Welcome to the latest edition of "What Would CUSS Readers Do? (WWCRD)," a periodic direct solicitation of advice for thorny life situations that I am facing. Today I throw out the following:
At the end of last week, I mentioned that I scheduled bilateral breast MRI, but it was canceled because my health insurance denied the request. I called the doctor's office to talk about what to do next, and his receptionist told me that he would not appeal the decision as he did not have time to sit around waiting to talk to someone on the phone. This irritated me greatly, but my annoyance was further inflamed into outrage when he didn't call me back to discuss my other options and then I got a letter saying that my claim was denied because some basic information (my age at first menstrual period, my age at first live birth, number of previous breast biopsies including the pathology, and my ethnicity) was missing. I decided that I needed a new doctor.
Probably everyone can agree that a new doctor is the correct solution thus far. The dilemma is whether I should go back to the first breast specialist I ever saw or start all over again. The first doctor was excellent. She specializes in working with women under 40 who are diagnosed with breast cancer, and was very aggressive in her approach with my situation. I also liked her personally. Why did I switch? Well, she is affiliated with a Catholic hospital. On a basic level, I am very uncomfortable receiving treatment while a figure of Jesus nailed to a cross watches over me. More importantly, I do not agree with the religious values that inform the decisions of these medical institutions when it comes to how my treatment is determined. I don't ever want to be in a situation where my health could be gravely impacted or I could even die because the Pope decided he spoke to God and it was ordered to be that way. Sometimes good doctors are hamstrung by church policy, and I am fearful that if I wind up in some bizarre situation, I would be worse off for going with an excellent doctor because the hospital won't allow her to perform a procedure that benefits me.
The odds of some weird cancer/reproductive situation are slim, though. Am I overreacting? If you were in my shoes, would you go to the doctor at the Catholic hospital, or would you just start over and try and find a completely new doctor?
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ask your doctor what she would do. Or how strong her religious affiliations are. There's got to be a non-offensive way to do that.
ReplyDeleteI get why you're uncomfortable with the Catholic hospital, but if you really like the doctor and think she's a good advocate for you, it might be worthwhile to go back to her.
ReplyDeleteok, here is what i think. i think that everyone in the medical field in this country is expected to do the work of at least 1.5 people. stuff falls through the cracks ALL THE TIME. no matter how good your doctor is. i guess i feel like the stuff your current (or soon to be ex) doctor forgot to do? that might not have been him or her...could've been clerical. however, in that particular office, your doctor was the one being most handsomely compensated for being overworked...i guess i don't really know. my doctor is a member of a religion and a political party that i just don't get. his office is chaotic. i really dislike one of his partners. but...on a certain level, we're the same. I get his goofy sense of humor and understand that it in no way indicates that he doesn't take my health seriously. i know he would never let me die on the operating table
ReplyDeletei'd go with the 1st one, even with the catholic hospital. it's not that you're getting all your medical care there, right? she's 'merely' the breast specialist. if you have other issues you can probably go outside the catholic-affiliated institution, even with your unsurance.
ReplyDeleteAny possibility she's affiliated with more than one hospital? An old neighbor of mine planned to get her tubes tied at the same time she was having a C-section for the birth of her third child. But it was dependent on which hospital her doctor was at the day she went into labor. The doc practiced at both a Catholic hospital and one with no religious affiliation. And the breast specialist I saw practices at two hospitals as well. I don't think either of them are Catholic, but they are part of different health systems. I'd ask that question first, and then ask her to recommend someone if she can't help you.
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting treatment where you are not subjected to someone else's convictions.
I'd go back to the Catholic boobie doctor. I think expertise, bedside manner, and how well you get along count for a lot. I think it's fairly unlikely the Pope is going to get a god-phone call about you (although I don't mean to make light of your concerns, because I would have some of the same...).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your advice everyone. All excellent points. While I am not convinced that the Pope would not interfere with my medical treatment, I think you are right and that I should go with the doctor who is good and caring.
ReplyDeleteI vote for good and caring. I like female doctors better, in general.
ReplyDeleteI'd go back to the catholic hospital doc. Talk to her about your concerns. My doc for both my kids' births was associated with Huge Catholic Hospitals of Chicago, and I wanted to go on depo-provera after the second. When we talked about it she said that she wouldn't be able to give me the first shot in the hospital because of their policies on birth control, but I could get it at my 6 week follow up in her office. So while she was somewhat restrained by the hospital, she also talked about alternatives.
ReplyDeleteAh, that is exactly what I was hoping to hear. Thanks!
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