For the Editor:
I’d like to advise anyone suffering from a medical issue to consider your medical condition seriously and to be the advocate for yourself. If you have questions or issues that your doctor isn’t able to solve to your satisfaction, don’t hesitate to seek another opinion or change your doctor. My personal experience is a great illustration of how important it is to be aware of the thoughts of your mind and then do the things you think are best.
In December 2015, I began to see the local doctor whom I had visited before. In my groin, I noticed tiny knot that was similar to my fingernail’s smallest size. I requested my doctor to take it out the knot, or to refer my case to a specialist who could do it. The doctor confirmed it was hidradentis-suppurativa, and that it was not necessary to remove it. He also said the area it was situated caused a major problem to remove it.
As time went on, the knot became larger as I went to my doctor at least every six months to check up, do blood tests as well as refills of my prescriptions, I frequently told my physician that I was not satisfied with the knot and its expansion. I inquired about cancer several times, and mentioned that sometimes benign knots can develop into deadly. My doctor was unable to remove the knot or refer me to someone else who would. The doctor was not even willing to take a biopsy. The tumor eventually grew to be three times bigger than size of a thumbnail, and a few smaller knots grew near.
In 2022 my doctor and I disagreed over the care I received for my dying sister. I lost my temper, I was instructed to seek out a new doctor. I was happy to do. The new doctor was willing to recommend me to an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon inspected my ear and told me it needed to be removed. The surgeon removed it within the next week. It wasn’t hidradenitis suppurativa as it didn’t have tunnel symptoms and its removal showed that it was able to be eliminated without major issues. The pathology report was interpreted as a dermatofibrosarcoma. This is an infrequently spreading, slow-growing cancer. The second surgery, which was scheduled for the next week was carried out in order to eliminate regions around the cancers. The pathology report following the second procedure showed no signs of cancer. It is hoped that it has gone away and will not be recurring. I’m fortunate and grateful. But, the cancer usually is recurrence-related, so regular tests and follow-up are required.
If you are reading this, take a moment to think about what you are thinking. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and offer suggestions. Don’t trust your doctor 100. If there is difficult to inquire about something and offer suggestions, you’re not having any issues. But your doctor is having problems. There is no one who can be an advocate more for you than you. I had to learn this lesson by trial and error.
Marcel Bane Andalusia, Alabama
The article Take charge of your health advocate was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
