A few weeks ago I crashed my bicycle. I had to go to the ER and have a CT of my abdomen because the handle bars basically stabbed me in the belly. No skin was broken, but it made me really nauseous. Anyway, when I was there and they did a CT, they found 2 lesions on my liver. They're tiny, but they are lesions on my liver nonetheless. I wanted to go to this gastroenterologist Dr. P (I doubt I get sued for using this guys name, but the other dr would definitely sue me for this, so I am sticking with initials). I'd worked with Dr P. when I was a pharmacy tech in the same hospital as him and I like him a lot. However, Dr. P was scheduling appointments like 3 weeks out, so my internist got me an appointment with Dr F who could see me in a couple of days.
Meanwhile, I went to my friendly local HMO for a liver CT, and somehow some medical receptionist managed to interpret "Hepatic CT" as "Hepatitis C" so the guy who read the CT assumed I had hepatitis and diagnosed me with probable liver cancer. I called them back and told them that I most certainly did not have any hepatitis C. Meanwhile, I went to see Dr. F and told him that I didn't have hepatitis C. He ordered an MRI since the CT was really inconclusive as to what type of lesion it was. Dr. F got the MRI results back and took it upon himself to leave me messages that it was "extremely urgent" that he speak with me. I tried to call him back but his office kept telling me he was gone for the weekend, etc. I had a meltdown, my husband went to the office to track down Dr. F, Dr. F called. Apparently what was so damn urgent was that the MRI was inconclusive and he wanted me to have a biopsy.
A couple of days later I got to the hospital and I KID YOU NOT they had me change into a hospital gown, start and IV, etc. for the biopsy, and the radiologist got there and refused to do it because the lesion is too close to my lung. Had another meltdown. They suggested a PET scan on a different day, but I told them since I was already there they had to do it that day or not at all. So they did do it that day, and told me to call Dr. F's office for the results the following day. Dr. F once again made himself unavailable. Had another meltdown, husband tracked down Dr. F, you get the idea. By this time, Dr. F is pissed off at me, but the way I see it most NT's would have probably slashed his tires by this point so he should be happy about the meltdowns. Dr. F expresses his pissed offness at me and my husband and suggests another way to get a biopsy, all the while complaining about the quality of the radiologists in the hospital that he affiliates with. I told him that I couldn't take his crap anymore and hung up the phone. I had an appointment with Dr. P the following week anyway.
So, I went to see Dr P and told him all of what went on with Dr. F. Knowing him, I didn't think he would commit any of the same infractions, but you never know. Also, I had a tryst with another Dr in that hospital that is Dr P's good friend (we were both married, but we were just having fun) so I think that it's at least known that I don't behave like most people when I am under stress. Anyway, I told Dr P that I would, in theory, be agreeable to the idea of a biopsy for several reasons - 1. It seems to be the only way to get a conclusive diagnosis 2. I want to have a baby and it would be extremely dangerous for me to do so if the lesions turned out to be a type of benign tumor called an adenoma and 3. It would be too much unneeded stress for me to go for a CT every 2-3 months to see if it was growing. So, while I see all these positives about doing the biopsy, I am pretty stressed out about it and I don't know what to do. I'm at work right now so I want to keep myself together to the extent possible.
21 Nov 2006, 11:54 am
