Testimonials

Shelly Atkins Stockton, Alabama

In 2009 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatment plan was lumpectomy/partial mastectomy. Almost 40 radiation treatments with medication for 5 years.
After treatment I did reconstructive surgery. My radiated side didn’t heal well so my final results were horrible. But I was alive! After a few years, I consulted another plastic surgeon to see if we could make me a little more normal. He agreed, and again my radiated side didn’t heal well. I ended up back in the hospital as an inpatient for a week, few more surgical procedures due to complications from not healing fast enough. I&D’s, wound vac, pic line, home health, a month of hyperbarics and skin graft.
2024
Breast cancer returns on same side. Treatment plan is a bilateral mastectomy with a Diep Flap procedure and another 5 years of medication. This was the best plan for me due to my past. This procedure would improve blood flow where blood vessels from my abdomen are reattached to help with faster healing. This is a no brainer.
My insurance at work has fought this every step of the way. (Keep in mind that I work at a hospital in one of the biggest medical chains in Mobile) First they said I would have to travel “out of network” at my expense to have it done. My surgeon was doing this procedure at my place of employment. Then they said they were not paying for it at all. They said my surgeon was out of network even though I pay the more expensive plan to be able to choose doctors in and out of network. I was also told I could make a payment plan with my doctor. I said I already do! It’s called monthly premiums. They are considering this as a cosmetic surgery because at the end of the day you have a “tummy tuck”. The recovery for this is so much more than implants. I have just survived cancer and treatments twice. Why would I choose to go through this extensive procedure if it wasn’t my best choice.
Insurance companies choose the quickest and easiest band aids. No thought for each individual situations.
Thank GOD we still have doctors and surgeons who are patient advocates and still believe in doing what is best for each patient instead of bowing to insurance companies.

Candace Lovelace

My name is Candace Lovelace and I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in March of 2017. I was standing in the middle of a Toys R Us with my two little boys. There was no time for tears or a breakdown…that would come later. I was a healthy 37yo mom who just went in for a baseline mammogram at my doctors advice. I was diagnosed with DCIS…it was early, no rush and I had options. We prayed and I chose to proceed with a mastectomy and a breast implant. This plan would be the fastest way to get me back to being the mom that my boys who were 5 and 7 needed. For five years I had tests every six months-mammograms, MRIs, ultrasounds- and I took Tamoxifen everyday. Those five years were not without fear or anxiety but they were without cancer. I had two growing boys, a husband who made it to every one of those tests, and a career that kept me just busy enough.

On September 3, 2024 I went in for another routine mammogram. Nate was waiting outside like every other time. That day would not be routine…this day was different. After being told that the mammogram was not “normal” things moved very quickly. This time was different. An ultrasound, a biopsy and another biopsy…lots of tears. Two days later, I got another phone call…this time I was standing behind the bleachers at a middle school football game. Again there was no time for tears or a breakdown…thank you Lord. This diagnosis was new…more aggressive…spread to a lymph node…lots of tests. I was peppered with doctors, tests, decisions. I had an MRI, a bone scan, a CT scan, a port placement, a biopsy ,an ECHO, and chemo education all within three weeks. And it honestly has not slowed down since.

Cancer has altered my life in every imaginable way…physically, emotionally and mentally. It has felt at times as though cancer was controlling my life. At one of those early visits Nate and I met with my surgical oncologist. In that visit I decided to take back some of that control. I simply said “I don’t want another implant”. For 6 years I had lived with a foreign object in my body. For 6 years I watched that implant slowly move down from its original position. For 6 years I looked in the mirror and saw two vastly different breasts. For 6 years I worried about implant disease and rejection. And for 6 years I dreaded the thought of having to have it replaced multiple times.

Thankfully my surgeon had a solution that is actually best practice for my situation…a DIEP flap reconstruction. I could have breasts made from my own tissue. I was elated! I could be whole again! I could wear a swimsuit without being self conscious. I could avoid more surgeries 10,20,30 years down the road. I could look and feel like myself again. In the middle of absolute chaos in my life, I had a moment of encouragement…. something to look forward to. And it could happen here at home. I wouldn’t have to leave my kids. I underwent chemo first, followed by my mastectomy in March of 25 with tissue expanders placed, then the very dreaded radiation and a second round of chemo. Finally in the fall surgery was scheduled. We crammed in all we could before this…birthdays, homecoming dance, an anniversary, a class ring order, baseball tryouts. We were beyond ready.

