My MIL found out right before Thanksgiving that she has uterine cancer. Over the course of the last five weeks we have had numerous doctor's appointments and scheduled surgery for a full hysterectomy including lymph nodes on 1/8. She went to her doctor yesterday to do her pre-surgical clearance and her doctor informed her that she has a lesion on her right lung that they saw on the CAT scan they took, and that until she saw a pulmonologist that she would not be cleared for surgery. The pulmonologist (if that is even the right title??) fit her in today to look at the scan and told her it needs to be biopsied before she would release her for surgery, that she would get it in this week if at all possible. Well, Christmas Eve. No one working at the hospital to schedule the biopsy. Earliest it can possibly be scheduled is Monday. Two weeks for biopsy results to come back. That is 1/9. After that, if it an the infection like everyone thought it was three weeks ago when it was noticed on the CAT scan then another couple of weeks of meds to clear it up. No surgery on 1/8. No idea when they can schedule it.
So here is what I'm frustrated about, in no particular order.
- She has seen three doctor's in the last five weeks, all of whom saw the lesion on the CAT scan and didn't do anything about it when there was time to test it.
- Pulmonologist appointment on Christmas Eve, what was the point? It is a given that the mass would have to be biopsied before pulmonologist & PC would release her for surgery , her PC had to know that, why send her to the appointment all rushed in today only to make her wait until next week for the biopsy anyway? Now she has to worry that her cancer has spread to her lung, when will her surgery be scheduled, when can they do the biopsy, etc, all through Christmas.
- The gynecologist she is seeing (who she has never seen before her PC discovered a spot in her uterus that needed a biopsy) has given her all of the bad news, from the cancer diagnosis to the lung lesion to the surgery postponed, over the phone. This is the first time she has ever seen her and she calls her up at work and says "Hi, you have cancer. We'll get you an oncologist appointment next week. Call me if you have questions. Have a good day."
-My MIL is scared to death of anesthesia, something she has told every doctor she has seen this month repeatedly. They tell her today "If we don't clear this up you might never wake up from the anesthesia." Okay, true, yes, but bedside manner? Could there have been a better way to tell her that piece of info? Or, just leave it in the paperwork she was given to read instead of singling it out? She was already scared of the anesthesia, now she is petrified.
DH is stressed out, and the holidays are stressful enough already between our families and trying to balance his ex-wife's schedule for our stepson. MIL is beside herself - I thought she was calm when I got off the phone with her, but she has called two other family members pretty unhinged thinking her cancer has spread. This fallout could have waited until Friday (the pulminologist is open Friday from 8-12 and could have seen her then) or Monday.
Venting. Sorry it got so long. I could use any good thoughts anyone would like to send my way today.