I was diagnosed with a grade 3 cell type of breast cancer in April 2012. The tumor was very small. I found it myself when I was scratching an itch on my upper right arm and my finger trailed lightly over the right upper quadrant of my breast. I don’t do breast exams because I always find something in my breast and I tell my dr and get a mammogram and it’s always negative. This time was different. I recognized there was something and saw my doctor. She couldn’t feel it. She said ok let’s look again in 6 mos. I was ok with this. As she was writing the order she turned and said to me “No let’s get a mammogram now.” That was fine with me. At the mammogram the technician was trying to put a sticker on me to mark the location. She couldn’t feel it either. I got the mammogram. The Dr there looked at the film and I was told she wanted an ultrasound. She looked at the film. The technician told me the Dr wanted
Another view. Of my right axilla. I knew what that meant. She’s looking at axillary lymph nodes. I felt my stomach drop.
Such a great essay - man you have killer insight as to how your patients relate to you. I think it’s great that we patients can indeed “vent” to staff and still keep our docs on a plane that, frankly they don’t deserve. But I need to at times so I can get thru whatever surgery I have going (remember I’ve had 62 surgeries over my 60 years!). I remember my surgeon asking my wife if I ever complained. I rarely do but when I do it’s dark. So I need that people pleasing skill from time to time to be able to get thru to make my doc glad I was a patient. It’s a silly thing, I know, but I’ve survived some incredibly close calls. Thank you as always for your perspective. By the way, anytime my addictions patients would say, “you saved my life…“ I would always remind them that God save their lives and I got to be there to watch it happen. It’s very empowering for them. And kept me off the pedestal as needed! 😉
I was diagnosed with a grade 3 cell type of breast cancer in April 2012. The tumor was very small. I found it myself when I was scratching an itch on my upper right arm and my finger trailed lightly over the right upper quadrant of my breast. I don’t do breast exams because I always find something in my breast and I tell my dr and get a mammogram and it’s always negative. This time was different. I recognized there was something and saw my doctor. She couldn’t feel it. She said ok let’s look again in 6 mos. I was ok with this. As she was writing the order she turned and said to me “No let’s get a mammogram now.” That was fine with me. At the mammogram the technician was trying to put a sticker on me to mark the location. She couldn’t feel it either. I got the mammogram. The Dr there looked at the film and I was told she wanted an ultrasound. She looked at the film. The technician told me the Dr wanted
Another view. Of my right axilla. I knew what that meant. She’s looking at axillary lymph nodes. I felt my stomach drop.
Such a great essay - man you have killer insight as to how your patients relate to you. I think it’s great that we patients can indeed “vent” to staff and still keep our docs on a plane that, frankly they don’t deserve. But I need to at times so I can get thru whatever surgery I have going (remember I’ve had 62 surgeries over my 60 years!). I remember my surgeon asking my wife if I ever complained. I rarely do but when I do it’s dark. So I need that people pleasing skill from time to time to be able to get thru to make my doc glad I was a patient. It’s a silly thing, I know, but I’ve survived some incredibly close calls. Thank you as always for your perspective. By the way, anytime my addictions patients would say, “you saved my life…“ I would always remind them that God save their lives and I got to be there to watch it happen. It’s very empowering for them. And kept me off the pedestal as needed! 😉