Angelina Jolie has preventive double mastectomy

[HartAttack]

My wife has the BRCA1 gene mutation and was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 24 (1 month before our wedding - which was 2 years ago).

Within the past 2 years she's been through a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, genetic testing (to find the BRCA1 mutation), then a double mastectomy with tissue expanders inserted, 3 months of breast expansion, and a surgery this past February to replace those tissue expanders with real silicone gel implants. Not to mention she will be on a hormone blocking drug for 5 years.

Not to mention she'll have her ovaries removed by about age 35-40.

We figured out that the cost of all her procedures listed above, plus the MRI's, CT's, Ultrasounds, etc. would have cost around $800,000 for the uninsured American.

Pretty crazy and we are very grateful for our healthcare system in Alberta.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I don't want to sidetrack the thread but to me she looks like a women that has been ridden hard. She's only 37 but looks like she's in her 40's.

Yep. She got herself too skinny, if you ask me. She used to be a very hot, voluptuous girl, and now she is just an above average looking 37 year old.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by HartAttack

My wife has the BRCA1 gene mutation and was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 24 (1 month before our wedding - which was 2 years ago).

Within the past 2 years she's been through a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, genetic testing (to find the BRCA1 mutation), then a double mastectomy with tissue expanders inserted, 3 months of breast expansion, and a surgery this past February to replace those tissue expanders with real silicone gel implants. Not to mention she will be on a hormone blocking drug for 5 years.

Not to mention she'll have her ovaries removed by about age 35-40.

We figured out that the cost of all her procedures listed above, plus the MRI's, CT's, Ultrasounds, etc. would have cost around $800,000 for the uninsured American.

Pretty crazy and we are very grateful for our healthcare system in Alberta.

Out of curiosity, does Alberta health care cover it if it is only preventative?

[HartAttack]

Yes, this would be covered by healthcare as a preventative (elective) surgery.

Although my wife already had breast cancer, she still had a 60% chance of another breast cancer occuring. The double mastectomy was a preventative (elective) surgery for the potential of future cancer, and was not a treatment for the breast cancer she had 2 years ago.

The reason that the elective surgery is covered, is that once you've been diagnosed with BRCA1, you will require some form of monitoring every 3 months for the rest of your life.

The plan put infront of us was (a) double mastectomy w/ reconstruction, or (b) MRI/Ultrasound every 6 months, and a Mammogram every 6 months, each spaced out in 3 month intervals.

From a cost point of view, it is much cheaper to do the elective surgery up front, than to monitor a young woman as mentioned above for the rest of her life.

[HartAttack]

Fotze - yes, thanks. She is no longer in any treatment and her latest tests showed no signs of breast cancer... Back to work in March and feeling pretty good.

[-TC-]

wow, good for her for being so open about it. seriously brave.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Thoughts and Prayers.

This will be a hard time for the men of CP.

She does nothing for me.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Dion

She does nothing for me.

She's probably thoroughly devastated.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

Completely ignorant question on my part, but do people in the US shop around for the best health care deal?

Are some hospitals in high demand for their rock bottom prices?

I suppose that only applies to people without HMO's, but it's just such a foreign concept to me.

Depends. If partial payment of your insurance comes as a job benefit there is very little shopping to be done other than picking one of the handful of options available to you as a employee with that insurance provider. Someone who doesn't go through work to get insurance will either have no insurance (most likely in these parts) or will shop for the cheapest insurance providers.

you then have a second system where a health care group will be affiliated with only certain health care providers and if you go "out of network" you will be charged much much more. For example, we have two health care groups in the area (Freeman and St. Johns) and for as long as anyone can remember one or the other group accepts Blue Cross (what I have). But that can change when contracts with Blue Cross come up for negotiation. If it were to change, I would likely need to change doctors etc unless those doctors managed to then affiliate themselves with the other group.

In short it's a complete cluster.

For the story at hand, even an insured American is unlikely to be covered for this procedure as the large majority of insurance companies do not cover preventative mastectomies and the associated care. So really while it is a brave choice and Jolie should be commended for coming forward, the publicity won't simply help women struggling with a similar choice but may result in some pressure on insurance companies so that ALL (insured) women can have this choice available to them. Because right now such a choice will cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal money.

