It has been some time since I have written a blog and this one is very personal. Thank you for staying connected while I promoted my membership and the summits I have been a guest on over the last few months.

So here goes.

About a month ago I started to feel a dull pain in my right breast. I thought about what I had done a few days earlier that could be causing it and nothing came to mind. I decided to wait a few more days to see if it would subside. A few days passed and it was still there so I booked an appointment to see my doctor.

During my appointment she did a breast exam and was not able to detect anything. She recommended I go for a mammogram and that is where the challenge starts.

A woman in the province of British Columbia has to go for a mammogram first and if anything is detected then she will be sent for a breast ultrasound. It seems to be the same in Alberta, I’m not sure of other provinces.

I asked if I could skip the mammogram and go for an ultrasound as I have always had dense breasts and they always ended up recommending that as the mammogram results for me have always be inconclusive. 

Breast density can change when a woman is post menopausal, they can become far less dense. My last mammogram was August of 2017, I was 6 years post menopause at that point and my breasts were indicated as being extremely dense. 

The other reason I do not want to go for a mammogram is because of the pain I’m experiencing. Mammograms are not comfortable at the best of times. There is also some thought that depending on what is actually going on, the mammogram can make the situation worse.

My doctor told me that the protocol in BC is mammogram first. She said I could do my own research and get back to her if I could find an alternative.

I was informed about a newer breast screening technology called an Automated Breast Ultrasound or ABUS. I started searching online and initially could not find one in BC. I called the breast screening centres and BC Cancer and no one knew what I was talking about, this really surprised me.

I did find a clinic in Edmonton Alberta, in fact, there are numerous clinics in Alberta. I called and asked some questions and was told as long as I had a requisition, I could have the ABUS done there.

My next call was to make sure I was not going to receive a large bill afterwards from BC Medical Services Plan. I was told that as long as I had BC Health, regardless of going to another province, I would be covered. The service also had to be covered by the province where I would be receiving the screening and it is.

Next step was to make another appointment with my doctor to get the requisition. 

I followed up with the clinic a few days later to see if they had received my requisition. They had but I was told I could not have the ABUS done as it is only for screening and not for diagnostics. I’m now back to square one.

Eventually I found one in Victoria BC on Vancouver Island. They told me the same thing, ABUS is not used for diagnosis, only screening.

I started making calls to get more information and increase my knowledge. Every person I spoke to at the breast centres or BC Cancer, I was told I needed to speak to my doctor.

I was getting no where and becoming very frustrated. This shows me that many people in our medical system only do as they are told rather than learn more to be better informed. Complacency comes to mind. It all felt very impersonal and somewhat robotic.

When people from countries that pay for healthcare say to me “must be nice to have free healthcare” they are treading down the wrong path. I have paid a lot of money out of pocket for my healthcare for the last 14 years and rarely use the allopathic medical system. The allopathic medical system has not been able to diagnose my health issues in the past. This is part of the reason I became a certified nutritional practitioner. We all deserve to be heard to help find the root cause of the symptoms we are experiencing.

I called back to the clinic in Alberta and one of the receptions said she would have the person call me who supervises the staff who do all of the breast screening. 

She called me last week and I was able to ask her a number of questions that I have not been able to get answers on from the breast screening centres here in BC.

She was very helpful and told me exactly what to ask for. She said a breast ultrasound is the best option because of the pain and I should also have my lymph nodes checked during the ultrasound.

After the call, I went to one of the breast centres to talk to them about getting an ultrasound and I was told that the only area that would be checked is the area where I am experiencing the pain, they would not check the whole breast. It is also mandatory for me to have the mammogram first. Same narrative every time.

I’m not sure if you can imagine my frustration. One breast is a whole mass filled with fat, muscles, glands, blood vessels, and lymph nodes. Why would they check one small portion only where the pain is?

I made another appointment with my doctor to request a bilateral plus axilla ultrasound. This would check both breasts and the lymph nodes. During the call with my doctor she said I still had to have the mammogram first but would try to request the ultrasound.

So for the last month, I have been going in circles.

I have long known that we have to advocate for our own health. I’ve had to do it for myself and for my mom when she was alive.

This experience has shown me that unless I follow the protocol set out by the province, I am not able to get care. Which says to me that I have no say or control over my body and the screening options.

Even though I have paid taxes in the province of BC for the last 15 years, and the highest tax rates in Canada, I am not able to have a consultative discussion about next steps.

I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I do a lot of research and attend regular webinars with notable doctors to keep myself informed.

Mammograms can help, there is evidence of that. Mammograms have also missed diagnosed issues, especially in women with dense breasts. If the mammogram is inconclusive, they will send me for an ultrasound. Why not start there? This blows my mind!

I sometimes say, knowing too much or being one of the people who likes to be informed, can be very challenging.

I can pay to have both breasts and lymph nodes checked by ultrasound for $275.00. But why should I have to pay?  Why does a mammogram have to be mandatory?

I recently heard a podcast with a medical doctor saying that many of the elected officials are able to request these services and use them on the regular. Highly paid athletes can get diagnostics done. Why is there a difference in their care compared to the care I receive?

I feel like there is a two tier system, only if you have the right credentials or position are you able to discuss and request the care you want.

The other part is the reaction of the various centres I called in BC and them finding out that I have not gone for regular mammograms. I’m questioned as to why. And far as I’m concerned, that is none of their business, especially the booking clerk.

So now I wait to hear from Women’s Hospital and whether I can go for just the breast ultrasound. 

I believe I should be able to discuss options for my care based on past history.

We are allowed to ask questions and we should receive answers.

I will keep you up to date on what transpires and whether in the end I have to pay to get the ultrasound done.

If you are so inclined, I appreciate any positive thoughts or prayers you might send my way.

Please share this with the women in your life to help them be better informed and advocate for their health.

Thank you for reading my words.