One year and 6 weeks after the first diagnosis…this would be the beginning of the end. Nate and I arrived that morning at 5:30…nervous and anxious but well prepared. So we thought… as soon as my name was called I was met with a single sheet of paper and the instruction “I need you to sign this. Your provider is out of network and you have to sign this before surgery”. No other explanation given. I read the form…my physician was advising me that I may have to pay services IN FULL. I was confused, a little upset, and scared (more than I already was). Thankfully my husband looked at me and said this is what we are doing and we are doing it today. So I signed…maybe I should have questioned, maybe I should have fought but when you are in the trenches of cancer and treatment sometimes all you can do is trust. First trust the one who is really in control…thank you Jesus that I don’t have to walk this alone. Second trust your doctors who have taken a literal oath to do no harm-thankfully I have found a team that takes that to the next level and pushes for the absolute best care for me and for my family. Third trust that the insurance we have so faithfully paid for throughout our 25 years of marriage will come through for us in our time of need.

Dianco Williams

My name is Dianco Williams, and I am a breast cancer survivor.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my primary focus was survival. Like
so many women, I wanted to live. I wanted to be present for my children, my
family, and my future. What I did not anticipate was that after enduring cancer,
I would face another fight—this time with my insurance company—over how I
would be allowed to heal.

From the very beginning, I was informed. My breast surgeon, Dr. Lindsey
Beakley, carefully explained all of my reconstruction options. She took the
time to educate me, answer my questions, and help me understand what
would be best for my body. After reviewing my options, I knew the DIEP flap
reconstruction would be the best choice for me.
Over the years, I have learned that foreign objects in my body have never
been a good option for me. Because of that, using my own tissue—not
implants—was absolutely the route I wanted to take. This was not an
emotional or rushed decision. It was an informed, thoughtful choice made with
my physician.

When I met Dr. Mark Stalder, I felt hope. I was excited—not because of vanity
—but because I finally felt I had a chance at some sense of normalcy after
cancer. I met with Dr. Stalder multiple times. I trusted him. I was confident in
my care plan.

That is when the interference began.

I received a phone call that my insurance company assigned me a
representative to help navigate the process. I’ve never recieved a
representative or call from my insurance company before. This person
identified themselves as my “personal representative” and immediately
informed me that my doctor was not in network. I was told she would send me
a list of doctors who were covered.

That call made me deeply uncomfortable.

My doctors had already explained what was best for me. My decision had
already been made based on medical guidance—not insurance convenience. I
did not understand why my insurance company was attempting to redirect my
care when my medical team had already done their job.

Then, just a few days before my scheduled surgery, I received a call from the
hospital. I was told that while the hospital itself was covered by my insurance,
my surgeon was not. I was encouraged—days before surgery—to consider
calling another doctor who was in network.

I had already undergone several surgeries during my cancer journey. No one
had ever called me before to suggest changing doctors at the last minute.

So I have to ask: why now?

Why, at one of the most vulnerable moments of my life, was I being pressured
to abandon a doctor I trusted, a plan I understood, and a reconstruction
surgery that was the best path for me from the options available.
This experience made it painfully clear that insurance companies are not
simply paying claims—they are influencing care. They are inserting
themselves into deeply personal medical decisions and prioritizing cost over
patients.

Reconstruction is not cosmetic. It is part of cancer treatment. It is part of
healing—physically, emotionally, and mentally. Women should not be forced to
choose between traveling out of state, settling for a less appropriate
procedure, or changing doctors days before surgery simply because an
insurance company refuses to fairly reimburse qualified physicians.

Dr. Stalder has provided me with the best care and surgery. He did my surgery
knowing that he may not get paid. I had no idea. Because my doctor has a
heart for his patients I was able to receive what was best for my body. He
advocated for what was medically appropriate, not what was cheapest.
Because of that advocacy, I was able to receive care that respected my body,
my autonomy, and my dignity.

This issue goes far beyond my personal story. It affects women across
Alabama and beyond. Breast cancer does not discriminate, and access to
proper reconstruction should not either. This is a bipartisan issue. This is a
women’s health issue. This is a patient rights issue.

Breast Cancer Survivor

I am a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in 2023, and while my cancer was caught very early, it was an aggressive type with a high chance of recurrence. It was in my left breast almost against my chest wall. It was found on my regular checkup. It could not be felt on exam. Because of that risk, I
chose to have a double mastectomy. I knew in my heart that I did not want to face cancer more than once, and this decision gave me peace moving forward.

I deeply respect those who choose to remain flat and feel whole and confident in that choice. For me, however, being flat does not align with how I see myself. I am a mother, and I spend a lot of time at the beach and participating in water sports with my children. Feeling comfortable and confident in my body
matters to me—not just physically, but emotionally.

Reconstruction was an
important part of my healing and my sense of self. It wasn’t about vanity; it was about feeling like me again and being able to move forward without my
cancer defining how I see myself every day.