Besides being dramatically over priced the major problem the US health system has is that because of the prices and what insurance companies will and will not cover, preventative care is non-existent for most people. The majority of people I know go to the doctor "when they are sick" (i.e. often when it is far too late). In a few short years down here I know several people that were diagnosed with cancer that had they simply done some preventative care would have been caught at a far more manageable stage but instead they will definitely lose their lives to the disease. heck I have a co-worker who BRAGS that her 10 year old daughter hasn't been to the doctor since she finished her vaccinations. The reason is because she has never been sick.

That is the culture and attitude. Doctors are for making you better when you are really sick. Elsewhere in the world it's doctors are there to prevent you from getting sick and to heal you when you do become ill. The US attitude completely neglects the former.

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by -TC-

wow, good for her for being so open about it. seriously brave.

Agree especially for her profession. Nothing but respect for Angelina Jolie.

My Mom had a double mastectomy done about 25 years ago 3 days before Christmas. It was a tough time for along time but she eventually beat the Cancer with some incredible genuine caring staff at the Foothills, family support and most importantly her own will power.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by ernie

Depends. If partial payment of your insurance comes as a job benefit there is very little shopping to be done other than picking one of the handful of options available to you as a employee with that insurance provider. Someone who doesn't go through work to get insurance will either have no insurance (most likely in these parts) or will shop for the cheapest insurance providers.

you then have a second system where a health care group will be affiliated with only certain health care providers and if you go "out of network" you will be charged much much more. For example, we have two health care groups in the area (Freeman and St. Johns) and for as long as anyone can remember one or the other group accepts Blue Cross (what I have). But that can change when contracts with Blue Cross come up for negotiation. If it were to change, I would likely need to change doctors etc unless those doctors managed to then affiliate themselves with the other group.

In short it's a complete cluster.

For the story at hand, even an insured American is unlikely to be covered for this procedure as the large majority of insurance companies do not cover preventative mastectomies and the associated care. So really while it is a brave choice and Jolie should be commended for coming forward, the publicity won't simply help women struggling with a similar choice but may result in some pressure on insurance companies so that ALL (insured) women can have this choice available to them. Because right now such a choice will cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal money.

Besides being dramatically over priced the major problem the US health system has is that because of the prices and what insurance companies will and will not cover, preventative care is non-existent for most people. The majority of people I know go to the doctor "when they are sick" (i.e. often when it is far too late). In a few short years down here I know several people that were diagnosed with cancer that had they simply done some preventative care would have been caught at a far more manageable stage but instead they will definitely lose their lives to the disease. heck I have a co-worker who BRAGS that her 10 year old daughter hasn't been to the doctor since she finished her vaccinations. The reason is because she has never been sick.

That is the culture and attitude. Doctors are for making you better when you are really sick. Elsewhere in the world it's doctors are there to prevent you from getting sick and to heal you when you do become ill. The US attitude completely neglects the former.

Just in th U.S. Large parts of the industrialized world will have health care that covers this. I would guess Jolie is known world wide so ,ya, just because the states is ass-backwards in it's medical care doesn't mean everywhere else is.

[puckluck2]

I didn't know that a mastectomy meant she had her breasts removed.

Good for her, and I'm glad she's been so public about it. Probably has given so much women bravery to do the similiar thing.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

I didn't know that a mastectomy meant she had her breasts removed.

Good for her, and I'm glad she's been so public about it. Probably has given so much women bravery to do the similiar thing.

I don't know if it is going to encourage women to do the same thing any more than the potential of death from cancer would have already done. What it has done though is made people much more aware of the risk factors associated with breast cancer, in particular the BRCA1 Gene and has likely promoted increased screening.

Honest question, what did you think a mastectomy was?

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Zevo

Just in th U.S. Large parts of the industrialized world will have health care that covers this. I would guess Jolie is known world wide so ,ya, just because the states is ass-backwards in it's medical care doesn't mean everywhere else is.

i hope I didn't minimize the importance of Jolie coming out to those people in other countries. Wasn't my intent and it is massively important and brave on her part to be so open about it (Christina Applegate as well). I was just thinking that the attention this will give the lack of coverage for this in the US is something that hasn't been emphasized in most of what I've read or heard. And I think that is also an important potential impact.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by ernie

i hope I didn't minimize the importance of Jolie coming out to those people in other countries. Wasn't my intent and it is massively important and brave on her part to be so open about it (Christina Applegate as well). I was just thinking that the attention this will give the lack of coverage for this in the US is something that hasn't been emphasized in most of what I've read or heard. And I think that is also an important potential impact.

