Meet Medicaid Ambassador Everlene Falconer

Written by Everlene Falconer

“Hi, I’m Everlene. When I was asked to be a Medicaid Ambassador and tell my story I wasn’t so sure I wanted to. I always considered myself a private person, but if my story will help someone, I’ll tell it.

I found a lump in my breast while showering one morning in 2008. My first impulse was to call my children, but I brushed that idea aside because I did not want to alarm them. My doctors worked at SLU, and I knew they had a breast clinic there. At that time, you could just walk in without an appointment. So, I walked in and explained what I had found to them. To tell you the truth I was scared, but I needed to know.

 Once I explained why I was there the doctor on duty came to talk to me. She explained that she was going to order a mammogram. After the mammogram, they took me upstairs to Social Services. The staff member asked if I was on Medicaid and I replied no. She said, “That’s okay; we’ll have you on in two days.” I had thought it takes months to get approved for Medicaid, but she was correct, and they were quickly able to get me approved.  

The next few weeks were filled with doctors’ appointments. I had a biopsy of my left breast where the lump was. My doctor was a kind older gentleman who was very understanding. After he did the biopsy what was once a quarter-sized lump turned into an egg-sized lump. This was because the biopsy caused a hematoma. The biopsy was inconclusive, so the doctors explained they had to go in and take the lump out. Now it was time to tell my children that I had to have surgery and why.

 The day of surgery came, and my children were there to support me. After surgery the nurse announced that I was at stage 0 cancer. The doctor came in later and said that it was a malignant tumor inside a blood-filled cyst. He further stated that he had been a doctor for 35 years and he had never seen anything like that before. He recommended that I have radiation treatments.

I was later told they wanted to do 33 radiation treatments. Those treatments caused me to have 2nd degree burns on my breast.

My doctors asked if they could do a case study on me after my treatments. Since SLU is a teaching hospital I said yes. If my experience can help others, then I am glad to participate.

Having Medicaid available to me helped in ways no one will ever understand. Without it I probably would not be around to tell this story.”

Ready to become one of Paraquad’s Medicaid Ambassadors? Contact Jeanette Mott Oxford at joxford@paraquad.org or give us a call at 314-289-4303.