How dare they......how dare they ????

All too often we are reminded of our human frailty and lack of complete control over our physical world and moreover, our fear of losing all control over it. As humans our stregnth is in how we cope and how we help others cope. We are often inadequate at both.

In this forum, all I am able to offer are my words, empathy and sincere hope that it all works out all right for you Ravi.

*** Hugs Ravi

*** Hugs Jellin

Just hugs dammit.

And the other 500 people who had biopsies sent to pathology that very same day feel exactly the same way.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I've worked in the medical field for the past 24 years and we always deal with the same issue. The answer is always the same ... some things take time and there are many many patients.

Pathology takes time I'm afraid. It's not as simple as just taking a peek at a bit of tissue. Technicians have to prepare the sample, and depending on what it is they're looking for, several different methods are used. First slides must be prepared. Some samples need to be frozen, others dyed appropriately. Some have to be specially prepared for chemical analysis, others brushed for a petri sample that takes days to grow.

After preparation a pathologist needs to takes these samples, slides for instance, place each on under a microscope and one-by-one diagnose what they see based on accepted criteria.

The report needs to be dictated, logged and then sent back to your physician.

And each and every one of those people working on this knows damn well that someones very life is in the balance. You'll just have to trust me on that one. Each and every medical worker knows that someones life is in their hands when they walk through that door. Each and every person who is dealing with your problem knows exactly how you feel too. They know because they've seen it hundreds, maybe thousands of times. They've also been in the same situation at least once. Maybe not their own life, but their parents life, or their children s, or spouses. They, each and every one, knows what you feel and they are sympathetic and what the best for you. They are working for your health and they goddamn well know that pain of waiting for the answer you're waiting for.

Now I'm sorry that you have this happening to you, I am, but how DARE you think that everything has to come to a halt just to cater to your needs. How DARE you think that the people whose career is helping keep people alive are unfeeling about your problem just because you have to wait a couple days for the path report. Who the hell are you that all the other people who have medical problems should be shoved to the back of the burner and ignored because you want your answer NOW NOW NOW?

Do you have ANY idea of the intensity of working in the medical field? Do you know what it's like to have -dozens- of deadlines per day, knowing each must MUST be met because a life might be saved or lost because of something you do? Know what it's like knowing that a mistake or careless action on your part could kill someone? And not just every once in awhile, but DAILY?

When was the last time you were in the OR working 10 hour days, day after day trying to keep people alive? When was the last time you had to mop up a floor literally covered in someones blood? When was the last time you had to take apart a flouroscopy machine to clean the blood out of the gears knowing you had 15 minutes to get it CLEAN and sterile and put back together before the next case? When was the last time you had 200 reports that had to be crossreferenced logged and proofread for errors before you can take a coffee break? When was the last time you had to clean, resterilize and repack 300 surgical instruments beacause you need to reuse them that afternoon?

And when was the last time you ran, and I mean RAN a specimen from the OR over to pathology?

No sir, no sir, you do not get to blast these people for doing their job, because that's just what they're doing, their job, to keep you healthy and alive. And they CARE about that job. They CARE about your feelings. They care and are working hard for your answers. I know, because everything I've mentioned are some of the things I've been doing and these are the people I've been working with, for over 20 years.

How dare you have the audacity to say this to someone who is terrified they might have cancer. Blasting someone facing cancer for posting out of fear and frustration is pretty low.