Breast Screening

Gina started going for breast screenings recently and had to pay out of pocket the first two times. “As a single mom with one in college, [breast screening costs] really put a strain on me financially.” Her thermography technician told her she could receive help with the $200 annual fee from UBCF so Gina applied quickly. “I was expecting it to take weeks but I was thrilled to find that my grant was awarded and paid within hours of me submitting my proof of testing and payment. This is wonderful because all my money seems to go to helping my sons with the things they need -- like groceries for a college kid. I will continue to use this wonderful service for as long as it's available. THANK YOU so much, UBCF!”

Rodica prefers to get thermography breast screenings instead of mammograms but finds difficulty paying for the procedure as it’s not covered by insurance. Thanks to UBCF, she was able to receive a grant which helped cover the cost of her annual thermography test. This allowed her to continue getting breast screenings without having to struggle financially. Rodica encourages others to get screened as well. “The application was easy and the response was quick, same with the reimbursement. After submitting the receipt, the check was sent immediately.”

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to the UBC Foundation for the grant I received. This money helped me to be able to take the steps necessary to monitor my health in the most accurate way possible… through Thermography. For the last several years I have been sent for countless mammograms and ultrasounds in order to monitor “questionable” spots on my breasts. During this time, I have felt unsure and uneasy knowing that many have gone through the same process only to find out they have advanced breast cancer. Upon researching Thermography at a friend’s recommendation, I was convinced that this process would provide assurance that I hadn’t had before. The process behind thermography aligned with everything I had researched about the body and the way cancer is fed. Thank you for enabling me to take the first step towards a sound accurate assessment of my health.

I want to thank all of you at UBCF for the great service you are offering to so many with your generous grants. My thermographer recommended UBCF to me for their grant program several years ago. My mother previously had breast cancer, so I want to keep a close eye on things. I have chosen to have thermograms rather than mammograms due to radiation concerns, and also due to the fact that thermograms detect tumors much earlier than mammograms, when disease is more treatable. Also, thermograms are much less invasive than mammograms. My health insurance doesn’t pay for thermography, though it will pay for mammography. Thanks to UBCF, I now have a choice again! Without the generous grant from UBCF, thermography wouldn’t have been an affordable option for me. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, for all you have done for me, and all you do for so many others, through all your grants and programs. You offer much needed, and appreciated, assistance to those in need. I am most grateful.

The United Breast Cancer Foundation (UBCF) stepped in to help when neither my insurance company nor my doctor supported an alternative methodology of getting screened.

There are plenty of stories that we know of when women just knew that something additional needed to be done when it came to protecting their health. Most of us know our bodies and I was delighted to learn that I UBCF didn’t make the process difficult to get the support I felt I needed. In other words, I didn’t need to justify disease prevention, instead, I was given assistance to look out for myself just because I chose to. Thank you, UBCF!

I’ve been going for yearly thermography screenings since 2009. This year, when I called for my appointment, I was told about the United Breast Cancer Foundation.

Being retired and on a fixed income, I was very happy to learn about the financial assistance offered by UBCF. The entire process was easy and moved along smoothly with the help of Jennifer Spina. Thank you to all the other wonderful people at UBCF who are working to help women afford breast screenings. What a pleasure it is to know this organization exists.

I think I found UBCF while discussing my financial difficulties with a contact at Mobile Thermographic Imaging (www.atlanta-breast-thermography.com) in Georgia. They were so kind and caring and recommended I apply for financial aid. I have not been able to work due to some health issues, so I have not had income. I figured I would just not be able to get the help I needed to monitor my health since I had no money or insurance for it. I was so excited and in awe at the generosity of UBCF. I personally do not like to get mammograms, and prefer thermograms, and UBCF supports my freedom of choice. Wow! It felt like winning the lottery to be able to get my breast thermography covered. The process went so smoothly, and the ladies at Mobile Thermographic Imaging are the sweetest around too. Thank you so much, UBCF, for supporting me. Thank you to everyone who contributes to UBCF. You really help me to feel safe at times when fear lurks. Thank you so much!

I am so grateful I learned about UCBF from a naturopathic doctor. I needed to get a thermography and the cost was prohibitive for me so I applied for financial assistance and was so relieved when approved!

It is stressful enough to know that something unhealthy is going on with your body besides not having the money to check it out.

UBCF eliminated that stress for me…and a lot quicker than I thought it would take! Thank you so much and God bless for all the women you are helping!

My husband and I have been employed by a non profit organization for the past 40 years and only receive a small stipend so paying for a thermogram ourselves is not something we can afford. I did not feel comfortable about getting a mammogram every year even though that was covered by insurance so went without any screening for many years after having one mammogram.

My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago and I knew then how important it was for me to be screened every year. So I was very grateful to learn from a friend that UBCF offered a free breast screening program which covered thermograms.

