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OPINIONS
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(September
22 – September 28, 2008) caffeine thoughts merce q Fear Factor Do I have breast cancer? Fears
have away of creeping into our
subconscious. At the lowest ebb of our emotional barometer, the fear of
the unknown can eat up our confidence… our peace of mind—if you allow
it to. My topic this week is the reason I haven’t been writing my
column for the past few weeks. I had to deal with
personal issues and I’d like to share what I’ve known as a doctor, and
what I’ve learned as a patient. I have made it a
point not to look at scary pictures. I don’t watch horror movies or
read books that deal with Satanism, ghost stories and monsters. There are
enough horrific realities watching the news that I do not see the need to
feed our brains with imaginary negative images and ideas.
Childish? Not really. Scientifically, our
brains are like computer memory banks that store information. It is our
retrieval system that isn’t as efficient as a computer’s. Unlike a
computer in sleep mode doesn’t suddenly pop out with unwanted images, our
brain is different. When at rest and void of conscious thinking, that’s
when these random images start to intrude. Some are
desirable beautiful memories. Some are terrible images that bangungots
are made of. Ergo, stick with beautiful inputs. Unfortunately, real
life isn’t made of all beautiful stuff. Poverty, violence and disease
are horrors of the real world. Sometimes, we get the opportunity
to deal with them and create positive changes like motivating the poor and
creating job opportunities and livelihood projects for them. Sometimes
we are able to let reason prevail and prevent violence. In my capacity
as a physician, there are a number of ways to alleviate pain and direct a
patient to the best possible cure. But ask anybody, a physician makes one of
the most difficult patients to manage medically. A few years back, I
felt a breast lump and knew it wasn’t normal. As a rational doctor
would have advised, the next step would have been to have an expert examine
it, then have a mammogram or breast ultrasound done for better evaluation of the
mass if its presence is confirmed by expert palpation. A mammogram will
show on X-ray whether there is bizarre architectural changes or
abnormal calcifications which may be suggestive of malignancy. An
ultrasound on the other hand will differentiate between a solid and a cystic
(meaning containing fluid) mass. Generally cystic masses are usually
benign. Depending on the physical exam findings correlated
with the diagnostic procedures undergone, a needle aspiration or excision
biopsy may be recommended. These are subjected to microscopic examination
which can differentiate between cancer and benign masses. Based on the
questions I am asked by my patients after they are diagnosed to have tumors
or masses in whatever part of their body, I realize that there are
different reasons for their numerous, sometimes repetitive and tiresome
questions. ONE, because of their IGNORANCE of the disease, they are
unable to grasp it’s reality and need words, descriptive and detailed
explanations, so that the diagnosis becomes more understandable.
TWO, I understand and empathize more fully with this now, this is because in
their FEAR, the questions and the answers that are sequentially generated,
prompt a logical decision making giving the patient and their support group
of friends and relatives some semblance of taking control in a potentially
uncontrollable situation. To
follow next issue: What makes a tumor cancerous? Will a benign
tumor have a tendency to become cancer? Should all breast masses be
operated on? How do you face this dilemma if it happens to you? Should
life change with every crossroad and challenge met or should life just go
on? What about unresolved issues? Plans? Unfinished
projects? What about your last will and testament? Ilocos Times copyright 2008 |
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