Medical Red Tape, Missed Health Risks, and Survival

blueroses

Oh Mama give me strength. I am trying to get a kidney stone removed from my bladder, as I have explained in other posts, and the red tape along the way and contradictions by medical staff here there and everywhere is driving me round the bend. The surgery is going to be the easy part compared to all this medical red tape. During a recent CT for the stone they also discovered a lesion on my right ovary and that needs to be dealt with - hopefully it is nothing but if it's a secondary cancer then it has to be dealt with quick AND get this, apparently the lesion was on an older CT but it was MISSED in the report from the radiologist. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Briefly the latest issue is that I had no choice but to postpone the surgery to remove this stone that I was supposed to have done last week because there was a confusion as to the type of anesthetic they were using. Who in their right mind would allow themselves to be put out unless they were clear on what type of anesthesia they were going to use?

I was told by another anesthesiologist not long ago that I should avoid total general anesthesia if at all possible because of my health - heart in particular. So when I called the nurse at the hospital to ask them a question the night before surgery, in talking about something else I mentioned it was conscious sedation, to which she answered 'no it's general anesthetic'. WHAT???????????? She argued the point which further drove home that it was different from conscious sedation. That was it for me as I had had other instances of contradictory info from other staffers there and anesthesia screwups now were the last straw. I'm not going to be knocked out not knowing what form of anesthesia I am getting - HELLLOOOOO.

So the surgeon doesn't return my call directly as I had asked, the question would have been cleared up in 2 minutes if he had, but he handed it off to his secretary and she told me that since I cancelled the surgery, um I didn't cancel, I postponed it til I had all the info, I would have to start all over from pre op meetings that took 3 hours to meeting with the surgeon again to discuss 'all the issues'. ALL? There is only one. Because of paperwork and stupid in place rules and regs to make it easier on everyone but the patient, this surgery might take several months again to get settled. I won't even be able to see the surgeon til the end of July to just start discussing it again.

For the love of gawd my health is the same today as it was last Thursday when I had to postpone, why put me through all of that set up again? It's nuts and in my case, as well as in many others along the way, potentially (hopefully not for me and others) this could turn out to be the difference between early diagnosis of a cancer and not. Paperwork and protocol, possibily one more thing to factor in to our survival for some.

You know what I am wondering? In the beginning this Urologist had a bit of a question mark as to whether it was in fact a stone at all and that stuck with me. I asked him about that a few months back and he assured me yup it was a stone. Now in light of this new finding of a lesion on my ovary, not too far away from the bladder, I am wondering if he is worried about an incorrect diagnosis and is trying to cover his butt. Oh man just take out the stupid stone or whatever the heck it is. I mean if that's the case then he should be pushing me to the head of the list with this surgery so they can see what the heck that thing is. I tried to get a second opinion but my GP decided it could wait til I see her next week - man sometimes patients just seem to be cut off from relaying all the information at every turn, because doctors are so busy. Hey I get that, but what about me? What about you? What about early diagnosis? What about, what about, what about?

Other than that, having a great day. lol. Blessings, Blueroses.

CanadaSue

Anesthesiologist
Hi Blue Roses,

Did you not meet with the anesthesiologist on your Pre-Op visit? I think that is standard procedure in Canada. I know my hubby met with one for each of his 4 surgeries.

Nurses are not anesthesiologists, and how would she know what they were going to give you?

I would have went in for the surgery, and then if I did not like what the
anesthesiologist said he/she was going to do then I would have stopped the surgery.

Sorry to hear you are going to have to suffer until you can get this all lined up again.


Hugs,
Sue

green50

CanadaSue said:

Anesthesiologist
Hi Blue Roses,

Did you not meet with the anesthesiologist on your Pre-Op visit? I think that is standard procedure in Canada. I know my hubby met with one for each of his 4 surgeries.

Nurses are not anesthesiologists, and how would she know what they were going to give you?

I would have went in for the surgery, and then if I did not like what the
anesthesiologist said he/she was going to do then I would have stopped the surgery.

Sorry to hear you are going to have to suffer until you can get this all lined up again.


