Reply #119: That's why medicine isn't an exact science

[Horse with no Name]

There are multifactorial things involved.
Something can present one way then another.
I had been diagnosed with a rare immune disorder and had been treated for several years for it--very expensively I might add.
I was seeing some of the best doc's in the country for it and was even being followed by a physician at the NIH.
There was NO doubt about my diagnosis.
Then, I needed a surgery that was only performed at 2 hospitals in the entire country.
I had an entire set of new docs. I had some complications from the surgery and had to readmitted twice.
Because it was time for my IV medication that I took once every 3 weeks, they had to bring one of their immunologists in to prescribe it since it was very expensive.
Now--this doc WHO HAD NEVER SEEN ME before this time, tells me that he thought I had been misdiagnosed. He said that by looking at my blood work and blood smears and test results--that I appeared to have lymphoma. I freaked out!
I had been treated for the immune disorder for years. Every month--I saw a battery of doctors. I saw a pulmonologist, ENT doc, Infectious Disease, cardiologist and an oncologist/hematologist.
Every month for years!
Anyway, this doc scheduled me to see him in his office upon discharge from the hospital for follow test for lymphoma.
I was so upset--I was discharged on a Sunday and when I got home, I called my oncologist AT HOME crying and told him what I had been told.
He was shocked that a doctor at a major hospital would rebut a confirmed diagnosis in such a short period of time.
He then told me that he had PERSONALLY viewed every blood smear of mine every month for 5 years and had never seen anything indicative of lymphoma. He said that it was very likely that with the liver involvement that I had that I was hospitalized with, that it was presenting in my blood. He was more than glad to run all the other scans that the doctor wanted just to allay my fears if I wanted.
The point of this diatribe is...every doctor is very likely to see something different--even the best in the country will likely disagree at times.
The ONLY confirmation of diagnosis will NOT come before surgery--but after surgery with positive pathological diagnosis.
IMHO--that is the only time we should start doubting what we have been told.
All we have to go by is what Andy has told us.
All Andy has to go by is what he has been told by many physicians.
That is your disparity--not Andy.