Radiation and Insurance (Medicaid) Nightmares: Breast Cancer Treatment in Your 20s

Someone told me that with a stage 4 (metastatic) cancer you are considered disabled because you cannot work. I have never been a person to take advantage of any situation, I have worked hard all my life, but I had come to a point where I couldn't even walk. I went to Social Security and declared my case to try to get assistance. They agreed to help me. They calculated all the money I have made throughout the years I have worked and from that they give me a percentage of money.

It turned out to be a very low amount, so low that thank God I have my family who is helping me out, because I would starve and they also switched my insurance to a better kind of Medicaid but through Social Security. I had the new insurance for about 2 months, and now I found out that they dropped me.

I called my old case worker from the original Medicaid program and asked why, and she said it was because Social Security was giving me some money. I told her that I would rather not get a single dime, but please give me back my insurance. She said to have some forms filled out by my doctor stating that I'm still receiving treatments for breast cancer and then she would reinstate my original Medicaid.

Hoping Things Work Out with Insurance So I Can Afford Tamoxifen 

I can't tell you guys how much I cried over this ordeal that is still going on. My doctor faxed the info, and now I'm waiting to be put back on, hopefully. I had to buy medications the other day and it was $150, and next week I start my Tamoxifen (chemo in pill form) for 3 months and the pills are pretty expensive, so I hope I have my insurance back by then.

What It's Like with Breast Cancer Treatment When Doctors Don't Accept Medicaid 

It really hurts me that people can be so uncaring about what we go through. Its hard enough to deal with cancer, then they take the only thing that is saving your life away with no hesitation or reason. It's bad enough that I don't have good insurance, because many doctors do not accept Medicaid, and it's hard to get them to approve things I need to have done, like MRIs and cat scans, we have to beg and convince them that it is a necessary procedure, and they just take it away from me.

Sometimes I feel like how much more can I take mentally...? I'm so drained. I feel so alone at times like no one understands me, and I was telling a friend of mine on this site about how I have been feeling lately, but then I log on to this site and read others stories and victories or struggles and I start to smile again, and I feel happy that I'm surrounded by people who understand me and want to help.

Why I Share My Breast Cancer Story

I tell you guys my intimate stories because you guys don't make me feel embarassed, I feel comfortable with you all. I just wanted to let you guys in on what has been going on with me lately, and hopefully things will get better with radiation and my insurance. I have my fingers crossed, and I pray to God for a great outcome, because if not, I guess I'm going to go to a corner somewhere with a paper cup to raise funds for my ridiculously high-priced cancer treatments... LOL.