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Communication

pinklily
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I was diagnosed with breast cancer by the surgeon last Thursday the 2nd, I'd already had an mammogram and ultrasound, with biospy taken the Thursday before that. I'm having surgery on the 14th and have just received a letter to say I am having NM Sentinel Node Location/Imaging next Monday 13th Aug, I'm seeing my cancer nurse this Thursday. I didn't know I would need NM search, the surgeon told me so little apart from telling me off for looking up things on the internet, he was not very good with communication skills and I had trouble understanding him because he has a very strong accent. I've not had a letter yet to say if I'm having surgery morning or afternoon on the Tuesday, or confirming which hospital I'm at. I've come to terms with having breast cancer, but when I asked which grade it was, the surgeon said he did not know what I was talking about. I feel overwhelmed with lack of knowledge from the surgeon and have had to find everything out on this site and where I can. Will I have a wire put in for the radioactive search and will it be left in for surgery the following day and when do you get a letter, or am I supposed to be told by the nurse?

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    Probably nuclear medicine is the NM. You’ll get a small injection into your breast of something which is mildly radioactive. This will drain into your lymph nodes, your surgeon will be able to scan for this and remove nodes for testing. If it is this, your wee and poo will change colour as the dye passes out of your body! A fetching shade of blue!

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    Hi Pinklily,

    It is worrying that the communication seems so haphazard.  In saying that one of the oncologists at our hospital was so good at the cancer part of his job, but sadly so atrocious with his manner and communication with patients, a localy charity funds an oncological nurse to be the voice of their treatment etc.  It should never have to be that way though.

    I have only once had a doctor that I have had to write to patient-liaison about.  After a half hour appointment where I had no clue what he was saying due to the strength of his accent (and the poor nurse in the room looked mortified and utterly frustrated) he prescribed me a drug that was dangerous for me.  I couldn't read his writing or understand what he said he had prescribed but obviously found out when collecting the prescription.

    I admit that due to fear of being wrongly accused of racism or xenophobia I held off longer than I should have on complaining.  It later transpired that the man had somehow cheated his way through the system that checked his English language skills (it wasn't just an accent problem after all) were at the level required of a doctor working in the UK.

    You are going through a tough journey and it is incredibly important that you are treated with respect, patience and that you know fully what is happening.  I would suggest a very politely worded letter to your hospital's patient-liaison service explaining the difficulty you had.  It may simply be that the doctor spoke faster than usual or had his accent enhanced by having just spoken to someone with a similar accent to him, all things that he could easily be made aware of and work harder at.  Best to write it in a non-accusatory manner though ("I know he could have been busy and stressed" etc.)

    Best wishes,

    LJ

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