Queen Awesome's Adventures in Cancerland: World 2

For the last few months (since the beginning of February) I had really begun to get serious about having this mole removed. I couldn't believe how difficult it was to find someone to help me! Every time I worked up the nerve to see a doctor, my doctor was either on holidays or other doctors refused to do anything. I was continuously told that the mole was too large for them to remove, yet no one was willing to help me come in contact with someone who would remove it. Finally at the end of April, I hit my limit. I phoned my doctor's office and asked for an appointment. The receptionist, as she always does, asked what I wanted to see the doctor about. I told her that I had a mole that had to be removed. As she had told me in the weeks before, "the doctor will not remove it." Now this isn't my finest moment but looking back, I'm glad it happened. I broke down in tears and yelled at her. Between sobs I told her that I needed to have this mole removed and hit my polite limit and finally yelled at her that this was serious, my doctor has to help me and demanded an appointment. Dripping with attitude she finally booked me in to see him. The appointment would be in a week.

My appointment day finally arrived and I was a ball of nerves. My name was called and I waited in the small room for my doctor to come in. Dr Bobyn came in and I took off my jacket to show him my arm. Instantly his mood changed. The look on his face was terrible. He asked me to follow him into his office and immediately he was on the phone to book me an appointment to the "lump and bump" clinic. He asked me how long the mole had been there and of course gave me hell for not coming in sooner. While he was on the phone, I could only hear one side of the conversation. I could tell by his responses that he was not satisfied with the answers he was being given. He hung up and called another number. This office seemed to be more to his liking. He wanted me to be seen right away. This office seemed to be more on board with his acceptable timeline. He told the person on the phone that he'd be faxing the requisition to them in 5 minutes and that it would have stars all over it. He stressed to the person he was speaking to that this must be looked at right away. He filled out a requisition form and certainly covered it with stars. There must have been 20 or more stars all over this sheet. He once again told me that I shouldn't have waited so long and that he was very concerned about this mole. He told me that he wanted me to go in for a biopsy within the next week and a half. My boyfriend and I had planned a trip to Las Vegas. I told my doctor that I would be out of the country until May 9th, but that I would take any appointment after that. As he had his nurse fax over the requisition, Dr Bobyn turned and tried to reassure me that he would have this mole removed and tested as soon as he could and gave me a hug. I left his office feeling sick and scared.

I had an errand to run at Walmart. While I was there, my cell phone rang. It was Dr Bobyn’s nurse, Dawn. The surgeon that my doctor had spoken to while I was there was not able to schedule me in soon enough for Dr Bobyn’s liking so they had sent my requisition to another surgeon. I had experience with this surgeon, and it wasn’t completely good. Dr Baliski was the surgeon who had done my gall bladder surgery nearly 2 years before. I had complications from that surgery that left me not being able to feel my legs for months. Even now, the feeling in my legs has not completely returned. So when I was told it would now be Dr Baliski doing the surgery, I was conflicted. I asked Dawn if it were possible for another surgeon to do the biopsy. She told me that it would only be possible if I were willing to travel to Vernon or Penticton. I decided that I just wanted this to be over and told Dawn to go ahead and book Dr Baliski. Looking back now, I’m so glad I did.