The Weight of Words

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Some of you have been keeping track on my blog and offering good will wishes for someone that is special to me regarding a diagnosis that was given a few weeks back.

In short: I took her to the ER for severe abdominal pains a few weeks back. An ER doc and a Oncology doc told her she had ovarian cancer and she'd be dead very soon. Nice huh? All of this without a biopsy just a CAT scan. I twigged the next day that it wasn't possible to declare it cancer without that.

After a few misadventures I was able to arrange to have and actual biopsy performed on her. They found out it was a cyst and drained it, sampled it, and tested it. I just got the call back a few minutes ago. It was clean. No malignancy. No cancer, just a cyst. A freaking gigantic cyst (2 liters worth of fluid)-- no that's not a typo.

So, lesson time kiddies: 2nd opinions are needed for a reason, and three little words (you have cancer) caused a woman to give up and lose all hope. Watch what you say; words have far reaching consequences.

Now I need a nap, afterward I can start writing again. I feel kind of inspired.

Comments

Quack doctors...

Zoe Taylor's picture

Honestly it amazes me some "doctors" (and I use that term loosely) are even allowed to practice medicine anymore. I won't prattle on about personal experiences; I'll just say I'm very happy to hear she's going to be okay! :-D

~* Queen of Sweetness *~

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I really hope somebody goes after the two morons that so casually gave her a death sentence.
What they did was irresponsible and showed a high degree of professional incompetence that should be brought to the attention of the director of the hospital and the chief of staff at the very least. They should not be practicing on humans (or experimenting on animals either).

ER doctors can especially suck

I had bad appendicitis and even had four attacks of it before finally going to the emergency room ( no insurance at the time. ya know? ) The bloody idiot diagnosed it as a urinary tract infection (the current disease of the month apparently) and wanted to send me home. It was only through intercession of my partner who insisted I be hospitalized that I got a room, and a much needed antibiotic drip. Yep, 24 hours later, the surgeon who finally examined me wanted me to go in for emergency surgery as it was that close to bursting. Yep, I would have died if I had gone home.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR COMMON SENSE AT THE DOOR WHEN DEALING WITH DOCTORS.

Kim

Ouch!

Zoe Taylor's picture

Mine was just a case of "My kneecap is floating somewhere behind my knee, but it's just a sprain. You'll walk it off!" ... The guy smelled like a brewery too >_>

Seconding Kimmie absolutely 100%.

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That's great news

Jemima Tychonaut's picture

That's great news! I'm pleased it all worked out well in the end. :-)



"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Ya know, it's amazing

the person that got the highest score in the school, and the person that just squeeked through with the lowest allowable grade both get to add DR. to their name, and WE can't tell the difference, until something like this happens.

Ovarian cyst

Angharad's picture

from memory, the largest one weighed in at 80lbs or so. That was very poor practice by the two doctors. I hope your friend makes a speedy recovery.

Angharad

Angharad

2 Liters

For all you kiddies in the good old USA that would be a soda pop bottle,WOW now that's alot of liquid . My prayer are with you for a quick recovery HUGS & KISSES RICHIE2 ---P.S. I like your stories

Doctors

That why they call them practicing physicians because they are practicing on (US) HUGS RICIE2

I watched a resection of uterian fibroids

While I was practicing my endotracheal intubation I watched a resection of uterine fibroids. It was quite interesting. The uterine complex looks kind of like a turkey when laying on top of patients abdomen so fibroids can be removed.

I hear that...

My hematologist said getting a second opinion was a good idea... And, maybe one day I will - but for now, I'm living with it... (No discernible symptoms, if you don't look at the blood work...) The diagnosis gave me the "push" I needed do do something about myself...

As to abdominal pain... My younger daughter was taken to the ER with what they feared was appendicitis... Cat Scan was inconclusive... It took the MRI to determine that the appendix was "okay". But, she was UBER Constipated. (The Cat Scan did tell us she had an ovarian cyst, though... Which was contributing to the pain.)

Yeah - those three words "you have cancer" are worth a second opinion... Specially when they don't give you much time! So are several others. So glad to hear the problem in question was so much less serious than was believed.

Anne

Hooray!

I don't care about bitching about doctor's mistakes-my wife's aunt found out she had cancer two weeks ago, and died Friday. That your loved one does not have cancer? That is something to shout and rejoice about! What wonderful news! I needed a pick me up!

Wren

I'm glad...

...that the mistake was a mistake, even though it were better not to have been made to begin with.

*hugs!* and hopes of a speedy recovery! ^__^

-Liz

Successor to the LToC

-Liz

Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"

Quacks

Renee_Heart2's picture

Just goes to show you dumb people in high places (I want to say what I really mean but being nice) I'm gald that you relized that they missed something no biopsy no they can't dignose it as cancer with out one. I"m glad it was only a cyst. I'm glad. I look foward to reading some more of your works.
Love Samantha Renee Heart

Love Samantha Renee Heart