Medical Diagnostic Testing: Necessary or a Racket?

[deb25]

Tigger,

I'll certainly agree with that one. I always ask, "Am I to assume that no news is good news?"

 

[hissy]

When I moved to Alaska, my new neighbor's wife and I became really good friends. Kathy was a fiesty gal, very intelligent and articulate. In 1992 she confessed to me over coffee that she had done her shower exam that morning and found a small lump in one of her breasts. She went to the doctor the next day and was told that she "shouldn't have worried" because he wasn't. Instead, he diagnosed her with Fibrocystic Disease, or as she called it lumpy breasts. Kathy was 38 years old and told me "lumps were coming and going as regularly as her menses, so it was no big deal." Well one month, the lumps stayed. So as a precaution, Kathy got her lump tested and went in to have a mammogram. The doctors told her "Everything looks fine" She was really small-breasted and for her, the problem was the lack of fatty tissue which did not show the cancer, instead her film just showed all white with no contrasts. She knew the lump was still there but not even the doctor could see it, he could however feel it. So nothing was done. Later, she told me she wished she had insisted for a needle biopsy, but she trusted the doctor. As the weeks passed she noticed the lump wasn't tender anymore, just getting bigger and harder. Again, she went back, the doctor assured her she was fine, but to be safe, she should be checked every 6 months for this non-cancerous lump. Six months later, though the lump was noticeably bigger, she was told "everything is fine." But she wasn't fine, she had noticed other changes and insisted they do a needle biopsy. He told her she was being foolish, but went ahead and referred her to a surgeon.

After her first visit with this new doctor, Kathy was visibly shaken. The man had done a routine breast exam on her and found other undiscovered lumps under her arms. She had never checked there, just her breasts. Ten days later, she had a needle biopsy. She told me she wasn't afraid then, she was young, she had children, she was healthy, there was no history of breast cancer in her family. The next day she was diagnosed iwth invasive ductal breast cancer, the most common type. But because it had gone unnoticed by her doctors for so long, she was told that the cancer had spread through out her body down the middle of her back and would eventually paralyze her! In December she had a modified mastectomy, was in surgery for 6 hours. She followed that up with chemo and radiation, she was also advised a bone marrow transplant would help her, but she refused because it was so high risk. Her husband went into deep denial and her kids shut down around her trying to deal with all of this.

Kathy started doing research, found a cancer support group, lost all her hair, eyelashes included, she set small recovery goals for herself and tried to keep a positive attitude. She would joke that this was not the way to stop having your menses and on the other practical side, she made a will, planned her funeral, started journaling for her kids who were 9 and 13 by then. She started speaking out in woman groups about following your instincts and not listening to the advice of doctors when it doesn't feel right. When she lost the movement of her left side, she started using a cane, when her right side left, she used a wheelchair. On Feb 14 Valentine's day, an ambulance rushed up our street and carried Kathy out to the hospital. She never came home again.

She told me once that she wished that the doctors would at least remember that there were people attached to the illnesses. That she felt more like a lab rat in their presence than a human being. I miss her today more than ever, she was a wonderful lady, and had she followed her gut instinct and had further tests, she would be alive today.

 

[dawnt91]

Oh Hissy, what a story. Cancer is such a scary thing, and it's even worse when the doctors make it worse by ignoring it. I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Sounds like she was a great lady.

 

[hissy]

is that although sometimes tests are unneccesary, other times, it could save lives. In Deb's case, at least they are on top of it and not telling her that further tests are not required because she is "fine." Today there is more breast cancer awareness than back when Kath was diagnosed.

 

[donna]

Hissy,

What a story! I agree with you that sometimes the unnecessary tests ARE necessary and coul save lives. It's always better to be safe than sorry. I'm so sorry about your friend. One of those unnecessary tests could've possibly saved her life.

 

[adymarie]

My uncle was 45 when he died of lung cancer. He had been unwell for 2 years before, but the cancer remained undiagnosised. His illness manifested as severely swollen legs. The doctors used a hit & miss method of diagnosising him. They did tests for one thing, then when it wasn't that they would test for something else. The man had a history of smoking 2 packs a day since he was 14 yrs old. He had a hacking cough. How could you not test for cancer? By the time they diagnosised him they told him that he only had 3-4 wks to live. He died exactly 4 wks later, leaving a wife and 2 young sons behind.

 

[dawnt91]

This reminds me of the story of a lady I used to work with about 5 years ago. We were pretty good friends, and she was about my age (about 27 at the time). She came down with a nagging cough and went to the doctor. He diagnosed asthma and gave her medicine. She didn't get better, so she went back. He said it was still asthma and wanted to refer her to an allergist. She wanted him to take chest xrays and he said they were unnecessary. Well, she finally went to a different doctor (this took a few months), and they did an xray. They found two tumors in her lungs, one the size of a grapefruit. She went through about 2 years of treatment and died on Christmas day 3 years ago. It was very, very sad. In this case, tests in the beginning could have probably have saved her life. She was a great lady and left a husband and two children under 5.

 

[hissy]

Mike has had a nagging cough for over 2 years now. They keep telling him it is asthma or "nothing!"

 

[debra myers]

M.A. That was a beautiful tribute to your friend. I am sorry about her loss. She sounded like a great frined.

 

[lotsocats]

Originally posted by adymarie

I recently saw a program ( I think it was 60 minutes) that stated if you can get a docter to certify you have "dense breasts" then most insurance companies will cover the cost of the ultra sound.

Wow! Thanks for the information!