Hugs,
Sue

Bluerose
I am so sorry you have to go thru all this. Maybe another dr.? or is he good just not good bed side matter? Yes I would ask anesthesiologist. I told a couple of mine years ago what problem I had with one and they told me they dont use that kind any more and I havent had problem since but if your heart is involved I would go to the source. I hope you dont have to wait again, good grief. Keep trying and tell them its got to go now then speak to whoever does anesthesia. I will be praying for you
Prayers and Hugs
Sandy

blueroses

CanadaSue said:

Anesthesiologist
Hi Blue Roses,

Did you not meet with the anesthesiologist on your Pre-Op visit? I think that is standard procedure in Canada. I know my hubby met with one for each of his 4 surgeries.

Nurses are not anesthesiologists, and how would she know what they were going to give you?

I would have went in for the surgery, and then if I did not like what the
anesthesiologist said he/she was going to do then I would have stopped the surgery.

Sorry to hear you are going to have to suffer until you can get this all lined up again.


Hugs,
Sue

Hey Sue
Nice hearing from you again, how are you guys doing?

Yes I met with AN anesthesiologist at Pre OP and she said yup it's conscious sedation, which I can have, BUT she wasn't necessarily the one doing my surgery - could be another anesthesiologist that winds up doing it. The surgeon said, to my face, just the day before the surgery that it was conscious sedation because I mentioned it again then but when I called the night nurse, who I was told to call if I had any questions the night before, I was enquiring about another issue altogether but just mentioned conscious sedation, that was when she challenged me and said 'no it's general anesthesia, the surgeon ticked it off on the form for the surgery the next day'. So to me,as it would be to anyone in my position it looked like he changed his mind. That's when I freaked.

Later in the conversation when she realized she was wrong she tried to explain that their forms only say 'general anesthetic' and don't say what kind but she definitely started out by making the point that they were two different things in the first place. I know there is full anesthetic which is harsh on a person and conscious sedation is much better. Like I said before this was the last straw in a long list of contradictions nurses gave me, arguing with me yet, over direct instructions I got from the surgeon, and while I know they are just nurses they are telling me what is ordered, and I was told differently - you have to question it.

Well as far as what one person would do over another I guess we all have to make our own decisions but like I said I had been through the mill with contradictions and also too I had just been told that they found another problem while looking over the CT for the stone, they found a lesion on my right ovary so needless to say here I was facing a possible serious situation with news of a new lesion and on top of it insensitivity and arguing about the kidney stone. The thing that really bothers me about this all is that the surgeon, in the beginning, questioned whether it was even a stone he was seeing in my bladder or something else - that installs confidence in a patient I can tell you. NOT.

Anywho his office said they would ask him to cut the redtape and just get me in and drag out the stone but of course I haven't heard back. I think I will go for a second opinion with another urologist to look over the whole situation as I said before, there seems to be 3 problems going on in that general area and maybe we are looking at something totally different afterall. I fought today to get in to see a gyno and got in in 2 days and tomorrow I think I will go to a walk in clinic to get a second opinion referral to another urologist right away. Can't be any slower than this guy.

I think it's disgusting how any doctor can see one issue in a cancer survivor and then after finding another, the lesion they just found (that was overlooked in a previous CT by the way) and then trying to put off surgery for biopsy for well over a month. Disgusting.

Anywho thanks for the posting Sue. Take care. Hugs, Blueroses

blueroses

green50 said:

Bluerose
I am so sorry you have to go thru all this. Maybe another dr.? or is he good just not good bed side matter? Yes I would ask anesthesiologist. I told a couple of mine years ago what problem I had with one and they told me they dont use that kind any more and I havent had problem since but if your heart is involved I would go to the source. I hope you dont have to wait again, good grief. Keep trying and tell them its got to go now then speak to whoever does anesthesia. I will be praying for you
Prayers and Hugs
Sandy

Hey Green
Yup I tried to go to the source, the surgeon, and he passed it along to his secretary who of course argued with me. Sigh. Yup I am going to get a second opinion, working on that tomorrow. The new lesion that they found is the more serious of the two things right now and I worked on that this morning and begged my way into an appointment in only two days but man that took alot out of me. I am in quite alot of pain with this and am sleeping more which concerns me.

I am going to go to a walk in clinic tomorrow and they have already said that they give out referrals for second opinions all the time. I have no idea what this other surgeon who is putting off my surgery is like as far as how good he is, he seems to waiver on whether the stone was even a kidney stone at one point so who knows. I went back to him because I had gone through all the paperwork already and I thought it would be better than starting again but maybe not. He had mentioned that the lesion was twice the size of when they first saw it on a CT that they missed at that point - it was a different doc and hospital that missed it so it's been there for who knows how long. That is what really worries me.

