A Second Set of Eyes and Ears Never Hurts!

It wasn't until I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that I started to realize the benefit of a second opinion. From both personal and professional experiences, I believe patients don't seek second opinions for two main reasons.

First, they don’t want the doctor to take offense and, second, we have a natural tendency to trust all medical doctors. I mean, they did go to medical school and undergo all kinds of training. Why shouldn’t we trust them?

I think it’s safe to say that many of us put medical doctors on this pedestal, like they are superheroes (Don’t get me wrong. Most are.) We believe that, no matter what we are diagnosed with, every doctor should have every answer and every cure.

As patients, we have the right to a second opinion

Professionally, I come from the medical field (I’ve worked in 3 different specialties of medicine over the last 11 years.), so I know all about second opinions. Prior to being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, from a professional viewpoint, I would have considered myself neutral when being asked about second opinions.

Did I always push patients to always seek a second opinion? No. Am I against it or do I feel a certain way when a patient states they are seeking another perspective? No.

As patients, we have the right to seek another opinion and we shouldn’t feel bad for doing so! But I get it. As a patient myself, I understand the fear of upsetting your doctor when you choose to seek a second opinion. That was my biggest struggle when I chose to leave my initial oncologist. I never wanted to be that patient who made a doctor feel like I didn’t trust or value their care and knowledge.

How do we know when it is time for a second opinion?

So, what is a valid reason to seek a second opinion? My answer is, when your gut instinct tells you to!

The first red flag during my personal ovarian cancer journey went up when my initial oncologist decided to forgo chemotherapy as a frontline treatment after a Stage 3AII diagnosis. There’s room for discussion from a medical standpoint, however, I was never at peace with the decision. But she was the doctor, not me, so I went along with it. A year and a half later, the second red flag went up when my CA125 began to increase and I raised other concerns. I was repeatedly told, "You are young and healthy. It's nothing to be concerned about.”

Don’t get me wrong. My initial oncologist was so nice, had good bedside manner, was personable, etc., but my gut told me something wasn’t right. In retrospect, I wish I would have acted on that gut feeling much sooner. Whether it’s a gut feeling, a misdiagnosis, your voice not being heard, etc., you can choose at any point and for any reason to seek a second opinion.

We are our best advocates

If you are like me and you don't want to be “that patient” ... STOP! You have every right to get input from another doctor. I encourage EVERY woman who is fighting ovarian cancer to seek a second opinion even if your initial doctor feels like your medical doctor/oncologist “superhero.”

We, as women fighting ovarian cancer, must put ourselves and our health first. We are our best advocates and no one, not even a medical doctor, knows our bodies better than we do. Be adamant, be persistent, and get a second opinion; an extra set of eyes and ears never hurts! I truly believe that I was able to sit here and write this article today because my decision to seek a second opinion and transfer care saved my life. It could save yours too!