Uninsured, under-insured have options State, local programs make mammograms more accessible JUSTIN CONN
H&R Staff Writer
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DECATUR — The Affordable Care Act mandated that health insurance have free mammograms for women 40 and older, but there are still women who don’t have access. Fortunately, there are programs available locally to help the uninsured and under-insured. The American Cancer Society recommends that women with an average risk of breast cancer should undergo regular screening mammographies starting at age 45 years — even earlier if there’s a family history. For the uninsured or those with insurance policies that don’t pay for mammograms, a mammography costs between $80 and $120. For women with no insurance, Decatur Memorial Hospital offers no-cost screenings through the DMH Breast Center Mammography Initiative. Women between the ages of 35 and 64 who meet the financial guidelines based on family income and have no insurance are eligible. Women 65 and older can get their mammograms covered through Medicare. To make an appointment, call (217) 876-1111. “People just need to call our scheduling department and they’ll ask certain questions to see if you qualify,” DMH Breast Center Patient Navigator Heather Ludwig said. “If you qualify, then they’d schedule you for an appointment. You do have to have a physician to be eligible for the program.” The Mammography Initiative is a screening. If there are any breast problems — lump, drainage, dimpling or puckering — a diagnostic is needed. DMH has a diagnostic mammogram program available. Patients should ask their doctor about it, or if they don’t have a doctor, call (217) 876-2856. “If you call here we’re going to try to get you to the right person who can help you,” DMH Mammography Coordinator Karen Oesch said. “We’ll talk to you and try to figure it out.” For women without insurance, another option is Crossing Healthcare. Crossing offers mammograms the first Wednesday of every month and patients must call (217) 877-9117 to schedule an appointment. The service isn’t free, but Crossing uses a sliding fee program that’s based on the patient’s family size and household income. Anyone who shows up at DMH or Crossing without health insurance will be encouraged to sign up through healthcare.gov. With the Affordable Care Act increasing the amount of people with insurance coverage, and requiring insurers include free mammograms beginning at age 40, most have mammograms covered in their policies. “That’s been really helpful,” Ludwig said. But there are still under-insured women. The DMH Mammography Initiative only covers the uninsured, but anyone who is uninsured or under-insured can get a free mammogram through the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP). Run by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the IBCCP provides free screenings for any Illinois woman 35 to 64 who need help, whether they’re uninsured or under-insured. To get screened, go to www.cancerscreening.illinois.gov, or call the Illinois Women’s Healthline at (888) 522-1282. “They’ll send you enrollment forms you have to complete and they’ll set up the appointment with who they want you to go to,” DMH Breast Center Patient Navigator Pam McMillen said.
JIM BOWLING PHOTOS, HERALD & REVIEW
Radiation therapist Mendi Kondritz hands breast cancer patient Barbara Rosenbury a positioning aid while preparing Rosenbury for a CT Scan before a radiation treatment at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Cancer Care Center.
Thankful for survival After tears, breast cancer treatment, women count blessings JUSTIN CONN
H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — Barbara Rosenbury looked in the mirror with her shirt off for the first time since a double mastectomy and cried. The surgery saved Rosenbury’s life, but seeing two scars where breasts used to be was a dose of reality Rosenbury wasn’t ready for when she arrived home from the hospital. Kelly “The first time Mahoney you’re in the bathroom by yourself and you undress and look in the mirror, and you see these two horrible scars across your chest — it’s a feeling I’ll never forget,” Rosenbury said. “I cried, and it was a long time before I would let my husband see.”
The shock, though, is wearing off, and Rosenbury is thankful for what she has — a loving, supportive husband who loves her even without breasts. “My husband has been such a rock through all this,” Rosenbury said, with tears filling her eyes. “I probably will not opt for reconstruction — I don’t want to go through surgery again. We decided we’re comfortable with the way I am now. He doesn’t miss my breasts. I guess you never say never, but it’s just not a priority right now.” Breast cancer victims like Rosenbury and fellow Decatur resident Kelly Mahoney are among the growing numbers surviving the disease because of earlier, more frequent screenings, and continued advances in medical technology. Mahoney, a 45-year-old single mother of two, was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago during a routine mammogram. She had a lumpectomy and, though still receiving “maintenance chemo,” is back to work. “My kids were my first concern,” Please see PATIENTS, Page G4
Radiation therapists Keri Reel, foreground, and Mendi Kondritz observe as a CT scan is taken of breast cancer patient Barbara Rosenbury before her radiation treatment at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Cancer Care Center.
Therapy helps maintain mobility Lymphedema can be issue after some cancer surgery DONNETTE BECKETT
H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR – Breast cancer surgery can affect other parts of the body. One of the most common areas is the arms. After returning home, patients may find their clothes or jewelry are tight, their arms feels heavy or their arms have decreased mobility. Those symptoms could signal lymphedema. During surgery, the surgeon may remove or disturb the lymph nodes. For breast cancer patients, the most commonly disturbed lymph nodes are lo-
cated in the armpit. The body naturally reacts to an injury by flooding the area with fluid through the lymph nodes. The surgery can cause a malfunction in the lymph system. Lymphodema can cause swelling in the breast, arms, legs or neck. “It could be anywhere in the body where you’ve had surgery that has disturbed the lymph nodes,” said Theresa Miller, Occupational Therapist at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital. “The fluid does not properly drain.” Miller compared the problem to a clogged bathtub. Physical and occupational therapists are able to assist patient in draining the fluid. “We have to clear that drain, but we have to go
ONLINE For more information on Lymphedema, visit the National Lymphedema Network website at www. lymphnet.org into other areas of the body,” she said. The fluid can not be drained with a needle. Instead, therapists must work on other areas of the body where the other 600 lymph nodes are functioning well. They massage the fluid of the involved area and move it to an area where the lymph nodes are functioning better. The patient eventually uri-
nates the fluid out of the body. “If the fluid stays for too long, it can become vibrionic, or it gets very thick,” Miller said. “It gets backed up and then nothing moves.” “You may get cellulitis at that point, which is a skin infection” said Beth Dighton, Occupational Therapist Assistant at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital. Most therapists in the cancer field watch for signs of lymphedema before the patient leaves the hospital. Mary Jesse, Physical Therapist with Decatur Memorial Hospital, often works with surgeons before surgery. “We will do measurements to determine the girth Please see THERAPY, Page G4