Please excuse my venting....grrrr..

Hi Tonya, yes there is something seriously wrong with the cancer screening process for BC. Personally I think it comes down to cost and an over-stretched health system that cant keep up. I was given many reasons yesterday why regular screening doesnt happen but you know what?..........I dont care! I will get my own screening done from now on if I feel what I'm being offered is inadequate! Whether it is a "waste of money", "waste of time", "unreliable", "over-doing it", "more radiation means more cancer risk"....I dont care! The patient should be in the driver's seat, demanding for tests and scans to be done. For example, if I am getting general blood work tests done, how hard is it to add in a cancer mark and liver function test on the same form?...seriously, how hard is that? I dont think the medical profession fully appreciate the anxiety that comes with a cancer diagnosis and the paralysing fear of recurrence. They should do this extra screening even just to appease that! You are right Tonya, we need to be more demanding and assertive....even the more placid and quiet/reserved people like me need to speak up. It is hard when you feel vulnerable and there is an incredible power imbalance between medical 'experts' and us...but it has to be done...our lives are at stake as you said.

Take care, Celeste xx