Brandi manages the tennis pro shop at Willow Fork Country Club in Katy, the club behind Pretty in Pink, an annual golf and tennis fundraiser that raised $22,000 for The Rose in a single day. She had insurance, a routine mammogram, and no reason to expect a problem until her scan came back inconclusive, then abnormal, and a biopsy she was quoted at nearly $5,000 out of pocket.

In this conversation, Brandi talks honestly about the fear of waiting, the relief of a benign result, and how her whole relationship with Pretty in Pink changed once she understood exactly how the fundraiser helps all women in need.

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Key Questions Answered

1. How can a woman with insurance still face thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs for a breast biopsy?

2. What is Pretty in Pink and how does Willow Fork Country Club's annual event raise money for The Rose?

3. How does The Rose work with patients on payment plans when costs are still a barrier?

4. What does the biopsy experience at The Rose actually look like, from check-in to results?

5. Why do mammograms sometimes come back inconclusive or abnormal and require a follow-up biopsy?

6. How did community word-of-mouth, specifically a fellow club member, connect Brandi to The Rose?

7. What role does family history of breast cancer play in a woman's risk, and why do women often not know that history until they need it?

8. Why do women delay mammograms for years, and what finally motivates them to follow through?

9. How does fear of cost cause women, even insured women, to stop short of getting answers?

10. What makes The Rose's patient experience different from a hospital setting for breast biopsies?

11. How does surviving a cancer scare change the way someone engages with fundraising and advocacy?

12. What is the message Brandi carries to friends and colleagues who have never heard of The Rose?

Timestamped Overview

00:00 Dorothy introduces the episode and Brandi's story: a routine mammogram, an abnormal result, a $5,000 biopsy quote, and how a club member pointed her to The Rose.

00:52 Dorothy describes how Brandi's story connects to Pretty in Pink and closes with the episode's call to action.

01:57 Dorothy welcomes Brandi and notes that her situation, insured but still facing barriers, is different from many Rose patients.

02:23 Brandi describes her mammogram journey: inconclusive first scan, abnormal second scan, then the call about the $5,000 biopsy cost.

02:48 Dorothy confirms the quote came through a hospital-based setting.

03:05 Brandi explains how club member Dina Russell, a breast cancer survivor, connected her to Shannon at The Rose. Her cost at The Rose came in under $1,000.

03:51 Dorothy asks how Brandi ended up managing a tennis pro shop. Brandi shares her background in auto dealership accounting and the career change when her husband's club had an opening.

04:39 Dorothy and Brandi discuss Willow Fork Country Club in Katy and the Pretty in Pink event, which raised $22,000 in a single day.

04:56 Brandi describes how the event works: silent auctions, raffle baskets, a 50-50 raffle, and a golf-and-tennis format open to members and guests.

06:01 Dorothy and Brandi confirm Pretty in Pink happens in one day, in October.

07:02 Dorothy asks who first suggested Brandi call The Rose. Brandi confirms it was Dina, a member who had personally been through breast cancer.

07:58 Dorothy asks how Brandi felt facing the biopsy cost. Brandi describes the fear and the support of her husband, family, and close friends.

09:50 Brandi describes arriving at The Rose, the nurses' warmth, and how she felt like a person rather than a number.

10:15 Dorothy and Brandi discuss the type of biopsy performed: ultrasound-guided, using the mammogram machine.

10:41 Brandi describes Dr. Trevino: he explained every step, asked if he could play music, put on Christian music, and even sang along to ease her nerves.

12:37 Brandi shares the outcome: the mass was benign, and Dr. Trevino noted it was so small that even if cancerous, treatment would have been minimal.

12:59 Dorothy and Brandi discuss the importance of staying consistent with mammograms, even after a benign biopsy.

14:05 Brandi reflects on how her relationship to Pretty in Pink changed once she understood what The Rose actually does for women.

14:38 Dorothy asks Brandi to address listener misconceptions about nonprofit care quality. Brandi says the facility, staff, and experience were outstanding from the front desk forward.

15:27 Brandi shares a moment in the waiting room where another patient told her, "God has you," which steadied her in a hard moment.

16:47 Brandi shares her family history: an aunt and a cousin, both out of state, had breast cancer. She didn't learn about her aunt until after her own scare.

18:11 Dorothy underscores the importance of asking family about cancer history and not being afraid to have those conversations.

19:34 Brandi admits she had delayed her mammogram by three years. Her doctor told her at a routine physical to get it done that day. She did.

20:04 Dorothy and Brandi discuss sharing the experience with friends. Brandi's close friend, whose mother died of breast cancer, had also navigated a biopsy.

23:32 Brandi highlights The Rose's payment plan option, which allowed her to put a deposit down and pay in installments, an option available to insured and uninsured patients.

26:14 Brandi shares what she was most afraid of losing: being present for her four grandchildren, ranging from eight months to seven years old.

27:23 Dorothy thanks Brandi. Brandi encourages listeners not to be scared to get their mammogram and to talk openly with family.

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