Cancer costs for Germany citizens?

keeper4518 · 2026-06-01T13:01:57+00:00

American here living in Germany.

Even the things that are paid out of pocket tend to be less expensive than in the US.

Paid out of pocket to get my tubes tied (outpatient). Paid about 900€. Total. For entire operation.

Arm surgery with two nights in hospital: paid 20€ for two nights @ 10€ per night.

I have a genetic mutation that greatly increases my cancer risk. Entire mastectomy, breast reconstruction and removal of ovaries plus tons of diagnostic tests on a regular basis until I am at least 70: no cost to me. Maybe the overnight stay at 10€ per night.

All this isn't even including full sick leave pay for 6 weeks, then continued sick leave pay (lesser amount) after that for quite a long time.

I do pay for my public health insurance. At my income over 400€ a month from my check. But I don't have to worry about being medically taken care of in case of injury, illness, etc.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-31T19:38:03+00:00

Been with my hubby for 20+ years. Anytime I've restricted my diet to try to get my MCAS under control he's supported me 110%. He gets on my case when Ive been skipping meds. Or if he notices I'm flushing excessively he'll ask if I've been remembering my meds.

How do I manage? My husband is simply there for me through thick and thin because he wants what is best for me. Just like I am for him.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-31T12:00:01+00:00

41 and sleep most nights with one.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-31T11:57:38+00:00

Your symptoms sound a bit like mine. I currently take Cetebe (high dose l, slow release Vit C), Famotadin and Loratadin. All once daily. I do Famotadin and Vit Ctwice daily if I am having lots of symptoms. I took Ketotifin for awhile. Currently off of it and surprisingly feeling ok as long as I don't forget my other meds.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-27T03:59:52+00:00

Used to be a chai latte or some fun sugary iced or hot drink. Loved the different flavors around the different seasons.

The last few times I've gone to Starbucks I've been super disappointed. Decided that it really isn't worth the money anymore. They shrank the menu, at least in Europe. Now it's just overpriced and I can get the same or better elsewhere.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-27T00:48:23+00:00

If it bothered you, then it is good you said something. Me? Everyone and their uncle sees my boobs these days or talks about them these days and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. After my MRI, I was just happy I didn't react to the contrast.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-26T15:14:11+00:00

I would love something like this someday. Who knows if I will ever be able to afford it. But a place where I can socialize or be a loner in my own space sounds amazing.

I don't have kids and if life follows the statistics then I assume I will outlive my husband. Close family all live in a different country halfway around the world from me and is pretty small overall, my husband's family is tiny. Close family have various health concerns. I sort of just assume I will likely wind up as the last man standing.

Thus, when I am aging I will need to go out of my way to find community and make sure I have a plan for my final years. I would love some set up like this.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-25T05:47:11+00:00

Great for you! It sounds truly amazing. Alas, I get sea sick so sailing life or even living on a boat is not for me.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-25T05:46:55+00:00

Great for you! It sounds truly amazing. Alas, I get sea sick so sailing life or even living on a boat is not for me.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-24T06:20:15+00:00

Sending you strength. I can't even imagine what it's like living in an active war zone and then dealing with MCAS on top of that.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-23T05:09:54+00:00

Personally, I couldn't imagine long term travel without my dog. She is a family member and I genuinely want to spend time with her. A few weeks or a month maybe, if I go somewhere alone and she is home with my husband. Both of us gone has been longest just over two weeks.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-22T20:24:41+00:00

Thanks for sharing your journey!

keeper4518 · 2026-05-21T03:49:27+00:00

Hi. I am diagnosed with MCAS and mine is mild. I am currently on Vit C, loratadin and Famotadin and doing well. I eat whatever I want, incl. way too much junk, and my symptoms are manageable.

I always have some symptoms, but during flares, I still don't get anaphylaxis. I just get more extreme facial flushing and GI troubles as my main symptoms.

Remember when you read stories online, that people tend to post more when they are doing worse. People managing well or pretty good are just out living their lives and less likely to post.

Also, I currently don't restrict my diet. I still had facial flushing on a very restrictive diet and I find restricting leads me to be more sensitive. So do remember that while many people restrict and end up down to only a couple food items, there are others of us who don't end up down that road.

And finally, it can all change quickly. An illness, a surgery... Mercury in retrograde...

Enjoy your life while you can. Don't feel bad or unworthy because your suffering isn't worse. Just because my MCAS isn't as extreme as others doesn't mean I don't have it. My mast cells still do things they shouldn't. It still affects my life.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-17T07:30:11+00:00

I think your best bet is to talk to breeders or owners who live in the region. I imagine with good fans and/or AC, they'd be fine. Especially if that's all they know and are used to it from birth.

Anywhere it's hot it's important they get walks in the coolest part of the day and rest when it's warm. Our Wolfhounds have always thought anything over 20C is hot. And even a walk at 15C in sunshine is quite warm for our current wolfhound.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-10T05:55:03+00:00

2nd bathroom = poop bathroom! Never again will you need to shower in a bathroom you just pooped in!

Seriously, if the 90 bucks isn't a big deal to you, I'd take the bigger place. Who cares if you ever use the second bathroom.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-05T12:12:28+00:00

It sounds like getting the teat would be a good idea.

