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What do you say when you ask for second opinion?

Posted by surftohealth88 @surftohealth88, Apr 25 3:55pm

What do you say when you ask for second opinion - do you openly say that you are seeking "second opinion" or you pretend that it is the first one ? Do you mention "first opinion" findings at all or you just listen to second opinion and keep your mouth shut ?

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chippydoo | @chippydoo | Apr 27 9:10am

I called the best in town at a CCC research hospital and was upfront that I was looking for a second opinion and the possibility of changing physicians. They obtained all biopsy slides, scans and data from my provider. When I sat down with him, he read me my story through the data.

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bluegill | @bluegill | Apr 27 10:55am

My experience was that asking nicely for a second opinion got me nowhere. My urologist strongly discouraged me. When I finally went to Mayo, my uroligist's office refused to send them my records, even after repeated requests from Mayo. Finally they relented.

I just called my urologist's office last week (miraculously, a human actually answered the phone) and I canceled all my upcoming appointments.

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1 reply
surftohealth88 | @surftohealth88 | Apr 27 2:15pm
In reply to @bluegill "My experience was that asking nicely for a second opinion got me nowhere. My urologist strongly..." + (show)
@bluegill

My experience was that asking nicely for a second opinion got me nowhere. My urologist strongly discouraged me. When I finally went to Mayo, my uroligist's office refused to send them my records, even after repeated requests from Mayo. Finally they relented.

I just called my urologist's office last week (miraculously, a human actually answered the phone) and I canceled all my upcoming appointments.

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I am so sorry to hear that you had to endure that :(((

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bluegill | @bluegill | Apr 27 4:31pm

It's striking how ignorant I was about prostate cancer when I got the diagnosis. But learning about the condition was only half the battle; the other half is how to deal with people in the medical system. I'm still learning a lot about that aspect.

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dpfbanks | @dpfbanks | Apr 27 5:15pm
In reply to @proftom2 "Small town, local hospital, local oncologist/great guy, my radiation oncologist gets her morning coffee same place..." + (show)
@proftom2

Small town, local hospital, local oncologist/great guy, my radiation oncologist gets her morning coffee same place I do. Their hospitals culture is epically caring/kindhearted and very helpful.

Big city, medical school, my oncologist/professor is brilliant, radiation/imaging department always equipped with the best technologies available and the knowledge of how to use them. I know they are very busy, caring as they can be, kind hearted, very helpful and great at what they do.

I built Second Opinions into my treatment plan/journey. Both oncologist use the same MyChart system, they are fully aware of each others services, help my survivorship collaboratively.

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Especially like
"help my survivorship collaboratively"

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Sicetnon3 | @sicernon3 | May 5 9:07am
In reply to @edinmaryland "I agree however, and I know this is a stereotype- many surgeons/urologists can get defensive- Being..." + (show)
@edinmaryland

I agree however, and I know this is a stereotype- many surgeons/urologists can get defensive-
Being tactful, perhaps telling the surgeon/urologist, that this is all new and things are happening very fast Being made aware of cancer, then perhaps friends and family relating their experiences and advice. being bombarded with information and then having to make important life decisions is worth many opinions and careful consideration.

It might be helpful to make us (the patients) the ones that feel inadequate and fearful, taking this away from the doc.

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You are wise in taking the feelings of the doctor into account. We cannot know how they are responding internally to what is being said. Our possible misinterpretation of what they say (e.g. “rude” and “curt”) might be colored by their internal
defensiveness…

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