That means it is still Breast Cancer Awareness month. I had an unbelievable response to my mammogram/ultrasound post last week. My hopes were that one person would be moved to get checked or at least schedule a mammogram. Well, I had a few that came back with that good news. But one in particular has been on my heart for over a week now. A young girl, with kids, one particularly young, had found a lump about a month or 6 weeks ago, and she didn't do anything about it. She said, because of my post, she got an appointment and went in... She said I made it sound like it was no big deal. #littlevictory She is waiting on her results.
I didn't mean to play it down. It is important to get screened. And if you are young and your insurance balks, your doctor can help you. One thing you always have to remember is that you are your own best advocate. No one will ever stand up for you like you will. No one will do all the same kind of research and ask the questions that you will ask. This isn't only applicable in dealing with cancer. It applies if you break a bone, if you have allergies, if you have heart problems, -- any medical condition, really. So stand up for yourself.
You have to schedule the yearly appointment and get yourself there. You have to call the dentist and schedule those appointments twice a year. You have to be ready and aggressive when that doctor comes in your exam room and acts like they have 500 people waiting, so they're in a super big hurry. Don't back down. Take your list of questions. Don't talk fast because the doctor is. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion -- about anything. Living in a remote part of the country has made me the kind of patient that I am today. If I have to drive two hours to see a specialist for one thing or another, by golly, I better get to ask every question I have. If I have to wait an hour or even 30 minutes to see any doctor, I better get to ask every question I have. (I could totally go off right here on waiting -- like your and my time isn't important, too? But I will refrain.)
The reason I can say these things is because I am old. Older. Whatever. When I was young, I was easily intimidated, especially by a doctor. I could barely speak. I thought I was bothering them because they "were so busy." At age 21, after a surgery, I had a surgeon who was so abrupt, I couldn't even do the talking when he came in the room. Mike had to do it for me. He was gruff, acted irritable, and he appeared annoyed that he had to come in and check on me. A young doctor was training under him, and he stayed behind one day and told us that this guy was the very best at what he did. He apologized and agreed that his bedside manner was one of the worst, but we all decided, who would you rather have work on you, a doctor that is good with a horrible bedside manner, or a doctor who is horrible with a good bedside manner? Easy decision. I made a little progress during that hospital stay by forcing myself to ask questions, by making him take more than 45 seconds to look at the stupid ugly staples he put 10 inches across my abdomen instead of stitching it up so the scar might be less noticeable. I was 21. Seriously. Huge scar. Not very considerate. Pretty sure my life wasn't in danger, so you would think he could take the time to charge me 3 million more dollars and hide the scar. We had insurance. *eyeroll* I have another scar totally hidden--lesson learned, it can be done.
Heck, you can be intimidated by a nurse, or the receptionist! Ridiculous, huh? I have a special voice that I use in those situations. I lower it, speak a little slower, and use as few words as possible, while looking them straight in the eye. It's firm, but polite.
This topic wasn't where I was headed today, but it's where we went. Lily is a loose cannon.
