Are Most Women with Breast Cancer Brain Dead?
I received an email from Princess Margaret Hospital about their new fast track “Rapid Diagnosis”, which, in essence, says that women can have a biopsy and a treatment plan within hours.
I guess some people might find that a good thing, but having gone through breast cancer myself, there is way too much information to absorb to make such a life-changing decision within a few hours of a diagnosis.
Am I the only one that finds this a not-so-good thing? Are women really that uninterested to learn more about their cancer before taking directions from a bunch of strangers, all spewing the same thing.
Let me guess … the Rapid Diagnosis treatment options are:
- Lumpectomy + radiation: Recovery time is only a few hours to a few days.
- Radiation + lumpectomy + further radiation: Recovery time is also only a few days since radiation is not painful or invasive.
- Chemotherapy + surgery + further chemotherapy + radiation: Recovery time is approximately one year.
Number 3 was the so-called “treatment plan” I was told I needed — basically, they throw everything at you and hope that something sticks.
From the time I had the biopsy to the time I received a treatment plan, it was exactly one week — and a bunch of strangers (pathologist, surgical oncologist and medical oncologist) had already decided what my plan should be — all strangers who didn’t ask me a single question about what might be best for me.
I can’t imagine what I would be like now had I not researched everything I could about the type of breast cancer I have — not all breast cancers are created equal and I really hope the women who utilize Rapid Diagnosis take time to think about all the options they have, and not be brain dead.
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Brain dead? I would have KILLED for a rapid diagnosis.
Then again I am quite a bit younger than you are, I have things to do..like LIVE
It took me in total 1 year ro be diagnosed, I was brushed off many, many times.Finally I got the diagnoses.
So if I had to do it again,I would take this deformed breast to the rapid center and know what was what.
Then again I don’t live in the Center of the Universe (toronto)
Comment by Young one — June 11, 2009 @ 2:00 PM
Many thanks for your comments, I appreciate it.
Do you really think anything would have changed if Rapid Diagnosis was available when you were diagnosed? You seem to live in the same area of Mississauga as I do so you’re only about 20 minutes from the centre of the universe
You would have still had to have gone to your family doctor to have it checked out (hopefully you have one in this country of free access to medical care and not used a walk-in clinic or an emergency room) — and you are still the mistress of your own body and could have changed doctors if you weren’t happy.
Rapid Diagnosis from what I understand does not negate someone going to their family doctor, getting an ultrasound, etc.
I can’t imagine Princess Margaret Hospital allowing walk-ins to have lumps checked out — they are only offering this service to a few people a week, so it’s not likely your circumstances would have changed unless you made demands from the various doctors you were seeing — and if you are that young, your family could (ought to) have intervened.
I had an excrutiating painful lump (Tylenol 4s weren’t strong enough) and my doctor thought it was a blocked duct at first … and it was about 6 weeks later, after going back to my doctor a few times in the interim, that an ultrasound was ordered. It was that doctor in the ultrasound clinic who said he wanted a biopsy.
My goal of this blog is to get women to be more assertive about their own bodies — if they think something is wrong, do something about it — if you think your doctor isn’t doing enough, ASK for more or find another doctor!!
No one should have to wait a year for an answer like you did … but yes, I do hold you accountable to what didn’t happen fast enough — Rapid Diagnosis is not the answer.
Comment by Blogger Barb — June 12, 2009 @ 8:55 AM
Okay creepy..but no I don’t live in the old Miss…I live in southwestern ontario but not there.
Yes a rapid diagnostic clinic would have worked better in my case.I did not actually have a lump it was something else that prompted my trip to the Dr, which I will not get in to.
The waiting times between tests where just stupid and the fact that it took them so long to figure out what needed to be done in the end (surgery) baffled me.There was a lot of dicking around so to speak.
Anyway, how would I be held accountable? Or rather why should I be? If I had of gone to the rapid diagnosis clinic and had the mamm, ultrasound and biopsy this would have been over in 2007!
Of course we tried to get things done faster, you have no idea what my situation was, if I even have a family so please do not make unfounded assumptions.I worked with what and who I was given to work with dr wise.Of course we all wish we could do it all over, but woman have trust in their Drs.A woman is not to blame on how she “handled” medical professionals . I don’t know about you but I live in an underserviced area, if you give up your doctor you do not get another one.Thats just the way it is.
Comment by Young one — June 12, 2009 @ 2:46 PM
Oh sorry (about the creepy part) — I just wanted to see if you were in some foreign country (Thailand or Africa for example) where my response might be different.
I’ve never been to Princess Margaret and wasn’t part of the Rapid Diagnosis centre. Although I don’t think my views would be different though had it been open in October, 2008, when I discovered my lump.
My beef with the Rapid Diagnosis is that it’s not really about the diagnosis: it’s about giving people treatment options within hours of the diagnosis. I don’t know about anyone else, but I like to have lots of information before I make a decision — and now I know that all they really prescribe to healthy invidividuals under 70 years of age is chemo, chemo and more chemo … and then some surgery … because chemo is NOT A CURE … and then more chemo … and then radiation after chemo.
The reason I said I hold you accountable is that you are free in this country called Canada to find the information on your own and tell the doctor or doctors that aren’t helping you to take a hike and find another doctor.
If you’re saying that you lived with a deformed breast for a year, I’m terribly sorry, but you could have taken responsibility for your own body and made alternate decisions about your care.
I do hope you share a bit more about your story as I’m sure others would benefit — even though no one reads this blog
Comment by Blogger Barb — June 12, 2009 @ 6:19 PM
If you’re saying that you lived with a deformed breast for a year, I’m terribly sorry, but you could have taken responsibility for your own body and made alternate decisions about your care.
Actually my breast is deformed now because of surgery and radiation.I said if I had to do it AGAIN I would go to the rapid diagnosis.There is nothing that can be done about my breast actually,I just have to live with it, 2 surgeries and radiation damage.
I think you are doing a real disservice to woman struggling with these issues.Not all of us have a choice. I asked to see another rads oncologist and was told there was not one taking patients, I asked to be transferred to another city,I was told that there was a wait and I needed the radiation now.
i am not sure what planet you live on,but you seem to be one of those people we all dread to see in the Dr’s office, the one yelling at the receptionists and kicking her feet to get what she wants.I will tell you one thing from working IN healthcare, those patients get the BIG red X on their chart and it is noted in the nicest way possible that they are painful to deal with.
I am terribly sorry that I am saying these things as well, woman with breast cancer should build each other up, not tear each other down.Which is really what seems to be your game.
Comment by Young one — June 22, 2009 @ 11:35 AM
You couldn’t be more wrong about who I am … I don’t yell and definitely don’t kick and scream … I’m usually the one that doesn’t wear a watch, listens to my iPod and will read everything there is to read and patiently wait for my appointment [no pun intended] … I usually have a list of questions and why it doesn’t bother me in the least to be the last person seen; to have the doctor’s undivided attention.
You’ve completely missed the point about this blog and for that I feel badly for you … you will be the one forever ranting about “how terrible the information is on the internet” …
I live life and love life … my guess is that you’ve got a lot more deeper wounds than the deformity itself … if you haven’t sought support, I certainly encourage you to do so.
Good luck, and if it’s your belief, God Bless.
PS: I want people to get angry, but angry at the healthcare system, not at me personally.
My hope is that you only work as a receptionist in some GP’s private office … because if you are this angry at a complete stranger (um, me), and actually work in a hospital setting, our healthcare system is in more trouble than I thought.
Comment by Blogger Barb — June 22, 2009 @ 7:09 PM