Debbra would show staff the picture of her son to humanize the relationship.
Transcript
The other thing is… what I did is, I put a great big picture of my son on and I had a binder, like a notebook and I put it in the front. And when I got questioned about why I was doing something, or I got the sense that they weren’t understanding, I’d open to the picture to my son and I said “He needs a mom and this is why we’re doing it.” And you humanize it. I’m not an old woman, I am not ready to die and I am not going to leave him without a mom. So now, let’s have this conversation again. It’s not what I said, but it came across that way and they need to understand there’s human. It’s not just these lab results and this person who’s sitting there, they’re thinking “They’re hypochondriac.” And I know, she said to me, she got a call from the radiologist that said “Why am I doing the biopsy again?” Because they biopsied the same node but she was still okay with sending me for the biopsy because that’s what she knew that I needed and it was okay. And I know she tried to make me feel bad. I just sort of said “Well now we know for sure it was reactive don’t we and that makes me feel a lot better. I know you didn’t believe in it but it takes the 95% and takes it down a little bit more.” So she was okay with that.
More content
- Alternative and complementary therapies – DebbraCounselling for Debbra is a safe place to speak about some of her worries. She also hopes it will be a 'security blanket' for her son.
- Chemotherapy -DebbraDebbra found another oncologist with the help of a social worker; her experience with chemotherapy improved after that.
- Reconstruction surgery – DebbraThe surgeon would come in, inject Debbra and leave; it was impossible to speak to him.
- Reconstruction surgery – DebbraDebbra describes the variety of prosthetic products.
- Finding and sharing information – DebbraDebbra described some good national resources.
- Relating to health care professionals – DebbraDebbra would show staff the picture of her son to humanize the relationship.
- Relating to health care professionals – DebbraDebbra feels it is possible to disagree with health professionals and communicate that in a polite manner.
- Perspectives on treatment pathways – DebbraDebbra describes moments where she had to fight for care based on her own decisions.
- Testing and diagnosis – DebbraDebbra felt overwhelmed when she was told indirectly that it could be breast cancer.
- First symptoms – DebbraMucinous cancer, such as the kind Debbra was diagnosed with, is rare and difficult to diagnose due to a lack of lump formation.