Costs of Care, where this post was originally published, is a Boston-based nonprofit organization that helps caregivers deflate medical bills and provide high value care. As part of the 2011 Costs of Care Essay Contest, more than 100 anecdotes were shared by patients and providers around the country that illustrate the role of cost-awareness in medicine.  For updates  follow them on Twitter @CostsOfCare.

Guest Blog: A Recommendation to Minimize Costs Backfires

Alexis Ball | June 15, 2012
My mom passed away last December to Stage V breast cancer metastasized to her liver. During this battle she developed ascites (an accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity) as her liver failure progressed. This accumulation of fluid was not only extremely uncomfortable but painful as well.

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