A number of months in the past my cellphone pinged with a notification of a textual content message from an unknown sender. My first thought was which rip-off was it this time? Was it the toll street price I “failed” to pay or that package deal that received’t ever be delivered? Seems it was neither. It was a message wishing me a cheerful birthday and prompting me to “begin a birthday custom that prioritizes my well-being” by scheduling a mammogram at a facility I had by no means been to earlier than. Whoa, maintain the cellphone. To start with, I’m not an enormous fan of birthdays. And, second of all, I’ve metastatic breast most cancers and had a double mastectomy with aesthetic flat closure mere days after my fortieth birthday. I don’t want a mammogram, thanks very a lot.
As with all advertising marketing campaign, you might want to know your focused viewers. An individual who has had a mastectomy is simply not a match for this example. I’d wish to see a mammography tech attempt to discover any chest tissue value squeezing on my scarred flat chest wall and to see their faces if my breastless self have been to point out up for an appointment. I’m assuming nobody would discover I’m flat till it got here time to disrobe.
These reminders are painfully triggering. I’ve accepted that most cancers is part of my life. I see it day by day within the disfigurement attributable to this illness, however to be reminded I ought to have a mammogram, on my birthday no much less, is an expertise nobody in my state of affairs ought to should endure. The offending radiology group acquired an earful from me, and rightly so, after I used to be in a position to lastly monitor them down.
After some digging, I found that the power I had used up to now for radiation mapping was purchased out by a company that now had entry to my medical data, which clearly states I’ve no breast tissue. Whoever was in command of advertising textual content messages clearly didn’t learn my data or have been so tone-deaf they didn’t hassle to take a look at all.
The sting of that inconsiderate textual content stayed with me, a reminder of how typically healthcare programs can miss the mark and overlook the realities of sufferers like me. That frustration resurfaced as I confronted one other problem: arranging my upcoming scans to observe my illness. At my final oncology appointment, when the receptionist requested the place I might wish to go, I selected the identical facility I’ve trusted for 11 years, hoping for familiarity and ease. No drawback, she would fax the orders and I might name to arrange a day and time. However, she stated… they have been purchased out by one other firm. Aaagh! The imaging middle I’ve used since my analysis in 2014 is now owned by the offending mammo spammers. You possibly can think about my disappointment.
Scans create nervousness all on their very own. This provides one more layer to this multi-layered birthday cake. It took the whole lot I needed to suck it up and have these scans performed by the mammo spammers. I unsuccessfully tried to discover a totally different native facility that is not affiliated with this firm and got here to the conclusion they now have a monopoly in my space.
Previous to my appointment, I discovered the power now not had a nurse to entry ports for distinction, which spiked my nervousness. After some self-advocacy, the radiologist agreed to deal with it. As we chatted whereas he was accessing my port, I shared my frustration with the brand new firm and the textual content message fiasco. He and my favourite tech agreed the company takeover had worsened issues, expressing hope for change. The method went easily, however the expertise underscored the corporate’s disconnect.
When my outcomes have been posted later that day within the portal I couldn’t entry something apart from the scan footage. I must wait one other agonizing day.
The notification got here the following morning from my oncologist with a message of no proof of energetic illness (NEAD) and I instantly might really feel the lightness of 1000’s of untethered birthday balloons lifting away the scanxiety that had been plaguing me within the weeks main as much as my scan appointment.
Right here’s to extra birthdays, extra clear scans and residing day-after-day as finest we are able to regardless of most cancers.
And to the mammo spammers, allow them to eat cake, simply not my celebratory slice.
