Today, on the way home from pony rides and ice cream with Rory and Kyan, my mother called me with the news the radiologist at St. Peters thought the "tumors" were just clusters of blood vessels. My liver biopsy was cancelled. My cancer isn't stage 4B.
Let me spoil the surprise, none of that is actually the case.
The radiologist looked at an MRI, which showed blobs of unknown origin on my liver, but that were not presenting as cancer blobs present. So he decided - without talking to any of my other doctors (there are at least 4 more who are actively involved and up to date) - that the biopsy was not needed and it was all for nothing.
As soon as I got home I called the radiology department and asked if he had seen my PET CT scan (a scan in which cancerous parts of the body "light up"). The response: You had a PET scan?
My thought: Are you fucking kidding me? (Drink!)
My actual response: Yes, and my liver lit up like a Christmas tree. I NEED that liver biopsy tomorrow because they won't start my chemo without it and I am NOT waiting another week.
Guess what? I am having my liver biopsy done tomorrow.
Moral of the story: Know what is going on with your healthcare and stand up for what you know you need. I imagine a number of patients would have just let this slide. They may have even celebrated the good news. Believe me, I would have loved to celebrate, but I knew that wasn't the case.
2 comments:
You gotta follow your instincts Mama! I'm sure glad you did, now... can we leave a brown paper bag of flaming poo on the doorstep of the radiologist??? Your poor Mom, what a rollercoaster ride of emotions she must have had. And for you to have to deal with that... Really... do we have an address I'm on this! ;)
Even at the best hospitals in the world, you have to be on top of it all the time. It is scary and challenging. These people have huge work loads. And no one cares about you like you and yours.
Post a Comment