would only be paid at the 80%. I’m going
to fight that too. I should not be penalized because my breasts were larger
than average to begin with. What a screwed up concept!
Maybe I’m crazy, I don’t know, but I don’t think my breasts
should be considered any less important than someone with smaller ones. I had
cancer just the same. I have to go through the treatment just the same. Don’t
punish me because my breasts happen to hold more fat cells than what some others do.
Wtf.