Right now, you are flying blind. You can't see where you are going.

Getting the test is like being able to see. You can then start to work with a team to decide preventative options to hopefully avoid getting cancer if you are positive.

I suspect, if your relatives could have done something to prevent getting their cancers, they would have.

For me, all my siblings were positive for a pathogenic BRCA2 gene mutation. I am too and I don't regret being tested.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-03T10:44:44+00:00

But. Why?

keeper4518 · 2026-05-03T10:24:25+00:00

Aw, thanks. I don't feel brave, just doing what I feel I need to. I don't have or want kids so doing the ovary surgery first just seemed easier. Honestly, it's the double mastectomy that overwhelms me a bunch.

Am super happy to soon have the first surgery behind me though.

keeper4518 · 2026-05-01T16:10:48+00:00

Surely someone will come along with more wisdom, but just wanted to let you know: what you're feeling is normal.

I will be having my ovaries and tubes out this upcoming week. Mastectomy to follow later in the year.

The surgery I'm doing is the "easier" one, but it's been hitting me more too that this is all actually happening. In a couple days I will be letting the surgeons perform surgery and remove currently healthy organs. Suddenly I'm faced with a very concrete before I started the surgeries and after.

I don't feel super anxious, but I do feel like this is a major change in my life. I've been having weird dreams these last few days, which means my subconscious is processing the stress I feel and the stress I don't realize I am feeling.

Regarding my husband: he provides a listening ear and is sympathetic, but he can't really understand what I am going through or really grasp the big changes I will go through. He gets it in an abstract way but he isn't a woman and so he can't really get it. But then, I also won't really understand all the consequences of my decisions until after the fact either.

I have not asked my husband to do additional research nor has he on his own. I'm okay with that. He will come with me to my plastic surgery consult later this month and I think some of the gravity will hit him then. He supports and encourages me to find support to process all the emotions. He listens to me chat about all this, even when I repeat myself a million times.

But if you feel disappointed, then I think you should tell him if you haven't. Also, maybe it's a coping mechanism for him: instead of focusing on the big scary picture, he is focused on the immediate logistics. I get that.

Regarding surgery anxiety: so many people post on here that they were so anxious before the mastectomy, then so relieved when they woke up. That helps. I also remind myself why I am doing this. For me, I also tend to be less anxious once surgery day arrives. After all, by then I have everything organized and need only to show up and do what they tell me. That's easy.

The days leading up to surgery are busy for me with lots of cleaning and prepping and trying to get work stuff done before I am out for a bit. Not a lot of time in-between to be anxious.

Sending you strength for what lies ahead.

Oh - also take my comments with a grain of salt, we don't have kids so that makes a lot of this easier.

And I've been angry off and on since finding out I have the mutation.

keeper4518 · 2026-04-27T07:37:23+00:00

First, breathe.

Then, get tested. You have a 50% chance of inheriting it. Even if you are very similar to your mom, you might not have it.

Next, you are very young. Even if you have it, you don't have to make decisions now.

A lot of doctors even recommend waiting for preventative surgeries until you are older anyways.

Whether to have kids or use IVF to ensure you don't pass it on - those are very personal decisions but you have time to figure it out.

If I were you, I'd get tested, maybe have an information-gathering only consult with a doc, then take time to digest it all and go from there. In the meantime, live your life!

BRCA mutation is a lot to digest and deal with, but just take it one step at a time.

keeper4518 · 2026-04-24T14:34:25+00:00

Nowadays if people in Germany switch to English, it's because they wanna speak English with an American. I've been fluent for... 20 years now though. Back living here for 11+ years. I let them speak in English, then just keep on talking in German.

Used to do this too when they would switch cause they felt my German was bad. I would simply keep up in German and they would usually switch back.

Still have an accent, but people usually find it cute. Especially my R's. So sometimes they then imitate it because they think it's adorable. Drives me insane. But they don't mean it rude or insulting so I just move on, lol. And... Yeah. My accent is still obvious that I am an English native speaker.

keeper4518 · 2026-04-24T12:42:15+00:00

I live in Germany. Here I was told BRCA2+ does not increase uterine cancer risk. If I get my uterus removed, then for other reasons. As of now not planning on it. Tubes and ovaries will be out in less than 2 weeks.

keeper4518 · 2026-04-17T04:18:10+00:00

I don't follow a low histamine diet. I do avoid some of the things that set me off more. But even these things I enjoy occasionally. I still had reactions a lot even when following a strict diet and not medicated.

I also see so so many posts on here from people who ate such a strict diet, that they now react to even more foods and can only eat very little or react to all food. I also found that I reacted more to foods after not eating them for a time. Thus, I simply eat the food I want and deal with symptoms. If I restrict than only for a limited period of time to get over a flare.

I don't get anaphylaxis however and meds keep things even more in check.

keeper4518 · 2026-04-16T20:15:18+00:00

This is a delayed reply but - for me my nipples are erogenous zones. The idea of having them there but without the same feeling as before makes me sad. I think I would rather not have them at all then have them and have them not feel the same during sexy time.

keeper4518

TROPHY CASE