Friday, July 14, 2006

Update

Well, I don't know what to make of this.

I saw an oncologist today, who read over all the paperwork -- and there was a lot of it -- then said the pathology report was "inconclusive," and he wanted to send the tissue samples to a lab he preferred in the middle of the state. (NH is not all that big a state.) As I was leaving the oncology unit (the most horrible place I've ever been), he rode down in the elevator with me and said that he had called the path. lab, and they had admitted to "hedging."

Meanwhile, I have a friend who's a nurse, who had offered to interpret the pathology report for me. Having acquired a copy of said report, I scanned it and sent it on to her. Her opinion: This does not look good, have the thing out.

Yes, I'm a trifle upset, to put it mildly. Those of you who are on the OrthWomen's list may remember my posting, last year, about my lack of trust in doctors generally. I was thrilled to have found a gynecologist whom I thought I could talk to. But she's the one who called in this oncologist, and I'm not sure now if she will abide by his opinion, or if she will listen to me (and my friend), and take the thing out. Let me make this as plain as possible: I do not want to mess around with even the suspicion of cancer.

But how hard do I push???

4 comments:

Elizabeth @ The Garden Window said...

Meg, tell them *exactly* what you blogged - if there is any suspicion, however remote, that the growth might either be pre-cancerous now *or* at some undetermined point in the furure, that you want it out now rather than later.

Any reasonable doctor should understand that and be amenable to it. If they are asking for a second opinion, that shows the index of suspicion is already present, IMO as a midwife.
Prayers for you.

Catrin said...

Elizabeth has good advice. If your Dr. wasn't already suspicious she wouldn't have gotten you an appointment with an oncologist so quickly, as we discussed in private email - it's almost unheard of to got a referral THAT quickly. It takes that long for my dr's office to just make the appointment :)

You remain in my prayers, as always!

Meg said...

Thanks to both of you (I hope you are reading this!). As it happens, my own doctor said that her first preference was for hysterectomy, but I guess she wanted confirmation -- which she didn't get from this guy. The other factor is, I don't want to hang by my thumbs until I have tumors the size of grapefruits, and I have the become part of the Cancer Industry. I saw enough evidence of that industry yesterday morning, and I want no part of it.

Anonymous said...

Chiming in a little late but...

"how hard do I push?"

You push till you get the best answer you feel comfortable with. And if that is "surgery" then push till you get it. YOU are the patient. YOU are in charge of your health. No ONE else!!!

You go girl! Don't take any crap off anyone!