There are a few things in life that just completely baffle me. Like the stock market! Not sure why, but that totally eludes me. I must admit I don’t really have a desire to figure it out. Pathology Reports, well they were not far off. When I got my first report back after my biopsy I recognized a few things and knew that couldn’t be good, but it wasn’t until I met with my oncologist (my translator), and reviewed a few books, that I could understand, for the most part, what it meant. Even then, I remember the phone call I got from my oncologist after my surgery. She asked me if I had talked with my surgeon about the pathology report, did I know what this and that meant. As I sat on the other end of the line, I really hadn’t put it together the way she was now telling me. I tried to respond with some manner of intelligence, but I am pretty sure she could sense I was thoroughly confused and thrown for a loop.
I had a local oncologist that I would see from time to time as well as my main oncologist at Mayo. I would see her at least once a week, sometimes more. Both of them were wonderful. They made sure I understood what was happening and what my reports meant for me personally. They asked me questions and expected me to ask questions.
Here is a pathology checklist I found very helpful, as well as two books that did a great job at breaking down a pathology report.
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