When I was first told I had been diagnosed with cancer it was in a hallway as my wife and I were walking behind a young doctor to the examination room to review the results of a biopsy. I guess it was his way of breaking the news to me, not a very good start to our doctor-patient relationship. What am I saying?. I think that a conversation has to be had between the doctor and the patient on terms that are comfortable for both. The young doctor in my case was not emotionally equipped to deal with me on his own and I feel sad that he was thrown in at the deep end, but this is how medicine is handled today, without senior guidance on hand to shape his bedside manner. It was to became an issue between us later in my treatment. Me being a'' tear em a new one in their back and climb in'' type would be an overriding theme in my conversations with him and my wife. Thankfully I got a grip on my rage, for that is what it was, it was not his fault I had cancer, or my wife's for that matter. But it did come to a head when my feeding tube had to be reinserted after coughing it out, as I had a tracheal tube fitted my throat was constricted and it wouldn't go back in but he insisted that he would succeed, I DISAGREED after the second attempt, he then trod on my bare toes and two drip lines as he tried to finish what he had started. I spat it and kicked out with both feet catching him squarely above both knees, you can imagine the result. I ended up getting a PEG later that day which is what I had asked for when the tube was giving me trouble in the first place. I had already researched the outcomes of my surgery before I had it so I was prepared for it to some extent. That was a What did you just say? moment if ever there was one. Craig
