The first few months of 2022 were busy. By April I thought I understood what it meant to advocate for my own healthcare. It took one long day in late April to show me how advocacy can be so much more.
My assignments from the oncologist at that time included dermatologist, brain MRI, thoracic surgeon. The oncologist didn’t assign a priority order. Each item was Priority: High.
My heightened sense of urgency prioritized the list:
I have a cancerous tumor in my lung that I want GONE
I need to know if the melanoma has spread to my brain
I need to know what else is growing on my skin
Just the thought of each one was stressful.
I’m memorializing events here in an ordered list, as they unfolded. That day felt more disordered, though.
1. Schedule a brain MRI
The MRI appointment — set in motion by the oncologist— arrived on my phone first, so I took the earliest available time.
2. Schedule an appointment with the surgeon
I called the thoracic surgeon next. He was available the same time as the MRI appointment. Could I come in then? No. I took an appointment with the surgeon the following week.
3. Could I reschedule the brain MRI?
Yes. It can be tricky to get on the radiologist’s calendar initially. Rescheduling turned out to be unexpectedly easy.
4. What about the surgeon?
Now that my afternoon was free, I tried to snag the appointment with the surgeon I had turned down earlier. No luck. I would have to keep the original time the following week.
5. Is it easy to crash someone else’s skin check?
On to the dermatologist. Chris had his annual skin check that same day. He invited me along. My thinking was that I would speak with the staff in person to try to get in ASAP. Chris’s thinking was that I would accompany him into the exam room and plead directly with the doctor.
As if plucked from a Seinfeld bit, this is how that visit unfolded:
Dr turns to me before she starts to examine Chris: Hi, how are you?
Leah: Well, it’s been quite a year. I have melanoma.
Dr: <Gasp. She gathers biopsies from Chris’s skin.>
Leah: My oncologist wants me to have a skin check. Hoping I could get in today.
Dr: Yes, you’re next. <She asks me a number of follow-ups, all while examining Chris and doing the occasional biopsy on him.>
During my exam, the Dr took 6 biopsies, one of which revealed a stage 0 melanoma (not the primary, however). Chris’s were clear.
6. Try walk-in appointment with the surgeon
After our joint dermatology appointment, Chris tested the feasibility of a walk-in surgical appointment. It was feasible. Now I had plenty of time for an evening MRI.
7. Get brain MRI’d
This last appointment of the day was the most uncomfortable because of my fresh 9-inch adrenalectomy incision. It was difficult to stay still while on my back. All other logistics for this appointment were flawless.
Did all of that effort that one day make a difference in the grand scheme? Some of the obvious benefits were:
Meeting with the surgeon earlier eventually got the malignancy out a week earlier
Seeing the dermatologist earlier provided mixed results sooner — one bad spot and five benign spots
The brain MRI results — clear — provided a huge rush of relief, news I cherished
Without our sense of urgency guiding us, I may have ended up at a similar place, just later. But “later” in the context of a serious illness can also mean additional harm. Since I can't peer into the future, I’ll continue to treat my health as urgent and high priority.
Major props for quick and creative problem solving go to Chris Pasch. I’m so grateful to have him in my corner.
Kudos to Chris!
When your health is at stake, every minute of waiting is a long minute. The fact that you were able to eliminate days is a really big deal!