It’s been a while since I have shared a blog due to my previous schedule. You could say that I was on a sabbatical of sorts from written creativity. This blog will be focusing on chemotherapy and how oncologists present it to their patients. While the content of my blog is geared towards women with the same diagnosis that will be shared, I invite male readers to glean any pertinent information that can be shared with spouses, family members or girlfriends.
My recent medical experience started on May 22, 2018, with an unexpected and abnormal symptom that occurred while I was at work. I took my phone into the bathroom and called my primary care doctor right away to advise her of the symptom. She ended up scheduling a sonogram and later, I was referred to a GYN physician, who completed a biopsy (that was uncomfortable but bearable). Unfortunately, the GYN physician did not provide my doctor with the results of the biopsy done on June 19, 2018. As a result, my doctor was unable to make a referral within our network. Instead, I was referred by the OB-GYN physician to see an oncologist in her network.
At the appointment scheduled for July 6, 2018, I was informed that the biopsy showed Endometrial Cancer of the uterus --also known as uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) and uterine serous adenocarcinoma, which is an uncommon form of endometrial cancer that typically arises in postmenopausal women. It is typically diagnosed on endometrial biopsy, prompted by post-menopausal bleeding. My daughter suggested I get a second opinion through my primary care doctor after I saw the first oncologist. Unfortunately, I received that referral information by mail and the date for me to see the new oncologist was the same as the date for the surgery scheduled with the previous oncologist. For the sake of time and health precautions, I decided to keep the surgery date of July 17th and go forward with the existing specialist.
After my surgery, I contacted the Temp Agency with my return to work date, so the client could be advised. Later that morning, I was informed by the agency that their client/employer did not want to wait past 08/07/2018. So, I was officially terminated from that assignment on 08/03/2018. I spent the following weeks trying to get through my post-op recovery being unemployed and waiting for the date I would be released to work so I could apply for unemployment benefits without any issues.
When I went for the follow-up appointment with the oncologist on August 13, 2018, he did an exam and told me that everything looked good inside and out. I was thankful for the dissolvable sutures, which meant I would not need another appointment to have them removed. After I got dressed, the doctor came back to the examination room with a fellow doctor to inform me I would need chemotherapy to prevent any new cells from growing---as recommended by the Tumor Board. Tumor board review is a treatment planning approach in which a number of doctors who are experts in different medical specialties review and discuss the medical condition and treatment options of a patient.
I was numb, to say the least, and had to wrap my head around this post-op recommendation. I told my daughter and she cried at the shocking news and told me later the recommendation for chemo did not sit well with her at all.
Asking your doctor questions pertinent to your diagnosis is very important and it’s best to write them down on paper the night before your appointment. Unfortunately, I was ill-prepared at my follow-up appointment; so the only question I asked pertained to the side effects of chemotherapy. I knew the most common symptoms (e.g. hair loss, nausea), but was unaware of the need to monitor one’s blood count. The specialist had previously informed my family that the surgery was successful and everything went well, but weeks later, he was telling me I NEEDED CHEMOTHERAPY.
My primary concern for not wanting to start this poisonous therapy was that I was still healing from the surgery and having some internal pain. While I was informed by the doctor that I should walk as much as possible, he never mentioned what kind of pain and/or discomfort I should anticipate during my recovery. I was also concerned about my coverage (I don’t have the best health insurance) and discovered that the cost of treatment per month is $10,000 and some therapies can be as much as $30,000 per month. Another concern was my age along with the side effects. It was disappointing to think I would not be able to work a decent job, because of having to deal with being sick for two (2) days every three (3) weeks. As they say here in the south: "That dog won't hunt!"
Because I never received photos or the post-operative and pathology reports, I was actually ignorant about the actual results until I ordered the reports for my personal knowledge and information. After obtaining a copy of the reports and reading through them, I had questions, concerns, but was quite sure, I would not be going forward with the chemotherapy. I sent a message to the doctor through the patient portal to inform him of my concerns, but most importantly I stated that I would not be starting chemotherapy in two weeks as he had anticipated. I checked the patient portal two days later and read the doctor’s reply. He still insisted I needed chemotherapy, but said if I was going to consider alternative treatment, he wanted me to schedule an appointment to follow up with him in two months. In my reply to the doctor, I confirmed that I would follow up with him in a couple of months, but did not tell him I would be discussing the matter with my primary care doctor beforehand.
I was finally able to provide a copy of the surgical and pathology reports to my primary care doctor’s office so the information could be scanned into my medical records. During that visit, I met with one of the nurses, who listened very carefully to my concerns and candidly told me that it would be a risk if I decided to take the chemo treatment and a risk if I did not. But, most importantly, she said it was my body and my choice. The top priority is maintaining my quality of health through safe alternative methods that include a clean diet, exercise and herbal supplements to kill any cancer cells. While the oncologist did his job as a surgeon, his objective was only to promote chemotherapy above any other method of treatment. My daughter informed me oncologists get kickbacks for recommending chemo to their patients because it multiplies the business. Sadly, as it multiplies the medical business, it causes long-term, collateral damage to the body of patients, who lack the right information and are not proactive. While the FDA should be protecting citizens against harmful drugs, it is protecting a greedy industry that continues to promote poisonous drugs for cancer treatment nationwide. Unfortunately, things don't get better for some patients, because chemotherapy does more harm than good unless they make a decision to seek out alternative treatment as a replacement.
Since, my decision to seek an alternative method of treatment after the doctor's diagnosis, I have been receiving helpful and preventative information from a family member to include books and herbs to help me on this alternative journey. Ironically, I have not been tested since the surgery to determine if there are actually cancer cells in my body. But the oncologist still insisted on chemotherapy to prevent the growth of "unconfirmed" cancer cells. I refuse to be a guinea pig for any doctor!
I have provided three (3) resources below that I trust you find helpful and informative. Please feel to share them with your family and friends:
- Cancer-Free: Your Guide to Gentle, Non-Toxic Healing – Authors: Bill Henderson & Carlos M. Garcia, MD. I purchased a copy for Kindle Fire - $2.99 on Amazon
- Hoxsey Therapy “When Natural Cures for Cancer Became Illegal” – Harry Hoxsey, MD
- The True History of Chemotherapy & the Pharmaceutical Monopoly
a. You can watch this nine (9) episode presentation online by clicking on the link below:
In closing, I would like to say: you should never feel like your hands are tied with any physician. You have the choice to seek a second opinion if it will save and/or prolong your life. When it comes to personal health, we can’t afford to be gullible and accept everything a doctor says. We must be assertive, ask pertinent questions to obtain the right information, and discuss any diagnosis with family members so we can make sound decisions we won’t regret before it’s too late.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, which was to provide information and inspiration. It is my prayer you received information that will be helpful to you and your loved ones.
Peace and blessings to you!
