Seeking Multiple Opinions After a Diagnosis May Improve Your Health Outcome
- A mom of 2 with a damaged spleen suffered a horrifying misdiagnosis for a rare form of cancer. What’s worse, she underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy only to learn it was never needed at all.
- Her experience emphasizes the value of seeking a second or third opinion for your diagnosis and treatment plan. By doing this, you advocate for your health and ensure you get the correct treatment you need.
- Following a cancer diagnosis – accurate or not – the patient and their loved ones are impacted.
- Research published in The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine studied the psychological impact of disease on family members. It found that “Most chronic diseases have similar effects on family members [as they do on the patient], including psychological and emotional functioning, disruption of leisure activities, effect on interpersonal relationships, and financial resources.”
- To help you cope with an unexpected diagnosis, invite your close family and friends for added support. Also, consider adding a therapist to your support group to help process your thoughts and feelings.
A Texas mother of two says she’s never been so angry and relieved simultaneously after having gone through the rigors of cancer treatment only to learn she never had cancer from the beginning.
Lisa Monk recounts her harrowing experience so that others facing a daunting health crisis can take steps to ensure the diagnosis is correct.
Read MoreMonk shared her experience on TikTok, which sparked dozens of comments from concerned social media users.@lisam77717 #cancersucks #cancer #misdiagnosed #chemo #chemotherapy #trauma ♬ original sound – Lisa Monk
Monk’s health journey began early last year after she started experiencing stomach pains, which she initially believed were kidney stones. When she went to see her doctor, a CT scan confirmed kidney stones and also found a mass on her spleen.
“They said I had clear cell angiosarcoma,” Monk said.
The National Cancer Institute says clear cell sarcoma is a “rare cancer that develops in the inner lining of blood vessels and lymph vessels” that’s most often found in the skin, breast, liver, and spleen.
Adding to the Monk’s torment, doctors told her she had a little over a year left to live. After undergoing surgery, she then began a couple of rounds of chemotherapy.
“I underwent a total of two rounds of chemotherapy, and the Friday before I went in for my third round, I went to visit my doctor and just again, a routine appointment, just checking in before we go in for round three,” Monk explained.
While undergoing chemotherapy, she also dealt with the rigors of treatment side effects, which included nausea and vomiting. Chemotherapy stops cancerous cells from growing, dividing, and spreading to other organs. It works by traveling through the bloodstream, killing cancerous cells. However, the process also impacts healthy cells, leading to side effects.
Your doctor will help you manage the side effects by either adjusting your medication or offering recommendations to help you cope, such as pressure bracelets and breathing exercises for nausea or cryotherapy, which minimizes hair loss.
WATCH: Managing Chemo Side Effects: Nausea and Vomiting
A few months after being diagnosed with “cancer,” Monk learned her care team made a mistake. They failed to review her follow-up pathology test results, which revealed the mass on her spleen was not cancerous. Monk’s moment of revelation came as she was about to begin a third round of grueling chemotherapy.
“My spleen was just going to rupture. I had blood vessel activity in my spleen, and that was all it was,” Monk said.
“[The nurse] just suddenly stopped talking, and she got a horrified look on her face. She said she had to get the doctor real quick. She ran out of the room, left me alone for about 15 minutes, and the doctor came back in and told me that I never had cancer,” Monk continued.
A cancer diagnosis brings forth a slew of emotions that impact the patient and their families on multiple levels. Monk says her false cancer diagnosis tore her family apart.
“It wasn’t just me that went through all of this. I am a mom; I’m a wife; I’m a sister, a daughter, and a friend. I am all of these things, and I am loved, and everyone that loves me went through this as well,” Monk explained.
Helping Patients Cope with a Cancer Diagnosis
Research published in The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine studied the impact of disease on family members. It was found that: “Most chronic diseases have similar effects on family members [as they do on the patient], including psychological and emotional functioning, disruption of leisure activities, effect on interpersonal relationships, and financial resources.”
Feelings of “helplessness, lack of control, anger, embarrassment” are some common emotions parents, siblings, and other relatives within the household of someone battling a health condition may experience, according to researchers.
Other ways a disease, for example, may impact the lives of family members include:
- Affecting sleep
- Concerns about medical treatment
- Altered food choices
- Using religion, spiritual, and cultural beliefs to cope
- Concerns about understanding the disease or illness
- Needing support from others
- Limited freedom
- Worrying about the death of a loved one
Now a year removed from Monk’s misdiagnosis, she says she and her family are still healing.
“Physically, I’m still healing from chemo, and it’s hard,” Monk explained.
Advocating For Yourself Can Help Reduce Your Risk of a Misdiagnosis
When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to ensure that your questions are fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work.
WATCH: Being your own advocate.
“It’s important for you to actually educate yourself and be your own health care advocate,” colorectal surgeon Dr. Zuri Murrell previously told SurvivorNet.
“You should lead each doctor’s appointment with a plan,” Dr. Murrell adds.
In addition to ensuring that you and your doctor agree about your diagnosis and potential treatment, seeking other opinions is equally important.
Doctors do not always agree on whether your symptoms merit further testing and whether specific treatment methods work best for you.
Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute and one of America’s most renowned cancer doctors, agrees.
WATCH: The value of getting a second opinion.
“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care because finding a doctor who is up to the latest information is important,” Rosenberg previously told SurvivorNet.
“It’s always important to get other opinions so that you can make the best decisions for yourself in consultation with your care providers,” Dr. Rosenberg continued.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you find yourself considering seeking a second or third medical opinion, here are some questions to kickstart the conversation with your doctor:
- Is there any other testing available for the type of cancer I have?
- Are there any other treatment options available for my type of cancer?
- Why or why do you not recommend those other options?
- I want to seek a second opinion on my diagnosis and treatment options. Is there another doctor or facility you recommend?
- Do you want the second opinion to be sent to you?
- Can I have a copy of all my records to share with this second physician?
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