Misdiagnosis: Get a Second Opinion

Misdiagnosis can and does happen. Get a second opinion before you let your world come crashing down around you. A few years ago I got sick and had to go to the hospital. At first I just thought I had a bad case of the flu but I began to feel progressively worse. Suddenly I couldn't take a deep breath, had chest pain and felt like my ribs were being crushed.

The emergency room doctor ordered x-rays, blood work and all the standard tests. The doctor soon emerged with his diagnosis. I had pneumonia but that wasn't all. He told me there was a shadow on my right lung. Before I even knew what was happening, I had been diagnosed with lung cancer and given six months to live. I was in shock.

This all took place nine months after the death of my husband. Can you imagine how devastating this was for my children? They had just lost their father, now they were being told that their mother was dying too. I spent the next week in the hospital being treated for the pneumonia. My kids stayed close by my side. Friends came and prayed with me.

I slept most of the time but my waking moments were filled with thoughts wondering if my kids would be all right once I was gone. Would my two youngest ones live with their older brother or with their grandfather? How would they cope? There was still so much that remained undone. There was still so much that I wanted to accomplish. My thoughts were consuming me. I was thankful that the medication helped me sleep.

My physician called in a lung specialist and I became the subject of many more tests. After several consultations the lung specialist presented me with his findings. I did not have lung cancer. The original physician jumped the gun, so to speak. I had been misdiagnosed. What a relief. It was like I had been given my life back. It's been three years since then but I still remember well the emotional anguish that original diagnosis caused my family.