Recently I had
an abnormal test result come back. I’ll
withhold the details, so those who are squeamish don’t stop reading. Suffice to say it is a test that only women
need to have done, it is done as an early detection test for cancer, and no
woman enjoys it.
The abnormal result
is not one you want, and means you need further tests to confirm the findings,
to work out if any treatment is needed and importantly to make sure there is no
cancer. So, my fabulous GP, Penny, did a
referral and off I toddled to a surgeon for more tests.
In the surgeon’s
office the additional tests undertaken where inconclusive, that is, there was nothing
bad found but he also couldn’t see all the bits he needed to be able to see to
say that everything was definitely OK. His
recommendation at this stage was a very reasonable one, and one that many
surgeons in the same position would have given.
The recommendation was to do a “biopsy’ and send it off to the lab for further
analysis. To call this recommendation a “biopsy”,
somewhat underplays the procedure. It
kind of makes you think of just a little sample of tissue. But no, this was 3-5cm long by 0.5 cm deep,
bloody big “biopsy”. That’s not a biopsy
in my books, that’s removal of almost an entire organ. It meant I needed admission to hospital, a
general anaesthetic and time off to recover post procedure.
I knew the
risks of the abnormal cells turning into cancer, IF they were there, and I knew
I didn’t want cancer. I therefore agreed
to the procedure but made the booking date long enough in the future (6 weeks),
so that I could do some research and think about my options.
From here I read
around the issue. I’m very lucky that
working in this area I have access to a lot of information. I am also fortunate that I can understand and
interpret medical information. However, the
more I read, the less happy I was with the bloody big “biopsy” option. I wanted to find the least invasive way I could
to get a diagnosis BEFORE I had to have surgery, not have the surgery to get a
diagnosis. Surely, I thought, in this day
and age that should be possible?
Again, I am
thankful for knowing health professionals who specialise in this area, and I could
make a quick phone call and pick their brains.
I got more information, and this really helped me to work out what I wanted
to do. I wanted a second opinion.
I sent an email
to my amazing GP, Penny, explaining why I wasn’t comfortable with the original recommendation
and asking for another referral for a second opinion from a specialist who was
highly skilled in this area of medicine.
Penny did not hesitate; the referral was sent through within the hour. There was no making me feel guilty, no
questioning my thought processes, no defending the recommendations of the
surgeon.
So now I am off
for my second opinion. More tests, and
this surgeon, because he specialises in more difficult cases was able to see
all the bits he needed to see. Unfortunately,
though, some of the bits he could see looked abnormal, so multiple biopsies
were sent off to the lab. These biopsies
though were just little samples of tissue and not the bloody big “biopsy”
originally recommended. The biopsy
results were not so great, and it seemed I would need to have surgery.
The interesting
thing though was the surgery which was now being recommended was in a different
area to the original recommendation.
This meant had I gone with the first recommendation I would have had a
bloody big “biopsy” of a normal area, and the abnormal area would have been
left behind….with the potential for cancer to develop. That would not have been a great outcome in my
books.
I now had a
choice of having the surgery I needed in a hospital under general anaesthetic
or in the clinic rooms under local anaesthetic.
Of course, I opted for the clinic rooms and local anaesthetic. When I said “I have discharged against
medical advice twice and own a home health service. You can pretty safely assume I will do almost
anything to avoid being admitted to hospital,” the surgeon laughed and laughed
and asked if he could write that in my notes!
A booking was
made, and I was comfortable with this decision.
A week later I am at the clinic for surgery. However, when the surgeon goes to perform the
procedure the abnormal area has disappeared.
My little old immune system had kicked in and the abnormal cells had vanished!!
Yay immune
system. Yay (reasonably) healthy eating. Yay yin yoga. Yay meditation. Yay me.
He took some of
the small kind of biopsies again anyway, just to make sure all was good, but
the actual surgical procedure was cancelled. It was lucky I hadn’t opted for
the hospital option instead, as by the time they worked out I didn’t need the
surgical procedure I would have already been anaesthetised.
I had gone from
needing a rather invasive procedure involving a bloody big “biopsy”, hospital
admission and a general anaesthetic to needing NO TREATMENT! I cannot tell
you how damn ecstatic I am that I got that second opinion. How glad I am I trusted my instincts. How glad I am that I knew my body well. How glad I am that my GP supported me.
I also know how
lucky I am. Not everyone has the level
of access to medical information that I have.
Not everyone has the same level of understanding of health issues that I
have. Not everyone feels brave enough to
ask for a second opinion. Sometimes, they are even made to feel guilty for
daring to consider it.
At a time when
you are worried or sick, it can be difficult to find your voice and ask for a
second opinion, even if you want one. Cancer
patients find it especially difficult, as they fear that any delays may
decrease their chance of survival. But I
have sat in many 100s of “team meetings” where patients treatment options are discussed. I know that sometimes there are different
opinions on what the recommended option is.
It is not always black and white, there can be a good deal of grey.
So, I encourage
you to speak up, ask questions, be strong, make decisions that you and your
family are comfortable with. ASK FOR A
SECOND OPINION, IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED ONE.
Lastly, big
shout out to all the wonderful GPs who support their patients in getting a
second opinion, especially my GP, Penny. You rock Penny. And another shout out to all the Specialists
who see second opinion patients (because not all do). Your sensitivity and fairness are
appreciated.
Julie
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