My doctors did not think my cancer was in my lymph nodes, so I was
encouraged to have surgery sooner rather than later, to hopefully prevent it from spreading. I met with multiple doctors to discuss my reconstruction
options and ultimately decided that a DIEP flap reconstruction was the best choice for me. I was disappointed to learn that no doctors in my area offered this procedure. At first, I believed this was because DIEP flap reconstruction
was a newer technique, but I later learned that this was not the case. The
procedure has been around for years; however, it was not being offered locally
because it was not reliably reimbursed by insurance, which meant physicians were reluctant or unable to provide it.

When you are facing cancer, your energy is focused on survival and healing.

You want to do everything you can to get on the road to recovery—not spend months fighting with insurance for medically appropriate care.

My breast surgeon in Mobile is the one who told me about DIEP FLAP
reconstruction and she gave me a couple of different places that I could check into and I ultimately ended up having surgery in New Orleans at The Center for Restorative Breast. This was considered out of network for my insurance, even though I had excellent coverage and there was not a doctor in my area that offered the surgery. I applied for an out-of-network exception with my insurance. Unfortunately, my surgery was scheduled only weeks later, and my doctors strongly advised against delay.

There was a real risk that the cancer could spread to my lymph nodes, and postponing surgery to navigate a prolonged insurance approval process was not a safe or reasonable choice.

Cancer patients should not be forced to choose between timely, life-saving treatment and insurance bureaucracy. At a moment when every decision is about survival and recovery, the burden of fighting for coverage only adds unnecessary risk and stress to an already overwhelming diagnosis.

My doctors’ office attempted to obtain an out-of-network exemption from
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, and I personally called repeatedly to follow up and request an urgent review. Despite those efforts, I received no determination for weeks. Just days before my scheduled surgery, a
representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama informed me that if I proceeded with surgery before a decision was made, the procedure would not be covered.

This was devastating. I had done everything asked of me and had
clearly communicated the urgency. At the same time, I was facing the very real risk that delaying surgery could allow the cancer to spread to my lymph
nodes, potentially requiring chemotherapy. Waiting was not a safe option.

With only two days’ notice, we were forced to find a way to pay for a portion of the surgery ourselves. In 2023 alone, we spent over $30,000 on medical
expenses, largely related to my (2) surgeries.

To do so, we depleted our savings and sold personal assets (boat) in order to move forward with
treatment. Most patients do not have the ability to absorb costs like this,
liquidate assets, or navigate extended insurance disputes while facing a cancer diagnosis. Most are also not in a position to travel far from home for care. Staying close to family, physicians, and your established support
systems is not a matter of convenience—it is a critical part of recovery.
Patients should not be penalized for seeking timely, medically appropriate care within the realities of their lives.

****No one wants to lose a part of their body. But when amputation is
medically necessary, patients should have meaningful access to options that allow them to restore their bodies as closely as possible to what feels normal to them. For me, reconstruction using my own tissue through a DIEP flap offered the closest option.

Choosing reconstruction with my own tissue was not a preference of
convenience or aesthetics—it was a medically informed decision based on my
history and my long-term health. Patients should be supported in making
reconstruction choices that reflect both their medical realities and their sense of self, without unnecessary barriers imposed by access or insurance limitations.

I work full time, and for me, having one definitive surgery and being able to
move forward with my life was far preferable to undergoing multiple surgeries spread out over several years, which is what another plastic surgeon had recommended. While DIEP flap reconstruction required a longer time under anesthesia and a more involved recovery than implants, it allowed me to
complete my reconstruction in a single course of treatment. I went to sleep with cancer and woke up without it. I also woke up with a body that felt whole to me. Psychologically, having immediate reconstruction made adjusting to the amputation of my breasts significantly easier, and I remain very grateful for that outcome.

Patients deserve the ability to make informed decisions about their own
bodies. Those decisions should not be dictated by insurance coverage or
geographic availability. All forms of breast reconstruction should be
accessible to patients, and those options should be available here in Alabama.

I work in healthcare, and even I was unaware that DIEP flap reconstruction was an option until I was diagnosed with breast cancer myself.

When a patient has an active cancer diagnosis and requests an urgent
insurance review, that request should be treated with the urgency it deserves.
Delays in coverage decisions can have real and lasting consequences
financially and for physical and mental health.

In summary, medical decisions should be made between patients and their doctors, not insurance companies. Geography and reimbursement should not
determine whether care is available. All forms of breast cancer reconstruction
should be accessible in Alabama. Please consider what you would want for
yourself or someone you love facing breast cancer. Patients deserve options,
patients deserve timely decisions and patients deserve dignity.