Not all individuals look forward to visiting the doctor, but Keela Meza was determined.
Cancer runs in her family, she said. So the busy mother of three signed up to receive a mammogram as part of the Nov. 29 No Excuses Day at Jamestown Regional Medical Center.
No Excuses offers barrier-free 3D mammograms to women. JRMC, with its partners, Central Valley Health, Women’s Way and R.M. Stoudt, help women afford mammograms if their insurance won’t cover it. In addition to finances, another barrier to women is time. Busy moms, grandmas and professionals sometimes struggle to make time for themselves. No Excuses offers walk-in appointments so women can get their initial screening and then simply walk down the hall to the 3D mammogram. The 3D mammogram at JRMC is one of only a few in the state. It allows doctors to get a better, more accurate view of the breast.
Mammograms are so important because early detection is key, said Diane Nelson, radiology manager at Jamestown Regional Medical Center. Early detection can be the difference between a lumpectomy (removing a portion of the breast) and a mastectomy (removing the full breast).
“I had it done and I’m so glad I did,” Meza said, saying relatives on her father’s side of the family passed away due to breast cancer. “Because of my family history, my mother begged me to do it.”
At 32 years old, Meza isn’t a traditional candidate for a mammogram. Most insurance programs won’t cover the expense until a woman is 35 years or older. Meza said she wanted the mammogram, whether insurance covered it or not.
“I was prepared to do what I had to do,” Meza said. “I have a family at home. I’m needed.”
The biggest barrier was finding the time. Meza works part-time as a certified nursing assistant at an area nursing home. When she isn’t there, she’s caring for her three children, ages 11, 6 and 3. She also helps her parents and in-laws, who both farm. Her husband is a truck driver, so his schedule is irregular and takes him away from the home for stretches at a time.
No Excuses accommodated for that. In addition to finances and walk-in appointments, No Excuses also offered childcare and transportation for anyone who needed it.
JRMC served 14 women as part of its second No Excuses day. The hospital served eight at its first event in June.
“Fourteen is about our capacity for a day, so we’re proud of that number,” said Robin Iszler, unit manager at Central Valley Health in Jamestown. “Our goal that day is to serve the women that, for whatever reason, don’t receive the care they need. If woman in her 40s, 50s and 60s and has never had a mammogram, or maybe it’s been a few years, she is the woman we’re looking for,” Iszler said.
Today, Meza said she’s recommending her friends check their breasts too. It can be uncomfortable to talk about, but Meza said it’s important to have a sense of humor.
“’Get it done,’ I tell them,” she said. “No ta-tas left behind.”
To schedule your 3D mammogram, call 952-4852.