Breast Cancer Fundraising

I immediately started researching doctors and treatments. I found a surgeon near my home outside of Savannah, Georgia to remove the tumor. After the surgery, I consulted with a local oncologist and radiologist. The doctors were so impersonal. They didn't want to listen to a word I was saying. They wanted to put me in one of those cookie-cutter scenarios. There were no other options for me. They just wanted to cut, radiate and do the chemo. I felt with the way they were conducting business, I had to get a second opinion.

I remembered reading about Cancer Treatment Centers of America^® (CTCA) in health magazines. I also saw a CTCA^® commercial on TV. I liked that they treated the whole person, not just the cancer. At CTCA, I’d have a naturopathic provider, dietitian, psychologist, massage therapy, acupuncture and access to an onsite fitness center—all in addition to conventional treatments I needed to fight cancer and all in one location.

So I called CTCA for information. I spoke with a representative who told me about CTCA hospitals and their overall approach treating breast cancer. The representative also checked to see if my medical insurance provider would allow me to treat at CTCA. Once I learned my insurance OK’d me to go to CTCA, I scheduled a consultation at the CTCA hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Within a week, I was on my way to visit the hospital.

I appreciated that CTCA gathered my mammograms, X-rays and other tests from the doctors’ offices I had been to in Savannah. My tests were sent to the hospital in Tulsa for my CTCA doctors to review before I arrived.

A friend traveled with me to CTCA for my consultation. We flew to Tulsa and were greeted upon our arrival at the airport. A gentleman from the CTCA transportation team picked up our luggage, carried it to a town car and then drove us to the hospital. For my first visit and every trip thereafter to CTCA, I’ve used their transportation service.

My friend and I were wowed by how CTCA took such good care of us. The morning after we arrived, I immediately began to meet with my different doctors and care providers for evaluation. I also had a number of tests done that first day.