NO says everything's "stable" but is it reall?

Med School Library may help
It's always interesting to compare what the docs say to you and what their reports say. When we transferred our son back home, we got all his records from his initial dx and treatments in VA. While no outright discrepancies, certain info was not communicated.

I would love to have similar reports each time we visit his new NO at Ohio State, but as our son is 34, we can't do that. The request for records have to come from him, and truthfully, he's not sharp enough to do this. It's hard when you're dealing with an adult who is suppose to make the decisions but not really sharp enough to do so in his best interest.

As for the confusing terminology in his latest MRI scan, is there a Medical School nearby? If so, you may be able to go to the med school's library and ask for help in looking up those terms, and what they mean. That way, you're not violating confidentiality laws. Just seeking information about certain medical terms. Of course, there's always the internet, but we know that it's not always current or correct.

I always wonder about different docs communication styles. Some want to lay it all out, good and bad, no sugar coating. Others communicate with kid gloves. I think we have to be open with the docs, and let him/her know how much info we want.

We have taken the approach with our son of not asking "how much time?", which we can only be answered with our son in the room. As a result, nothing has been said about that. The only thing they've said is that treatment will not cure the cancer, just slow things down.

Any more pointed questions will have to come from our son. So far, he hasn't asked that question. But as postings to this site attest, doctors' timelines are just subjective. We've all read here about those who have beaten those odds.