To Whom It May Concern:

A diagnosis of breast cancer can be very frightening for a patient, but what is often more frightening than the disease is the challenge of obtaining diagnostic testing required to render a proper evaluation of a patient. Many women face financial challenges and access to these diagnostic tools is not possible. Albie Aware recognizes the disparities that exist within healthcare and the importance of a complete diagnostic evaluation. Albie Aware has provided some of my patients much needed access to Positron Emission Tomography (PET scan) for appropriate breast cancer staging. Albie Aware has made this testing possible. I am so grateful that Albie Aware supports excellent care for women diagnosed with breast cancer and continue to use them as a resource for women.

Lisa Guirguis, M.D.

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Cindy,

Thanks so much for your card and kind words prior to my surgery. It has been 3 weeks now and I am progressing in my recovery. People have been so wonderful and I have been very blessed with lots of help and assistance. I have linked up with SOS and those are an amazing bunch of women! I hope to find a way to help the cause when I am back on my feet. Thanks so much for your interest and support - and for all the work you do for us all.

Marsha Mobley Kilian

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June 24, 2009

For the past 20 years,I had no insurance or income,and no way to get a mammogram. Then, while at Quinn Cottages,I attended a Breast Awareness Class and I received a referral for my very first Mammogram from Albie Aware.

Susan Markell, Age 55

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Dear Cindy,

I want to thank you and the Albie Carson Breast Cancer Foundation, for the opportunity, to be able to receive a PET scan.  Enclosed please find a copy of the test results.

I can’t express how good, this can make a breast cancer survivor feel.  You always have in the back of your mind, what is this pain, what is that lump, is the cancer back.  I have had several non – cancerous cyst, fatty tissue lumps, and thoughts of when and where will it return.  I feel so relieved, so blessed that I was able to have this opportunity.  To be told that there is no cancer, is such a blessing.  To be able to have early detection of cancer is more of a blessing.

Things about the pet scan test that may be of interest to you.  My general practitioner was not willing to write me a referral for a PET scan.  She stated that she thought that it would cause cancer, and referred me to one of my cancer doctors.  My surgeon was hesitant because of the insurance company.  He actually wrote the referral on a prescription pad.  He also told me that this cannot go to the insurance company, because he cannot justify me having a PET scan.  But he did think that having a PET scan was a good idea, and wished he could have ordered one. 

The PET scan itself took about 3 hours.  The staff is excellent and very caring.  They insert an intravenous IV, and then they take you to a room where they lay you down and inject the radiopharmaceutical.  You lay there for 45 minutes for the radiopharmaceutical to flow through your blood stream.  (they have a CD player so you can listen to music while laying there; I donated a Blues for the Cure CD).  You are then moved to the room where the scanner is.  It moves very slowly. The scan moves you about 12 inches every 15 minutes; I was even told that because I was short the test would not take as long as most. (ha-ha).  I was then request to go to another RAS location downtown to receive a CT scan for comparison.  This was done at no charge.

The only thing I was concerned about is that I thought it was from head to toe, but it is only of the

main body.  It would have been nice if they would have done my head. But I really feel blessed I was able to receive this and thank you very much for the opportunity.

Sally Katen
ExecutiveProducer
Blues for the Cure
PO Box 19612
Sacramento, CA 95819-0612

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From: Lori Martin
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 10:34 AM
To: Cindy Love
Subject: Thank you!

Hi Cindy,

I am writing to send my sincerest thank you for your efforts on my behalf in allowing me the benefit of a PET scan through Albie Aware. I cannot begin to express the relief it brought me to know that my breast cancer had not spread. I had known from the biopsy on January 6, 2006, that it was an invasive and aggressive cancer. My surgery was not scheduled until January 26th. So for the next 20 days until my sugery and its results, I was now having to consider the possibility that this could be incredibly bad and with the PET scan I no longer had to be in such agonizing fear. I cried that day. I sat in my car and realized how lucky I was to have someone out there who knew of this test and the impact it would have. The psychological trauma you can put yourself through in such a trying time is enormous. I have children, I have a life, and everything is moving so fast. It's hard to think. Even if the results were not in my favor, the fact remains that I would have had solid information that may have indeed impacted how to treat my breast cancer. I was lucky!

Cindy, I thank you so much for making this happen. I will never be able to repay you for peace of mind. I love you very much and thank you fromt he bottom of my heart for taking control and making it happen. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

All my love,

~Lori