I wrote the following on another blog in 2006. I had received my PSA (Prostate Cancer Test) and it was elevated. The Urologist gave me samples of Flomax, and sent me on my way. He said, "nothing to worry about." Well, in late 2007 I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. Could he have found it earlier? I think so. So, why didn't he find it, or do a biopsy? Read on...
Disabled Do Not Get Proper Medical Care. 11/06/2006
While doing my daily Google news search on "disability," and "wheelchair," I ran across an article that is very interesting. I can relate to the theme of the article which is: if you have a disability you are less likely to receive proper medical care for non disability related problems. In this case, the article is about women with disabilities that develop breast cancer.
The article: "Disability harms breast cancer survival chances," published in a UK newspaper, is interesting and tragic reading. It states, "Almost 3,000 of these women were disabled and were found to be have a 29 per cent higher risk of dying from their cancer." The article goes on to state, "Today's study claims that this group of women are 20 per cent less likely to be treated with breast-conserving surgery, one of two accepted therapeutic breast cancer treatments; the other being mastectomy."
I am in the middle of a small riff with my doctor over my recent Prostate problems. I believe, and according to the research I have done, that I have not received the proper medical tests to isolate the problem. Yet, I have an abled-bodied friend that recently had a similar problem, and upon his first visit to the doctor with a complaint, received a full battery of tests.
Today, I saw a Urologist and was less than pleased with the results. We had a brief discussion of the symptoms, and x-ray to rule out kidney stones, and then he gave me a bag filled with samples of "Flomax," and said come back in two months if I didn't feel better.
Can I say for certain that because of my disability I have not received proper medical care from two doctors? No, I can't say that with confidence, but am not pleased with the results. I am planning to see a completely independent doctor(doc-in-a-box) during the next few days to see if I receive the same results.
This article should get everyones attention in the disabled community, because I do believe we receive substandard medical care because of our disabilities. It makes the job of being in charge of your own medical care even more important.
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I have no doubt that you're right. Not only are many offices inaccessible, but for women, mammography equipment is entirely disability inaccessible. That doesn't make sense since the rate of cancer increases with age (it doesn't just hit the young and able), and people on walkers or who have trouble standing or balancing also need a place to sit. Why not a machine that allows people to sit? Or an additional machine if necessary if standing provides the best positioning for most women? As much money as they charge for these...
Good luck with your cancer treatment. That's a difficult decision to make (which treatment), but there's a lot to be said for gut instinct.
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