I've gone over this in my mind so many times. I thought I'd gone over all the possibilities, thought I was prepared. Then came the case of the clairvoyant oncologist and the disappearing tumor.
I walked into the office with my posse, hereinafter referred to as my cheering section. Dr. Medical walks in and flips through my chart. "Well, this is very good." Cheering section agrees.
"So, what are you doing for treatment?" asks Dr. Med as he frantically flips through my chart. I tell him I'm doing an alternative protocol. "Are you taking Tamoxifen?" he asks after some more flipping. I tell him no, not anymore. "But you were taking it, right?" I say yes, I was up until about a week ago.
"Well that's what killed the tumor." HUH? But you told me that there was no curative treatment. And this is the really unexpected part: "There isn't. It will come back", comes the response. Cheering section is looking considerably less cheery by now.
Ok, I know there's always one party pooper in the crowd, but this is a bit extreme. But Dr. M isn't done yet. He goes on to tell me that the trouble with us alternative nuts (I paraphrase of course- Dr. M is nothing if not polite) is that we attribute our victories to that treatment and then abandon the conventional treatment that's really doing the job.
I guess I should have realized that my body's lack of Tamoxifen was the real reason for my cancer and now that it was being replaced, I'd be all good. At least until it comes back. Or gives me cervical cancer.
So now that I'm off the Tamoxifen I speculate that any future gains will be attributed to the following, in the order listed:
1.Tamoxifen (Dr. M made sure to inform me that it stays in my body for 2 months)
2.Being in the same room with Tamoxifen
3.Sharing a straw with someone taking Tamoxifen
4.Living within 50 miles of a drugstore selling Tamoxifen
Gosh, with such a wonder drug out there, it's surprising that we have so many people dying of cancer, don't you think?
And even more amazing, since Dr. M is apparently God, he can now be sure who's tumors will come back!
What a joyous day in the War against Cancer!
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5 comments:
Pretty broken logic if ya ask me...Tamoxifen is strong enough to KILL the tumor but not to keep it from coming back...now How does that work?! Does it only work when the CT scans can see the tumor?
Liked your series of the effects of Tamoxifen!
I can tell you've really had an internal shift on this!
Does not sound like a very support doc....is he on his way out? Interesting how one can hold themselves omnitient & yet not be embracing of all possibilities...
Michalene
Sounds like it is time for a new doctor!! My first doctor told me I had to trust her and do everything she told me to do. My mom brought a juicer to the hospital and made carrot juice and green juice several times a day. Well my doc and the staff told me that carrot juice was not going to make me better. When I refused the chemo and rads she basically broke up with me. Fortunately, another teacher at the school where my husband teaches gave him a card for his wife's onc and said that he is much more open to alt treatments. He is western but he dosn't care what makes me better, as long as I get better. Shop around! I am so glad I did. Seems like there are more bad ones than good ones. I feel really lucky to have found such a good one.
Another great post sister!! With everything I have learned recently, I have been hesitant to go see my regular doc... she's a sweetheart but I always feel so rushed and I usually leave with 2-3 prescriptions (that I never fill) and that's it. Now that I have some funkiness going on in my breast, I'm nervous about going to her to check it out. I don't feel like the 20 second exam I will get is going to be the right thing.
Hi Jill,
I'm pretty sure I saw a vial of Tamoxifen on the Interstate here headed toward Florida. I could have mistaken it for a baby bottle halfway hidden underneath a blanket and some groceries but...no, I'm pretty sure it was Tamoxifen. Glad it was there doing you some good! ;-)
You know in what you are doing is working and the hell with the doctors that think they are g-d!!!
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