What is it with doctors? Is it the more money they make the dumber they get or what?
Mom has been experiencing pain. She calls it soreness. I call it pain. The pain is in the region of her lung – the one with the tumor in it.
Now, she’s had virtually no problems since radiation. No pain, no weight loss, nothing. She’s really been very lucky. She was diagnosed with cancer in November 2005.
So when she says she’s having pain in the lung region – the one with the cancer in it, forgive me if I start worrying, but this tells me something is up.
So we go to the doctor. Her regular doctor. He does a chest xray, gives her a flu shot, and says she might have shingles.
???WTF???
Gives her steroids, tells her to call when she gets a rash and he’ll give her Valtrex.
I’m like – um – what if she doesn’t get a rash and doesn’t have shingles? Hello! Lung cancer patient here….
So she takes the steroids. Some pain goes away, but not all. She’s also lost 3 pounds, which isn’t significant for most – but my mother stays at one weight for the most part. Upon finishing the steroids, she calls the regular doctor. She asks him to call the cancer doctor, they think she might have a cracked rib, and decide to send her for a cat scan.
Fine.
What nobody bothers to tell her, is that she needs to have a blood test first and then go for the cat scan. Why didn’t her doctor last week take blood from her then? It’s not like she’s in his office all the time – she goes once a year for a checkup and if she feels bad – which is rare.
And especially since she has lung cancer. Maybe these guys need to go back to school.