Most of my posts recount something that’s already happened. This case is one in progress. I am hoping for a miracle here.
Mimi came to me with complaints of nausea, poor appetite and weight loss. The one symptom I really didn’t like was her ‘taste’ abnormalities. She didn’t like the smells of certain foods and reported her taste was ‘off’. I suspected cancer immediately.
A good doctor should not show alarm to a patient. The ‘art’ of an excellent bedside manner revolves around the human connection. She was looking to me for help. I needed to appear concerned but also confident something could be done. Healing is a complex process that requires the right stimulation. I believe healing can be promoted simply through words or emotion. The attitude of the person or patient is very important. It really can mean the difference between living life and suffering.
Mimi was sent for work-up and evaluation. The CT scan showed extensive infiltration of her stomach wall and other organs in her abdomen. It wasn’t good. Who knew how much time she had? Who knows how much time we have?
She admitted that at first she was afraid. The word ‘cancer’ is frightening. After hearing the word, it is hard to absorb anything else… The word ‘cancer’ is spoken and then there is a detachment, an internalization of ‘this could be it’. Acknowledging our mortality is a difficult thing.
As a doctor, I am careful not to take away hope. I remember as a medical student being lectured to by the head of the National Cancer Institute. He told us about two cases where he had seen patients riddled with tumor suddenly heal spontaneously. His explanation was ‘recognition’ of the tumor cells by the immune system. What other system could so definitively rout cancer? The power of the human immune system is so impressive when operational. Part of what makes cancer so devious is its ability to evade detection. Unaware of the problem, the immune system sits on the sidelines while the tumor cells grow at the expense of the patient. If the immune system could only be activated… I try to encourage my cancer patients to take care of themselves. Indeed, we should be doing that our whole lives.
Since my dad passed away from head and neck cancer seven years ago, I always try to give special attention to cancer patients. The NCI director encouraged us to do our best for them. They deserve special treatment.
Just tonight I was talking with Mimi. She could look me in the eye and smile a genuine smile. Her family and her friends gathered around to support her. She has found ‘Peace’.
-RW