Ah, thanks. Now that I re-read that sentence I see what you were saying.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

I don't know if it is going to encourage women to do the same thing any more than the potential of death from cancer would have already done. What it has done though is made people much more aware of the risk factors associated with breast cancer, in particular the BRCA1 Gene and has likely promoted increased screening.

Honest question, what did you think a mastectomy was?

Oh it will certainly give women a big confidence boost that they can do the same thing and do so willingly.

This is more than a major cosmetic change for a woman. This is parrt of their body that forms a large part of their life from being a mother to being a lover. It isn't a trivial thing and even when faced with death it is a exceptionally tough decision for many women (if not every woman). To have brave individuals with the conduits to the media helping pave the way it helps and it helps a lot. Other than cosmetic change you can say the same thing about hysterectomies. (This opinion was provided to me by an important woman in my life who, thankfully, only had a breast cancer scare at 22 and not the real thing)

Men don't really have much of a comparable to these things to be honest. Losing a ball is tough but your identity as a father or lover isn't intimately tied to that ball.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

I don't know if it is going to encourage women to do the same thing any more than the potential of death from cancer would have already done. What it has done though is made people much more aware of the risk factors associated with breast cancer, in particular the BRCA1 Gene and has likely promoted increased screening.

Honest question, what did you think a mastectomy was?

I couldn't dis-agree more. You don't think the thought of having to cut off thier breasts wouldn't terrify a woman on a whole different level? Especially as a preventative measure? Cancer is one thing but removing something which I think women(and society) thinks identifies them as women is whole lot different. I think having Jolie and Applegate being so open and vocal about it is huge.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by ernie

Men don't really have much of a comparable to these things to be honest. Losing a ball is tough but your identity as a father or lover isn't intimately tied to that ball.

Not entirely sure on this one. It does have an affect. I think the bigger fear for men is how other MEN might perceive them if they knew.

Whereas women are generally very quick to support in incidents like this, men, not always so much.

However, losing two would be worse, as testicles do a lot more than breasts. They help maintain hormone levels, they produce sperm obviously. A woman might lose her ability to nurse, but she can still have kids.

I guess a guy could always freeze some sperm first, but you know what I mean. Naturally, he can't father children anymore.

Don't mean to derail, it is a pretty important story. We all need to be less concerned about what sickness might do for our 'image' whether it's masculine or feminine, and just do what is right for our bodies as well as supporting those going through tough changes.

Just meant to say it's something we ALL have to help each other with, male and female, cause yeah, there are big challenges no matter what sex you are.

[CaptainCrunch]

I find Angelina so to be incredibly beautiful not because of her looks but because of her nature.

She is one of the most attractive woman in the world because of what she does outside of movies

Losing her breasts certainly doesn't change that.

she's come a long way from making out with her brother while carry around Billy Bob's blood in a vial around her neck.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by ernie

Oh it will certainly give women a big confidence boost that they can do the same thing and do so willingly.

This is more than a major cosmetic change for a woman. This is parrt of their body that forms a large part of their life from being a mother to being a lover. It isn't a trivial thing and even when faced with death it is a exceptionally tough decision for many women (if not every woman). To have brave individuals with the conduits to the media helping pave the way it helps and it helps a lot. Other than cosmetic change you can say the same thing about hysterectomies. (This opinion was provided to me by an important woman in my life who, thankfully, only had a breast cancer scare at 22 and not the real thing)

Men don't really have much of a comparable to these things to be honest. Losing a ball is tough but your identity as a father or lover isn't intimately tied to that ball.

But she isn't losing her breasts. She will still have breasts, she is getting implants. There is going to be little to no difference in her appearance, other than a few minor scars according to get own article. I am not saying that it is trivial but it isn't as though she is losing the appearance of her in this process.