exam for looking at the pancreas, he need a CT. To prove their point they actually did an ultrasound on my father and demonstrated how poor the ultrasound is at showing the pancreas. While they had him on the table, they also looked at some of his surrounding organs, which was very insightful and surprising.
My father still went to the ultrasound his doctor had ordered and we went to his doctor’s office a couple days later to discuss the results. The doctor proceeded to tell us that his gall bladder was bad, it caused a blockage in his bile duct and it should be removed immediately.
I asked if that was what the ultrasound showed, knowing there were no stones visible in the ultrasound my friend had done. The doctor said ‘no’ but given the symptoms it was fairly certain. I then asked if my father liver’s had also been scanned. The doctor said yes, but other then my father having a ‘fatty’ liver (which he’s known for years), there was nothing there of concern. I asked again, whether the blood work or the ultrasound and radiologist’s report had flagged anything wrong with my father’s liver? The doctor glanced at the report and again said ‘no’ looking annoyed at me.
So I pulled out a photo of my father’s liver taken by my friend which showed a spot in a liver whose overall tissue looked unhealthy. This was not well received. I told the doctor that a very experienced person told me my father’s liver looks like it has cirrhosis and there’s a small spot inside it that looks suspicious. The doctor looked at it, said ‘well we know he has a fatty liver and that spot could be anything.’ If you’re that concerned, I can arrange for a CT.
A CT was schedule and performed and I received a call from the doctor sounding very concerned. He had received the CT report and told me it looked like my father had cirrhosis and he needed to have a small mass in his liver biopsied. Tell me something I did not already know, I thought to myself and the doctor did. ‘We cannot take out your father’s gall bladder, it would be dangerous to operate on someone with a liver in this condition.” Gees and you were so ready to just rip it out.
Today, my father and I went to see a specialist that appears to know his stuff and wants to fully investigate the cause and severity of my father’s liver problems. Some more exotic blood tests were ordered and the biopsy was scheduled. We are in for some rough days, but are now feeling proactive and that his real health issues are being addressed.
So what is the moral here? In a world of limited testing, his primary physician could have said that the gall bladder was the issue and let’s get on with it - that was the source of the pain. Secondly, in a healthcare system that runs too lean, will there be an opportunity for second opinions? Lastly, please question doctors. Use the internet, there are some great medical journals out there to read about whatever it is your doctor says is wrong with you and really ask yourself if the diagnosis makes sense to you? Most of us are not doctors, but we are the one’s feeling the pain and having to live with the consequences so we need to be proactive. And I’m sorry, but screw the doctor’s feelings or ego if I disagree with their diagnosis. This is my father’s life and not a truck we’re trying to fix.
Stay Healthy.
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