Cindy,
As Ross said in his post, it may vary from place to place and Dr. to Dr.
But we are really talking about a much bigger issue: the Dr.-patient
relationship. Your sister is starting a journey in which she needs to be
able to speak her mind freely and get what she needs. This is important
for many reasons, not the least of which is a sense that she has some
power in the midst of a situation that may seem beyond her control.
I can remember feeling the same fear your sister does, but I realized I
couldn't afford to be passive -- my life was at stake. So, from the
beginning, I "interviewed" my Drs. I was respectful but direct. I told
them "this is who I am, I want to be actively involved in my care, and
this is what I need from you." And guess what! They have loved it, and
my oncologist calls me one of his favorite patients. In fact, they even
have other patients who have questions talk to me. Does that sound like
they took offense? LOL!
Granted, they're not all that way, but the key is to get a good match
between Dr. and patient, and Drs. are starting to realize that patients
need to be actively involved in their care. So you and your sister stick
to your guns! Get what you need, you are not asking for anything that is
unreasonable. And if your Drs. are not supportive, FIND NEW DRS.!
One other thing...if at all possible, someone (perhaps you) should go
with your sister to her appointments, and take a tape recorder, too. You
get so much information once you start asking questions, it's hard to
take it all in.
It's great that she has you, Cindy, and please consider staying on this
forum. We have some terrific and helpful folks who will walk alongside
you and your sister. You and your family will be in my prayers. Love,
Joicy
> Joicy--
> Thanks for the response regarding obtaining medical records. Did you ever
> encounter any difficulty in getting them?
> And do you request copies of records and lab reports from the Dr. only or
> from the place where you have the tests done?
> If you do request from where testing is done, does it require the o.k. of
> your Dr. before they will releas any info to the patient?
> As of yet, my sister has not requested any info. I think she is afraid the
> Dr. will take offense at her doing so. And thus reflect in the quality of
> her treatment. I am suprised that her Dr. has not given her any pamphlets
> or literature of any sort re/cancer to her to read. This is all so new to
> us and is difficult to even know in which direction to go.
> Again, many thanks--Cindy
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