The importance of choosing the right healthcare team
A recent medical scare ends with a positive outcome
For those of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it’s imperative to have a good working relationship with our healthcare team. That became crystal clear to me when I was dealing with what appeared to be a healthcare crisis. My pulmonologist and his office staff kept me calm and engaged as we plotted a way forward.
This adventure began on a bleak and rainy day last September, as my friend and I traveled the 62 miles to the Greenbrier Clinic in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where we were to have our annual wellness visit. The weather didn’t help the mood, which is usually slightly less than celebratory because this journey starts after a 12-hour fast.
Once we arrived at the clinic, we checked in and received the schedule for the marathon wellness checkup, which included when we’d have our blood taken, which immunizations we’d receive, where we’d leave our urine samples, and what time we’d report for an electrocardiogram, bone density test, mammogram, and chest CT scan. Once all of those things were completed, we’d consult with our assigned physician to discuss any medical questions.
Although we always dread having to fast and leave at the crack of dawn, we’re happy to receive what we feel is a thorough physical.
When I had my consultation, the physician had the results of the blood work and urine analysis in hand. Things looked good, except my vitamin B12 level was a little high, so we discussed dosing the B-complex vitamin every other day. The doctor told me that if everything looked good with the mammogram and CT scan, I’d receive those results by mail.
Two days later, panic set in when my physician called to say she was sending my pulmonologist a copy of the chest CT scan and a report, which she’d also email or fax to me. A new spot had been found on my left lung. The report said it was “deemed malignant until proven otherwise.”
A rainbow appears
I was debating telling my two best friends when the phone rang again. It was the nurse practitioner from my pulmonologist’s office. She’d already received the results from my physician and said she felt compelled to tell me that the radiologist must give the worst-case scenario, but that doesn’t always turn out to be the case. Her empathy and reassurance helped me to manage my anxiety, and she set up an appointment for me to come in and discuss the results and set up a plan for moving forward.
The appointment went much better than I expected. I was afraid that I’d be stuck in medical limbo for a long time, as I’d heard from others how hard it was to get an appointment for a positron emission tomography (PET) scan. I left the office with an appointment for an arterial blood gas test, a PET scan, and a follow-up visit with my pulmonologist. I was told that if the screen lights up from the PET scan, they’d go in and take the spot out. There was no need for a needle biopsy or longer wait to get rid of the thing.
On the day of the follow-up appointment, my pulmonologist greeted me with the biggest smile and announced that God had visited my home the previous week. He said to get a bottle of Champagne and celebrate with a friend. He added that it’d been a long time since he’d seen a good result like this one after discovering a spot like mine on a scan. The PET scan didn’t light up; the spot had diminished in size and the margins were much less well defined. That, he said, suggested that the body was absorbing the spot.
From the first phone call from the nurse practitioner to when I received the results from my pulmonologist, I wasn’t worried about the outcome. I was comforted by the compassion and efficiency of my medical team’s work. This experience made me more convinced than ever that I had chosen the right healthcare team.
Note: COPD News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of COPD News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
About the Author
Larry J Hearold Jr
Easy if you live in or close to a city that has decent healthcare professionals. I live in a small rural community and our healthcare system is not that great. Our doctors and specialists are somewhat less talented than those in larger communities. It’s frustrating when I know more about my COPD than my pulmonologist. He give me this strange look and stutters around trying to find an answer.
William Abrams
how would you ever know whether you had a good doctor for COPD or not. I've had three and they all do the same exact thing they never but they never tell you very much and I don't do very much except make your next appointment.
William Abrams
one of the posts that I read today talked about a new form of vitamin B3 that could help however the form
or exactly how it works and what it helps was not explained does anyone have any information about this form of vitamin B3.
a form of B3 that could help however the form or exactly how to get it was never explained or told would like to know more about it and what form is it.