What did you always want to know about lung cancer but were afraid to ask? What are those questions you wrote on your list that you with took to see your oncologist, but crossed off as less important? Or maybe you just didn't consider them worthy of the time.
It's time someone wrote up a list of uncommon questions with a list of answers/explanations - for those that have answers anyway - in one spot.
I know those questions exist. In my own cancer treatment and trying to be a savvy patient, I bring question lists. But most of the time - yesterday was one - I leave some to be asked later or not at all. Though of interest to me, they don't seem to be worthy of the time or energy. And that is at the Mayo clinic where every appointment I have had has exceeded the length of every appointment in my life prior to going to Mayo - with doctors that - in my experiences anyway - sit still until they are sure every question has been answered.
As a start, I've been playing waiting room spy. (Okay, you may picture me in a trench coat looking subtle or invisible, but that's hardly the case...) I look like a pretty normal cancer patient as I remove clumps of hair falling out, "leaving behind" a part of me in the waiting room.
Waiting room spy, because I want to hear the questions others have as they begin this journey, and wondering what questions they are asking that will not get asked after they finally enter a room with a doctor. Just yesterday I heard a family trying to understand why the doctors didn't know where the father's cancer had started (I was granted permission to share this). "It's 2011, shouldn't that be easy? They think it started in his lungs (a primary lung cancer), why can't they know for sure? Somebody said something about undifferentiated. What does that have to do with it?" I believe it was two daughters who continued the discussion. One wanted to ask more questions. The father said no. He was tired and just wanted to hear what treatments might help and what the side effects were.
What I'm driving at is not dividing families. This father needed his family to respectfully honor his wish. But the daughter was yearning for an answer. Certainly she could ask her father's permission to talk to his oncologist at a later time or even on the phone (with the appropriate forms completed of course). But I also wish there was a place people could ask these questions and put together answers myself that may help them and many more with the same question.
Phew... That was a long-winded way to get to my point. What are your uncommon questions about lung cancer? What questions do you want to ask, but feel embarrassed to ask - either because you don't want to waste the doctor's time - or - because they are embarrassing?
Please share them with me so I can write some FAQ's to help.
You can make a comment below, but that defeats the purpose if you have a private or embarrassing question, or one that just feels too stupid (there are NO stupid questions in oncology) to write. If that is the case please email me directly. If you would like me to respond, please let me know. Otherwise your privacy is important and I will write about the question in a way that is generic and not recognizable as yours.
It's time someone wrote up a list of uncommon questions with a list of answers/explanations - for those that have answers anyway - in one spot.
I know those questions exist. In my own cancer treatment and trying to be a savvy patient, I bring question lists. But most of the time - yesterday was one - I leave some to be asked later or not at all. Though of interest to me, they don't seem to be worthy of the time or energy. And that is at the Mayo clinic where every appointment I have had has exceeded the length of every appointment in my life prior to going to Mayo - with doctors that - in my experiences anyway - sit still until they are sure every question has been answered.
As a start, I've been playing waiting room spy. (Okay, you may picture me in a trench coat looking subtle or invisible, but that's hardly the case...) I look like a pretty normal cancer patient as I remove clumps of hair falling out, "leaving behind" a part of me in the waiting room.
Waiting room spy, because I want to hear the questions others have as they begin this journey, and wondering what questions they are asking that will not get asked after they finally enter a room with a doctor. Just yesterday I heard a family trying to understand why the doctors didn't know where the father's cancer had started (I was granted permission to share this). "It's 2011, shouldn't that be easy? They think it started in his lungs (a primary lung cancer), why can't they know for sure? Somebody said something about undifferentiated. What does that have to do with it?" I believe it was two daughters who continued the discussion. One wanted to ask more questions. The father said no. He was tired and just wanted to hear what treatments might help and what the side effects were.
What I'm driving at is not dividing families. This father needed his family to respectfully honor his wish. But the daughter was yearning for an answer. Certainly she could ask her father's permission to talk to his oncologist at a later time or even on the phone (with the appropriate forms completed of course). But I also wish there was a place people could ask these questions and put together answers myself that may help them and many more with the same question.
Phew... That was a long-winded way to get to my point. What are your uncommon questions about lung cancer? What questions do you want to ask, but feel embarrassed to ask - either because you don't want to waste the doctor's time - or - because they are embarrassing?
Please share them with me so I can write some FAQ's to help.
You can make a comment below, but that defeats the purpose if you have a private or embarrassing question, or one that just feels too stupid (there are NO stupid questions in oncology) to write. If that is the case please email me directly. If you would like me to respond, please let me know. Otherwise your privacy is important and I will write about the question in a way that is generic and not recognizable as yours.
