When I have a primary care doctor who is also a meticulous oncologist whom I see yearly for comprehensive medicals, it either ends up as worrying or annoying, or mostly giving me a peace of mind. But it's the responsible thing to do (along with continued renewal of critical illness insurance coverage, keeping wills and other such administrative affairs ship-shape). Thank goodness I like said primary care doctor's manner, and I trust her.
After doing my first mammogram at 40, it resulted in me being sent for two ultrasounds over six months. When my primary care doctor took in the radiologist's analysis of all findings (and refused further discussions, because she's not the specialist in the area; there're always concerns of liability, lawsuits and such), she sent me to another oncologist (whom I like too). It has now become a rather painful waiting game. In comparison, the unknown isn't so bad. The waiting is always the worst. It's an exciting game that involves rather big needles to hasten said process.
It also meant that I've now stepped into the world of false negatives and false positives. It's not an unfamiliar world. It's simply different when I'm no longer a caregiver or an onlooker, but possibly a patient. I will have to trust science, its data and its practitioners, listen to my body, consider the extent of medical intervention versus the quality of life, and be guided by faith and His Light to make decisions that are in my best interest.