Thanks for your kind support and words. Hugs Sandy, Blueroses

Man can't believe that this has happened to someone like me who demands testing and my GP always gets it for me and now I find that yup they did a CT back a few months alright but didn't see the lesion then and now it's bigger. It's scarey. I am trying to hold a good thought but after my history you can't help but worry. You know how it is.

CanadaSue

blueroses said:

Hey Sue
Nice hearing from you again, how are you guys doing?

Yes I met with AN anesthesiologist at Pre OP and she said yup it's conscious sedation, which I can have, BUT she wasn't necessarily the one doing my surgery - could be another anesthesiologist that winds up doing it. The surgeon said, to my face, just the day before the surgery that it was conscious sedation because I mentioned it again then but when I called the night nurse, who I was told to call if I had any questions the night before, I was enquiring about another issue altogether but just mentioned conscious sedation, that was when she challenged me and said 'no it's general anesthesia, the surgeon ticked it off on the form for the surgery the next day'. So to me,as it would be to anyone in my position it looked like he changed his mind. That's when I freaked.

Later in the conversation when she realized she was wrong she tried to explain that their forms only say 'general anesthetic' and don't say what kind but she definitely started out by making the point that they were two different things in the first place. I know there is full anesthetic which is harsh on a person and conscious sedation is much better. Like I said before this was the last straw in a long list of contradictions nurses gave me, arguing with me yet, over direct instructions I got from the surgeon, and while I know they are just nurses they are telling me what is ordered, and I was told differently - you have to question it.

Well as far as what one person would do over another I guess we all have to make our own decisions but like I said I had been through the mill with contradictions and also too I had just been told that they found another problem while looking over the CT for the stone, they found a lesion on my right ovary so needless to say here I was facing a possible serious situation with news of a new lesion and on top of it insensitivity and arguing about the kidney stone. The thing that really bothers me about this all is that the surgeon, in the beginning, questioned whether it was even a stone he was seeing in my bladder or something else - that installs confidence in a patient I can tell you. NOT.

Anywho his office said they would ask him to cut the redtape and just get me in and drag out the stone but of course I haven't heard back. I think I will go for a second opinion with another urologist to look over the whole situation as I said before, there seems to be 3 problems going on in that general area and maybe we are looking at something totally different afterall. I fought today to get in to see a gyno and got in in 2 days and tomorrow I think I will go to a walk in clinic to get a second opinion referral to another urologist right away. Can't be any slower than this guy.

I think it's disgusting how any doctor can see one issue in a cancer survivor and then after finding another, the lesion they just found (that was overlooked in a previous CT by the way) and then trying to put off surgery for biopsy for well over a month. Disgusting.

Anywho thanks for the posting Sue. Take care. Hugs, Blueroses

How much can 1 person take.....
Blueroses,

Wow, you would think in this day and age that health professionals could get some things right. How could they miss something like that on the scan.....

I wish you luck with getting a second opinion, and getting the surgery done soon!

Hugs,

Sue

blueroses

CanadaSue said:

How much can 1 person take.....
Blueroses,

Wow, you would think in this day and age that health professionals could get some things right. How could they miss something like that on the scan.....

I wish you luck with getting a second opinion, and getting the surgery done soon!

Hugs,

Sue

You got that right Sue
Especially with my history how could they miss something like this? You go in to so many specialists often with cancer and have so many tests yet this can still happen. Ask all the right questions blah blah blah but as soon it's out of our hands I guess anything can happen. I am going in to a clinic today and getting the second opinion referral and even looked up the two doctors who I am thinking of getting - stone specialists - to see how patients rated them. It isn't a sure thing of course but it could help knowing others experience. I looked up this nasty doc I had for my stone and sure enough other people found the same things I did, one of them said that it seemed like he didnt like complicated cases and I thought the very same thing. Very interesting site. Anywho I am going to get ready to go to the clinic and after that I will try and get that new urologist to see me as soon as he can.

Wish me luck and a prayer wouldn't hurt either. I'm pretty scared right now. The only good thing is that I had the stone because without it that lesion might have been there another year or more. Blessings, Blueroses