Cancer Diagnosis Question

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peacock2121 · #1 Post by **peacock2121** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:36 pm

Not me and not my blood family.

My m-i-l.

Here's the deal:

She had a mammogram. They didn't like something and called her back for another. She went and they didn't like that one and she had a biopsy. She was supposedly told that they would call her yeasterday and tell her the results and also see her in the office on Thursday.

As an aside, all of my experience has been that one gets good news on the phone and bad news in person. If there is bad news, they do not cancel your appointment - if it is good news, they do.

So, she gets no call on Monday, gets a call today that the biopsy showed some irregularity and that it was sent for more test (?!?) and that the results are not back yet but will be back for her appointment on Thursday.

Then she gets a call to change her appointment to tomorrow (from Thursday). She tells them that her 'updated results' won't be back then. They schedule her for the 24th.

I am thinking she has cancer and they don't want to tell her on the phone and they had to play along with the charade.

What do you people who have had cancer diagnosis' or who have medical training think?

She is also seeing an oncologist about her blood and the possible leukemia tomorrow.

I see more trips to Florida in my future.

nitrah55 · #2 Post by **nitrah55** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:07 pm

I think you have this figured out.

I found out I had cancer from my urologist's receptionist, when I told her there was no reason for me to wait a week for an appointment when I knew they had the results.

She told me and then moved the appointment up a week.

Maybe one of the medical people around here can explain why docs don't just ask upfront, "If I have less than great news of any kind, can I tell you over the phone?"

I am hoping things go as well as they can for you and m-i-l.

tlynn78 · #3 Post by **tlynn78** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:10 pm

oh, sweetie. You need a bigger plate.

t.

silvercamaro · #4 Post by **silvercamaro** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:10 pm

I think you are borrowing worry. There's no point to that, as you know.

Sometimes the results of tests and biopsies are delayed because whoever was supposed to interpret them didn't get to them or misplaced them. That can be annoying, but being annoyed is not the same thing as trying to read something awful into the delay.

Ritterskoop · #5 Post by **Ritterskoop** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:18 pm

It is our nature to create a story to explain a thing, and sometimes we're right. But sometimes we have only created a story, and it was not right, and it made things worse.

It is what it is.

Ritterskoop · #6 Post by **Ritterskoop** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:31 pm

Thanks for starting off by saying it wasn't you.

I did not answer your question, but I hope that a different way of seeing it may help.

Beebs52 · #7 Post by **Beebs52** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:04 pm

I actually had my first bad news over the phone-the weird mammogram-edited to mean the description on the report even I could decipher after madly googling. Which was verified when I actually met the surgeon. And I got the results of the stereotactic biopsy from the surgeon over the phone because I insisted. He was a sharp guy and saw no reason to dilly dally.

Sometimes it's in person, sometimes not.

peacock2121 · #8 Post by **peacock2121** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:51 pm

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I got something different from each of you.

I always count on you guys for that.

mellytu74 · #9 Post by **mellytu74** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:18 pm

pea --

Good wishes from here.