PPMM Storyteller, Carol from Folsom, shares her experience receiving life-saving breast cancer care at Planned Parenthood. October is breast cancer awareness month and it’s a good reminder for you and your loved ones to get screened. We’re here for you.
I am a breast cancer survivor, and it all began with Planned Parenthood. In 2007, I felt a lump. I worked full-time and even owned my own home but could not afford health insurance because I was a single mom of three.
I went to PP and was told I needed a mammogram. They told me I qualified for Every Woman Counts (California’s program for free breast-cancer screening and diagnostic services).
After biopsies, I was told I had Stage 3 invasive lobular carcinoma. Normally, this is where a woman would panic. But because Planned Parenthood put me on EWC, they found a surgeon and oncologist for me. They also enrolled me in Medi-Cal, which paid for everything for the next nine years!
I am so grateful to PP for taking care of the decision-making while I dealt with my new reality. Planned Parenthood helped save my life!