Apparently, fat is so scary it would be better I die of this cancer

webmuskie:

I’ve just gotten back from my first visit with an oncologist, Dr. Cheung Wong (who is, regrettably, the head of gynecological oncology at Fletcher Allen, a position for which he is unqualified by reason of having his head up his ass).

I have first stage endometrial cancer. I know standard…

I just sent this in via the Fletcher Allen comment page:

I am sharing my concern over the treatment of a patient of Dr. Cheung  Wong’s named Laura Tisoncik.  I had my hysterectomy performed by Dr. Wong back in 2012, and so was shocked when I heard what she reported as how she was handled by him when she was seeking surgery for endometrial cancer.  While I know that surgery on obese patients (and especially ones with mobility issues) is never ideal, and often there are serious complications, when a patient is facing a choice between higher risk of earlier death with a lower rate of cure (she’s suffered radiation exposure and has high risk of cancers, so radiation treatment is not a reasonable option) or a potentially complicated procedure with a longer recovery time, but a high rate of cure, the choice seems fairly reasonable.

Right now Ms. Tisoncik feels that because she’s in a wheelchair and is obese, she’s being denied the standard of care that would be offered to a thinner able patient for inadequate reasons (she was told she’d have a scar if they did an open procedure if the laparoscopic equipment wasn’t long enough, which could be true but isn’t the point).  I hope that there has been some miscommunication, and that this can be cleared up so she can have the life-saving procedure that is best suited to her health situation.  

I am very dismayed to hear how Ms. Tisoncik has been treated, and disappointed in Dr. Wong for giving the appearance of (if he doesn’t actually believe) refusing the best practice of care to a disabled obese woman.