Photo: cjc4454, Flickr
My darkest hour arrived while I was cooped up in a hospital room with chemo-induced fever and other mystery symptoms. I was bald and bloated and beyond hope when a well-respected attending oncologist swung by my room with a crowd of med students and announced it could be another cancer causing my illness. Probably leukemia or lymphoma. A bone marrow biopsy would determine my fate, this doc told me, just before he casually strolled away from my despair and moved onto his next patient.
It wasn’t a biopsy that greeted me a few days later. It was a new doc, starting a new rotation. A second cancer wasn’t even on his radar. Rather, he was convinced my dose-dense chemo (given every two weeks instead of three) was to blame. Nothing some heavy-duty meds couldn’t fix.
A few days later, I was home, healthy, and once again, hopeful.
That was five years ago, and it was not the first time I was misguided by a well-meaning doctor, which brings me to this very important medical conclusion:
Second opinions matter.
I’m living proof.
Tags: bone marrow biopsy, Chemotherapy, fever, hospital, leukemia, lymphoma, Second opinions
Right on with the information! The same thing happened with my grandmother and I am sure many other women who are fighting breast cancer. Also wanted to spread the word that there is a new iphone app (and its free!) where women can actually locate mammogram screening centers on their phone. It also comes with wallpapers that show support for breast cancer and link to Breasthealthandhealing.com. The Breast Health and Healing Foundation is a not-for-profit dedicated to performing research into how to prevent breast cancer. Check it out! And if you could, spread the word on this great new tool!
It’s ridiculous the way hospital doctors don’t take the time to share and coordinate information. I think its very common to have doctors that contradict each other, which is not much help to the patient. It only makes things worse because of course we want to believe the best diagnosis available.
This is a real health-care dilemma that should be better addressed by the people we trust with our care!
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