So now I feel secure and safe knowing I am being screened regularly and yet not having to do a mammogram every year.

My sister, thank God, has recovered and is free of cancer now. Thank you so very much for all you do to help all women.

I am Lisa. UBCF is a life line to women like me. I’m 52 years of age with fibrocystic breasts. I have no access to appropriate health care, nor the financial means to keep up with the rounds of constant tests prescribed whenever I go for preventative check ups. My story is common for one with fibrocystic dense breast tissue.

Diagnosed in my late 20’s with fibrocystic breasts, I spent years being put through series of repeated mammograms, aspiration of cysts, threatened biopsies, and needless days and nights of living in fear, all because of my breasts composition. Feeling constantly toxic, not supported, not understood and financially drained from trying to do the right thing and seek routine checkups, I finally just stopped going. I continued with self, home exams, but feared it wasn’t enough. Years passed and I started listening to my body and paying attention what I could do to help it become better. I stopped wearing underwire bras, changed to a healthier diet and the cysts disappeared. I got married, had a child when I was 41, breast fed long term, and my breasts were still doing great void of cysts.

In the last couple of years, however, I passed through menopause and started noticing changes with my body. When my right breast had changed in shape, felt different and sometimes ached yet I couldn’t really feel the tell tale characteristics of an cancer lump, I felt concerned. Also during this period in my life, my parents passed away, which made me seriously think about my health since I had a young child to raise. I started feeling like I should again be having routine checkups, other than my own self exams each month. Additionally, I am adopted, so I have no known family history. Thinking a bench mark in my early 50’s would be the responsible thing to do, I decided to once again have a formal breast exam, which in my very rural area, means a mammogram.

What was I thinking? Foolishly, I thought it’d come out better than my past history with mammograms. It did not. After three mammograms, and an ultrasound, still they couldn’t decided if I was healthy or not due to dense breast tissue. I was instructed to come back for a fourth mammogram and plan to continue having them on 6 month intervals for 1 or 2 years. I was sick with fear. Life was repeating itself. My body had been through so many mammograms already from my 20’s and 30’s, I was not going to allow that to happen again. Besides, We are a single income family, with very little insurance, of which only covers a single annual mammogram and absolutely no diagnostic testing or follow ups. With well over $1000.00 in bills already accumulated from my routine checkup, I just walked away in complete and utter hopelessness.

Sadly, all of the tests from my 20’s have been destroyed by the facility without notifying me of their policy to only keep records for 6 years. So, I have no references and no bench mark. A friend mentioned infrared exams. After some research, it was clear this was friendlier for my type of breasts and might be a way to check on my health. The only facility near me is 100 miles away from my home. My insurance will not accept infrared exams as my annual checkup. So, the cost is completely out my pocket. I am totally unsupported. Even my doctor admitted knowing very little about infrared, refused to read up on it and instead keeps pushing me to just have a mammogram, and accept my fate knowing my body type will require repeated rounds of testing every year at my own expense, physically and financially. Once again, I was in total and utter despair.

Finally, I reached out to the infrared facility for information on how it all worked, trying to find some hope. The lovely woman at the infrared facility gave me hope and more. She confirmed my research, shared her personal story which is very similar to mine, which is what drove her to start the infrared company. And, most importantly, this woman told me about United Breast Cancer Foundation and your grants which help women like me. With your financial help, I was able to get my baseline with an initial infrared exam and a 3 month followup. I not only created a clear baseline, but also gained reassurance that my $1000 plus round of testing was indeed a phantom chase, just like my long ago past. I now have an option that feels better to me as a routine check up.

Without UBCF, I would still be living in fear, isolation and hopelessness. Thanks to UBCF, I have a safe, supportive method for health checks that works for my breasts.

This was the first time in my life (63 yrs. old) when I found myself without a job – no income and no health insurance. Shortly after, I noticed a “lump” on my breast. With no resources to pursue diagnostic tests, I searched the web, both for information about breast cancer and available assistance. I contacted the appropriate person at the United Breast Cancer Foundation for financial assistance. I was made to feel comfortable and not ashamed of my financial circumstances. I scheduled the appointment for the mammogram. I have a mass that is believed to be benign. I have a follow up mammogram in 3 months to compare with the recent mammography. At this point, I feel everything will be OK. I am SO grateful for this resource – for myself and for other women who may not be as fortunate as I was and to have the opportunity to be diagnosed, treated and SURVIVE. Thank you!!!

As I said when I applied for your most generous award, I no longer do mammograms. I learned all about thermography and prefer that instead. Insurance does not cover it. I have never had any indication of breast cancer in the past, yet I do have fibrous breasts. My maternal grandmother died of breast cancer and one of my nieces has breast cancer now. Being a retired 72 year old, I am on a fixed income. I am truly thankful that the United Breast Cancer Foundation exists and has so kindly awarded me a grant to cover the full cost.