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I was facing ovarian cancer. Everyone thought I had it. There was one test that had me convinced (inhibin) but I still tried to get a differential diagnosis.

The first oncologist surgeon who my Doctor highly recommended refused me a referral to Endocrinology despite me having a CT scan that showed adrenal masses at the 1 cm mark. He said, “I am not worried about those”. I immediately fired him as soon as he said it. He totally disregarded something he should not have but also he totally disregarded the patient who was concerned about the adrenal masses.

In that office visit a bizarre thing happened. I suddenly knew I did not have ovarian cancer. It washed over me like a bright light. But I ran out of time to get the differential diagnosis in case I really did have ovarian cancer.

It turns out, the adrenal masses were causing all the weird labs (except inhibin).

I will never forget the way he totally dismissed me, my CT scans, my concerns, and he ended up being totally wrong.

I try to view the whole experience as a learning curve into the God Complex.

And perhaps the radical hysterectomy saved me from eventually getting cancer that another relative died from.

You obviously did the absolutely right thing to fire this guy, and I am very happy to here you are doing well and don't have ovarian cancer. I tell patients that no one has a more important interest in their well-being as they do and that they should be actively involved in their care - including questioning physicians and holding their feet to the fire.

Medicine is not an exact science, because there is a ton of physiological/biological variability among human beings, and there is still a ton we just don't know. I want my patients to be actively involved in their care because their input is essential and I don't want to miss things. Humility is one of the most important human virtues, and if you don't have it you will be very susceptible to missing your own mistakes.