Making Informed Healthcare Decisions / Finding Peace

[Guest guest]

Mehmet,

Thank you for sharing more of your wife's history and situation.

Choosing the course of treatment and making decisions can be

difficult. In our efforts to make informed healthcare decisions we

seek as much information as possible. After a while it can be so

overwhelming. Also, I understand the conflict between wanting to be

optimistic and wanting to make sure you have covered every base, so

after you do make a decision, and the treatment / surgery is done,

this can be, hopefully, put behind you.

This post may not help you in your pursuit of an answer, but I wanted

to share my experiences with you. I have learned a few things over the

past several years since I was diagnosed. One is that at the end of

the day, I really do not know anything. After everything is said and

done, after I have considered all my options, after I have interviewed

and heard the personal philosophies of a few surgeons, what it comes

down to is soul searching my heart for the physician I feel I can

trust. At this time, long term outcome studies are limited and so

little is known about pancreatitis and pancreatic surgery. There are

also so many factors that play a role in a patient's ability to regain

any sense of normalcy following years of dealing with this

catastrophic disease.

I think it is importance to know within your heart and soul that you

are making the best possible informed healthcare decision. At the end

of the day you can name, claim, embrace, and let go of that decision

and turn it over to God, and allow Him to use the skilled hands of the

surgeon, nurses, and anesthesiologists to improve the patient's

quality of life. Finding this level of peace is necessary so that I

can focus on the things I do know will increase the success of the

surgery, regardless of which one I choose.

I know that regrets will kill me. Anger will destroy me. Hate will

poison me. This was a hard lesson. I regretted the Distal

Pancreatectomy I had shortly after I was diagnosed. I was angry and

full of hate. I was miserable, unhappy. I was not at peace. For a long

time, I was insistent that if I had just had the other surgery, at the

other hospital, by the other surgeon, I wouldn't be where I was. I

certainly did not want to claim any responsibility; it wasn't my

fault.

Today, I have forgiven myself, and I know that I made the best

decision I could at the time, for the given situation. My surgeon did

as well. He had my best interest in heart; he even changed plans once

he had already started the surgery, based on what he found. He also

admitted that at the end of the day, they really do not know anything

anyway. We just pray for God to use our hands as a vehicle for his

healing.

Karyn , RN

Executive Director, PAI