09-29-2011, 08:53 AM
I had a dear friend pass on due to cancer a couple of years back. Joni was a sweet elderly lady, that loved to see other people happy.
In 2006, she had a persistent cough, her doctor took an x-ray and referred her to another doctor for a biopsy, the biopsy doctor referred her to his buddy, who sent her for more tests, then back to her primary care DR. He then sent her for another round of tests, and another biopsy. All of this happened fairly quickly, within a 3 month time frame, then the Primary car Dr. finally diagnosed a type of Small cell cancer that appeared to be spreading. He then sent her to a cancer center. During the next 3 years she saw at least 15 different "specialist" DR.s and another 10 or so general cancer DR.s. This does not include the tests she had to go to every week. CAT scans, PET Scans, MRI's, blood work, Etc.
Joni went through all this with a smile on her face, she would bring either myself or other friends with her to all the appts. So we could take notes of what the Dr.s told her, she was determined to follow each Dr's order, and she made sure she took the medications that the Dr's prescribed.
Some time in March of 2009 a friend of hers was going over to have dinner and play cards. She found Joni laying on the kitchen floor, wreathing in pain and blood coming out of her mouth. The friend called an ambulance and then called me, as my number was on Joni's fridge as an Emergency contact. I met them at the hospital, the ER staff asked about Joni's meds. I went back to Joni's to collect all the pill bottles, and was amazed to find she was taking 47 different medications, with at least 15 different prescribing Dr.s.
By the time I got back to the hospital, she was in emergency surgery, an x-ray showed the lining of her stomach had developed abscesses, and 1 of them had burst. When I went over the medications she was taking, the ER Nurse, ran and got a Dr. The Doc just shook his head while going through the bottles, saying some of the scrips were contradictory, one pill canceling the effectiveness of another. He asked if we notify the doctors every time a new medicine was, I explained that Joni would take a list with her and give it to the Doctors. He said all the pills probably caused the abscesses and that they were going to notify her primary care physician.
She was in ICU for a few days after the surgery, then another hospital room, then 5 weeks in a Nursing home/rehab center.
When she got out of rehab, her primary care wanted to send her to yet another doctor, she said no, the Dr wanted her to take some tests, she said no, for the past 3 years she'd been pinched, poked, and x-rayed enough to be glowing, she told the Dr she was tired, and sit home for awhile. She passed on about a month later.
------------------------------------------------
I don't know how much of a hassle I'd go through to try and stay alive for any length of time, but I sure as hell wouldn't be dealing with so many Doctors.
I know that some of it is partly insurance (Joni retired from Sylvainia, but they booted her off the insurance about a year after the diagnoses, so she ended up with Medicare).
How many Doctors would you be willing to deal with? (Strictly for you own person, not children, parent's et. el., because I already know that most of you would move Heaven and Earth for a family member).
In 2006, she had a persistent cough, her doctor took an x-ray and referred her to another doctor for a biopsy, the biopsy doctor referred her to his buddy, who sent her for more tests, then back to her primary care DR. He then sent her for another round of tests, and another biopsy. All of this happened fairly quickly, within a 3 month time frame, then the Primary car Dr. finally diagnosed a type of Small cell cancer that appeared to be spreading. He then sent her to a cancer center. During the next 3 years she saw at least 15 different "specialist" DR.s and another 10 or so general cancer DR.s. This does not include the tests she had to go to every week. CAT scans, PET Scans, MRI's, blood work, Etc.
Joni went through all this with a smile on her face, she would bring either myself or other friends with her to all the appts. So we could take notes of what the Dr.s told her, she was determined to follow each Dr's order, and she made sure she took the medications that the Dr's prescribed.
Some time in March of 2009 a friend of hers was going over to have dinner and play cards. She found Joni laying on the kitchen floor, wreathing in pain and blood coming out of her mouth. The friend called an ambulance and then called me, as my number was on Joni's fridge as an Emergency contact. I met them at the hospital, the ER staff asked about Joni's meds. I went back to Joni's to collect all the pill bottles, and was amazed to find she was taking 47 different medications, with at least 15 different prescribing Dr.s.
By the time I got back to the hospital, she was in emergency surgery, an x-ray showed the lining of her stomach had developed abscesses, and 1 of them had burst. When I went over the medications she was taking, the ER Nurse, ran and got a Dr. The Doc just shook his head while going through the bottles, saying some of the scrips were contradictory, one pill canceling the effectiveness of another. He asked if we notify the doctors every time a new medicine was, I explained that Joni would take a list with her and give it to the Doctors. He said all the pills probably caused the abscesses and that they were going to notify her primary care physician.
She was in ICU for a few days after the surgery, then another hospital room, then 5 weeks in a Nursing home/rehab center.
When she got out of rehab, her primary care wanted to send her to yet another doctor, she said no, the Dr wanted her to take some tests, she said no, for the past 3 years she'd been pinched, poked, and x-rayed enough to be glowing, she told the Dr she was tired, and sit home for awhile. She passed on about a month later.
------------------------------------------------
I don't know how much of a hassle I'd go through to try and stay alive for any length of time, but I sure as hell wouldn't be dealing with so many Doctors.
I know that some of it is partly insurance (Joni retired from Sylvainia, but they booted her off the insurance about a year after the diagnoses, so she ended up with Medicare).
How many Doctors would you be willing to deal with? (Strictly for you own person, not children, parent's et. el., because I already know that most of you would move Heaven and Earth for a family member).