EFY Fund a lifesaver
By Karen Vander Sanden, Mercy Medical Center, Linn County LIVING WELL Magazine
Vickie Meisinger felt like she had the world by the tail. But that all changed in 2008 when she experienced some health issues and lost her job of 12 years in the insurance business. Not one to be defeated, Vickie went back to school to pursue a career in interior design, her true passion, at Kirkwood Community College.
Just after graduating in May 2011, Vickie had an ear infection and went to the Community Health Free Clinic to see a physician. While there, she noticed a poster about the Especially for You® (EFY) fund. The fund has been in place for 21 years as a resource for people who need breast care services, such as mammograms, but aren’t insured or can’t afford them.
Vickie had skipped her last mammogram because of financial reasons, as well as a hectic school schedule. But without the financial barrier in her way, she immediately called the number on the poster to schedule a same-day mammogram.
“I had a sister who passed away from breast cancer and it was plaguing my mind that I needed to get in and have my mammogram,” says Vickie. “Within an hour of making an appointment I was at Mercy Women’s Center to have one.”
Later that day, Vickie got a phone call from her doctor asking her to come back for follow-up testing. Additional tests followed.
“There were at least three areas they wanted to biopsy,” Vickie recalls. “I was scared about the results, plus I didn’t have insurance. I didn’t know how I would pay for it all, but my nurse navigator was so reassuring. She immediately told me I didn’t have to worry about that. There were EFY funds available. It was a huge relief.”
Ultimately, Vickie’s results were not what she had hoped.
“I had invasive ductal carcinoma in my left breast. I had a lump as large as a golf ball,” says Vickie. “After consulting with my doctors I made the decision to have a bilateral mastectomy to remove both breasts.”
Even after surgery, the EFY fund helped Vickie pay for support services, such as the compression vest she wore to assist with range of motion and pain relief.
Vickie’s course of treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. It’s been a tough road, but Vickie says it’s made easier by the availability of the EFY fund, the support of her son, family and friends, and her care team at Mercy.
“It is just an incredible staff of people,” says Vickie. “I mean that in the most earnest way. They’ve given me hope. Sallie Buelow is my nurse navigator. She walked me through it. She told me to focus on fighting cancer and not worry about all the other stuff. Mercy continues to be a place I can count on for support.”
Most importantly, Vickie’s message to other women is – “Don’t let anything stand in the way of getting screened.”
“I only missed one mammogram. One. Don’t miss it.”
For more information, visit www.mercycare.org.
