My letter to the editor has been published!

Our local paper has published my letter regarding the planned cuts to the CA breast screening and treatment programs. You can see it here.

A call to action for Californians

I sent off the following letter to editors at several local newspapers and would ask that my fellow Californians do the same, along with calling the Governor's office and State Legislators' offices to demand reconsideration of the cuts to critical breast cancer screening programs in CA. Dear Editor: My breast cancer was found accidentally at the age of 37. I felt a lump that I knew in my heart was not dangerous. The tests were ordered and my instinct was correct about that lump. But, the tests discovered a sizable tumor on the other side and in my lymph nodes - masses that neither me nor my doctor could feel. I had an aggressive type of breast cancer, stage 3. The tests saved my life. In January, the Every Woman Counts program, that screens 350,000 underserved women in California annually, closed its doors and won't resume screenings until July. When the program reopens, women under 50 will not be served. To save a few bucks - just one half of one percent - having little impact on CA's massive budget deficit but having a devastating impact on the women who will die as a result. When breast cancer is detected early, the five year survival rate is 98 percent. The lack of regular screening leads to late stage diagnosis (like mine) when treatment is more expensive and survival is less certain. Because of my age (under 40), I was denied routine screening, now my treatment has surpassed the $250,000 mark. More cuts are likely. California may eliminate the program that provides breast cancer treatment for low-income women, leaving 9,000 women with breast cancer no treatment options. There are women on the front lines of our troubled economy who will lose their job and their insurance. One in eight will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Balancing the budget shouldn't come at a cost of risking their lives. Why are we turning our backs on women in our state when they need us the most? Every woman counts to me - do they count to you? Respectfully, Julie Olsen