And Then She Told Me I Have Cancer

Having Cancer is News to Me

Last week I was diagnosed with cancer by an ultrasound technician before the test even began. I sat down and she sais, “so we are looking at the state of your thyroid cancer.” As far as I knew I was just having a thyroid nodule checked. I was nervous, but her comment terrified me. I confirmed with her that the order did say I had cancer. Did the doctors know something I don’t?

I then proceeded to ask the name of this doctor who said I had cancer. Somehow, the order was from a doctor I’ve never even seen. A doctor I hadn’t even been to yet said I had cancer. My primary doctor is the one who scheduled the test so I was very confused. Maybe this new doctor didn’t care enough to enter the correct code for the technician. I can’t even imagine what happened to make that mistake. As a result, my weekend was stressful. I had to wait four agonizing days before the doctor finally called me back.

At least for now, they have determined that the tumor doesn’t need immediate attention. I don’t understand because it has doubled in size in the past year. I also have mysterious thyroid blood test results. For some reason, I don’t feel relieved yet. Maybe it is taking a while to sink in because I was trying to get used to the idea that I do have cancer in case the ultrasound technician was correct.

I am confused and frustrated over this situation. Patients shouldn’t have to deal with a fake cancer diagnosis. Telling someone they have cancer should never come so lightly! And you definitely shouldn’t have to hear it from an ultrasound technician.

I try to be understanding of people just making mistakes. However, these sort of mistakes happen all the time to me. I’ve been misdiagnosed a few dozen times. In fact, this isn’t even my first time being told I have cancer. The first time I was told I had cancer was by a Gastroenterologist. He diagnosed me without even doing tests. As someone who struggled to get my diagnosis, I am usually all for getting diagnosed. But only is if it the correct one! Incorrect diagnoses are stressful and harmful to patients.

The first time I was misdiagnosed with cancer, I was referred me to an oncologist and they did many painful tests and put me through a lot of stress before determining I didn’t actually have cancer. For months, I thought I had cancer because my doctor didn’t care enough to get all the facts. That stress takes a toll on your mental state.

When you're really not okay but you don't want people to worry... - Imgur (1)

Too Many Rules

I also had bronchitis/pleurisy last week. I was coughing, hadn’t slept in three days, and was in terrible pain. It is now taking three weeks to get into a Pain Specialist for an appointment. So I called my doctor. She called me in an antibiotic and cough syrup with codeine to the pharmacy to help me sleep. I was excited to finally get sleep and feel a little better.

Cough syrup with codeine is monitored closely under the law. A hard copy of the prescription is required to refill it. So obviously the fax from my doctor didn’t work. I called my doctor at 4:30 PM and they were already closed! So just because of ridiculous rules and regulations I had four pain filled and sleepless nights in a row instead of just three miserable nights.

I understand that many of the rules and regulations in the medical system exist for a reason. However, people who are chronically ill have to deal with all the inconveniences created by rules daily. While I am sure that requiring hard copies may lessen narcotic abuse, but it makes it so difficult for chronically ill patients to get the medication they need. When these problems arise, doctor’s offices take hours if not days to get back to you. The rules and regulations may not stop, but how medical professionals can change to make their patient’s lives easier.

When problems do arise, doctor’s offices take hours, if not days, to get back to you. The rules and regulations may not stop, but medical professionals can change to make their patient’s lives easier.

I'm overwhelmed. - Imgur

We Need Change

The medical profession exists to help people. However, when things go wrong the medical system can ruin your day, week, or life. Even small mistakes, like the failure in communication between professionals I experienced, can really make the patient’s experience worse. Dealing with an illness is already a trying time and incorrect information can affect people’s quality of life. Shouldn’t medical professionals be working to make their patient’s quality of life?

It needs to be easier to contact doctors for questions; it needs to be easier to refill a prescription. There has to be a better way for medical professionals to communicate with each other.

Most importantly, we need to value medical professionals who do care about their patients. There is so much focus is on competition and learning in medical school that by the time those students are doctors, they have a hard time seeing them as humans. When intelligence, competition, and apathy are encouraged in medical students is it really any surprise that doctors don’t value their patient’s quality of life.

My largest complaint with the medical profession is that I am treated like a number. I have bounced around hundreds of doctors and am constantly bombarded with tests, but rarely does a doctor treat me like a human being. Treating patients like humans instead of numbers will solve many problems the medical system has. I know a doctor who cared about patients as people wouldn’t accidentally diagnose someone with cancer.

I feel overwhelmed with emotions and I don't know how to handle them. - Imgur

5 thoughts on “And Then She Told Me I Have Cancer

  1. I am shocked to read your story! Being told over and over you have cancer so flippantly when you don’t have it- I cannot imagine what you have been through! My mother was told a skin lesion she had was pre-cancerous (wrong diagnosis) and operated on twice, when I was small. I remember living in the shadow of a “cancer diagnosis” for next few years and it changed us all. I am really sad for all that you have gone through.

Leave a Reply to Hypermobility Syndrome India/Viv Cancel reply