Things we didn’t know – because they didn’t tell us!
March 26th 2007 03:12
A friend has recently been diagnosed with and treated for nodular melanoma. This is a particularly aggressive and dangerous form of cancer.
After the mole had been removed and the dermatologist had received the results she rang at night and asked my friend to come in the next morning and to bring a friend for support. She gave no further information, leaving my friend imagining the worst. So that was the first thing we didn’t know.
Next came the specialist. The dermatologist arranged the appointment – without consulting my friend. My friend accepted his recommendation of surgery. There were a number of things we didn’t know from this point on.
1. That after the appointment with the specialist my friend would have to travel across the city and give the papers from the specialist to another unit.
2. That at this other unit they would do more tests.
3. What it is like to undergo a general anaesthetic. My friend was brought up largely on ‘alternative medicine’ and so had rarely been to a doctor and had never imagined that they would have to undergo a general anaesthetic.
4. What it is like to recover from an operation and general anaesthetic. The operation was done as day surgery, this was probably inappropriate – if not downright irresponsible.
5. The side effects of pain killers taken to ease the pain after surgery.
6. How long the pain would last after surgery.
7. They were given no information about how long it would be until full mobility was recovered. The mole was removed from the back of my friend’s hand. It was on their right hand and they are right handed (this wasn’t asked about). At no stage were they asked about the impact not being able to use their right hand would have on their life.
This was not a disastrous treatment. I want to emphasise that all this is usual and routine. It leads to a great deal of reflection on how the medical system reduces people to numbers and cases. At no stage was my friend ever asked about their feelings nor about how this whole process was affecting their life. It seems fair to conclude that our medical system is quite sick.
After the mole had been removed and the dermatologist had received the results she rang at night and asked my friend to come in the next morning and to bring a friend for support. She gave no further information, leaving my friend imagining the worst. So that was the first thing we didn’t know.
Next came the specialist. The dermatologist arranged the appointment – without consulting my friend. My friend accepted his recommendation of surgery. There were a number of things we didn’t know from this point on.
1. That after the appointment with the specialist my friend would have to travel across the city and give the papers from the specialist to another unit.
2. That at this other unit they would do more tests.
3. What it is like to undergo a general anaesthetic. My friend was brought up largely on ‘alternative medicine’ and so had rarely been to a doctor and had never imagined that they would have to undergo a general anaesthetic.
4. What it is like to recover from an operation and general anaesthetic. The operation was done as day surgery, this was probably inappropriate – if not downright irresponsible.
5. The side effects of pain killers taken to ease the pain after surgery.
6. How long the pain would last after surgery.
7. They were given no information about how long it would be until full mobility was recovered. The mole was removed from the back of my friend’s hand. It was on their right hand and they are right handed (this wasn’t asked about). At no stage were they asked about the impact not being able to use their right hand would have on their life.
This was not a disastrous treatment. I want to emphasise that all this is usual and routine. It leads to a great deal of reflection on how the medical system reduces people to numbers and cases. At no stage was my friend ever asked about their feelings nor about how this whole process was affecting their life. It seems fair to conclude that our medical system is quite sick.
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