Watch&Wait/Chewed Out/LOL/More Kaiser Info

[Guest guest]

Watching & Waiting:

I think there are times when watching and waiting is appropriate – but it’s

very individual. In my case – at 54++ yrs old and with the bleeding problem

licked for the last 6 months – I feel I have a pretty decent chance to

reach menopause & get the suckers to start shrinking on their own. I am

uncomfortable – some days more than others – but I think for women in my

position who really do feel that no procedure is the best procedure this is

a valid plan of action.

I also think there are other situations where watching and waiting is

reasonable – for instance putting off treatment might lessen the likelihood

of significant regrowth before menopause and reduce the chance of having to

resort to treatment a second time. – As long as waiting is reasonable in

terms of size and symptoms, and is what the woman WANTS to do, it could be

perfectly legitimate in my opinion.

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On Being Chewed Out:

Someone wrote about not having had a pap smear for years & being chewed out

over it. I don’t know why medical people do that. We are all grown-ups.

Our lives are often complicated. Besides, sometimes we don’t want to go to

the doctor because we already don’t like how s/he treats us – bawling us out

isn’t going to help anything.

I saw a NP instead of a Gyn for years – what really won me over was that the

first time I saw her I was expecting the same sort of garbage and I got a

reasonable response and respect instead. I had been AWOL for a few years

and what she said was something like “I see you haven’t been in for several

years, that’s OK, you’re here now, that’s what counts.” It was such a

human, reasonable, decent way to be treated. I didn’t have to go into a

whole stupid explanation about the insanity that had been going on in my

life, or why I hadn’t taken care of business, we just got down to taking

care of what needed to be taken care of.

___________________

Here’s part of a message from a friend – which I thought some on this list

might enjoy:

“I was one of those whose doctor recommended a hysterectomy because of some

suspicious cells in my pap smear (suspected cancer). I asked for a second

opinion, outside of the Kaiser system. I ended up paying for a second

opinion, which came up with the same recommendation. I then paid for

another opinion in the Eastern medical realm, which came out negative. The

main corker explanation was that " I was out of child bearing age and didn't

need it... " I was afraid that because I rarely use my brain, that would be

the next to go. [XXXXXXXX] – with my organs still all intact.”

___________________

Kaiser Info Again

Following is an article about a change in CEO at Kasier-Permanente Health

Care. Gives some sense of the flavor of the organization if anyone’s still

interested.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/08/BU1\

935.DTL

Also, here is a link (I hope) to Kasier’s own website – you won’t be able to

get into the “members only” part unless you are a member – but some of it is

public. – I think it’s shallow – and in places terribly incomplete, but

gives some of the flavor of the organization anyway.

http://www.kaiserpermanente.org/

Happy Monday –– Pat

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