How Would You React?
How would you react to be told you had cancer and you didn't? I am a two time breast cancer survivor. I was 32 years old when I went through a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery and chemotherapy treatments and four years later was diagnosed again but received a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery February 1st without chemotherapy because the cancer was non-invasive. I was so happy to hear "we were able to get clean margins, you do not need any further treatment." Chemotherapy was so hard and dreaded the thought of the chance of going through it again. I went to see my oncologist two days ago and sat in his office, watched him open my chart and say "you had two positive lymph nodes." I said "NO" and began to cry and explain how I was told that the cancer did not spread and I did not need any further treatment. My oncologist turned my chart and said let's read this together and with tears in my eyes I started to read and nothing made sense to me and then I understood why. THEY WERE NOT MY RESULT'S! I couldn't believe it. The results were for someone with the same last name as me but different first name and date of birth. I was so upset to know the women with invasive breast cancer could have been given the wrong information. What if my pathology report was in her chart and she thinks she has non-invasive breast cancer? Maybe this is why we not longer have paper charts, who knows but it was an emotional draining mistake. I DO NOT have cancer any more and my surgeon did get clean margins. Can anyone give me any advice and has this happened to anyone before? I do not want this to happen to anyone else it was an awful experience.
Check out my personal page for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
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