Barb had breast cancer 6 years ago. At that time she had surgery, double mastectomy, chemo and radiation. The following year she had her ovaries out as a precaution. After 5+ years we thought it was behind us (big misconception). In January at age 52 she noticed some swelling and discomfort in the lower abdomen and contacted her oncologist who referred her to a urologist. Unfortunately trusting her doctor was a fatal mistake. To make a long story short they wasted months chasing an imaginary kidney stone when the cancer was spreading throughout her body. She developed lymphadema and went from 120lbs to 175lbs. Every major discovery we made was the result of us going to the ER because her pain became unmanageable. The last several weeks I camped out 24/7 and had to fight everyday for accurate information and proper pain management and treatment. Our doctors pretended to care but it became increasingly obvious that it was just talk. I could provide many examples.
If you or a loved one has a serious medical problem you really need to ride the doctors for proper care and treatment. Question everything and ask why a lot. Don’t learn the hard way. Our experience might be unique but I doubt it. I started wondering if the doctors were all the nerdy kids we knew growing up who studied all the time and didn’t have a personality. Maybe we just got a bad batch.
Barb was one of the most beautiful women inside and out I have ever seen. In May she received her Educational doctoral degree and the topic was how to prevent bullying in middle schools. It’s a huge loss but one I’m learning to deal with. I hope what I shared helps someone to have it better - Bob
