I had some moles removed from my back last week and as a precaution the doctor sent them in “for biopsy”. A pathologist checks them out under a microscope then reports back. I got a phone call today from one of the receptionists at the clinic. She says, “The results from your biopsy came back. It appears one of your moles had ‘atypical cells’. They’d like to have the rest of it removed. When would you be available to see the surgeon?” I told her I’d have to give her a call back with my schedule.<\/p>\n
I’m bothered by this. Not by “atypical cells” (which could mean anything between normal and cancerous), but the fact that the medical industry is subtly pressuring me to have something done without my fully understanding the situation. The pressure is more a word choice than anything else. Regardless, she made no effort to inform me what “atypical cells” would entail, the extent that were found, or even to ask me whether or not<\/b> I wanted to have a large piece of my skin cut away. My supposed choices are who and when.<\/p>\n
I didn’t give her an answer. I asked for the report and am going to look over my insurance information to see how much a surgery is going to cost me and\/or my insurance company. A choice with MY BODY is MINE to make and I’ll be damned if I’m going to make an uninformed decision OR let some arrogant doctor tell me what to do.<\/b><\/p>\n
EDIT: I shouldn’t say “arrogant doctor.” In the three weeks that I’ve known him, my Doc has been nothing but friendly. Its just the way that our society thinks about healthcare. We need to push for openness!<\/p>\n