I am a primary care physician diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. After my diagnosis, I began to wonder, is it ever appropriate to disclose my situation, my diagnosis, any details about my cancer journey to my patients? On the one hand, physicians go to great lengths to protect privacy; on the other hand, patients appreciate the ability to share and connect, including knowing that their doctor has been through something similar. In this essay, I explore the nuances of oversharing versus making a personal connection and how the two elements of this dual role might ultimately benefit each other. Ann Fam Med 2019;17:173-175. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2365.To read or post commentaries in response to this article, see it online at http://www.AnnFamMed.org/content/17/2/173.
G iven the advent of online bill paying, my home mailbox doesn't see all that much traffic; it is generally reserved for a few select medical journals, cooking magazines, and the usual junk mail. About three weeks after my cancer journey began, however, it was being flooded with a whole host of interesting items-cards, letters, care packages, appointment reminders, test results, patient satisfaction surveys, and yes, bills. First, the results letters. I found it almost amusing that it was the day before surgery when I opened a letter that told me I had a highly suspicious mammogram result. What a long lag; I honestly wondered why even send these things in the mail. Later, the MRI report arrived; the lengthy explanation and the nature of the comments suggested that the radiologist was hedging, truly on the fence regarding the interpretation. I have seen this before, however, and I don't envy their position, trying to make sense of very subtle findings. This letter was followed by my biopsy report, then pre-op labs, but I noticed I never got a result letter regarding the mysterious CA-27.29. This was somehow ordered in error when my oncologist requested BRCA testing; I suspected someone realized it was the wrong test and was too embarrassed to send it.
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