My shower door has a leak. So, I called a handyman for an estimate to repair the seal on the door and patch a section of dry wall that has minor water damage.
The handyman explained that he’d have to cut a huge exploratory hole in the wall to make sure the leak wasn’t coming from any place else.
His approach seemed excessive. I needed multiple opinions.
A realtor friend inspected the shower. “Oh, this is simple, just screw in a new seal.”
It wasn’t simple. I wasted several months finding and then installing the seal only to discover that the leak was still there. Not only was I frustrated, but I was also getting very tired of using the guest shower.
The next guy to see the shower stall was a plumber – he shook his head mournfully as if the whole bathroom would have to be remodeled. “I can’t fix it,” he said. “You’ll need a general contractor.”
Asking a general contractor to fix a leaky shower door felt like using an axe to slice a strawberry. So I asked another plumber to take a look. “First get a water softener then you can fix the shower.”
Next, I had a local glass company give me an estimate for a fixing the leak. “Ideally, we’d just replace the seal but there is also some hardware missing,” he said. “Finding parts for these shower stalls just isn’t an option anymore. I suggest you replace the door.”
At this point, I was thoroughly confused.
Everyone who saw the shower agreed the wall damage was easy to fix. When the multiple opinions all agree, the next step is clear: patch and paint the wall.
But when it came to addressing the leak, each person had different advice. Everyone was an expert and everyone suggested a different approach.
My head was spinning. I had no idea what to do. Finally I realized there was only one way to escape this ‘multiple opinion madness’. I had to get informed.
After spending several hours reading up on contractor licenses, shower seals and water quality reports, I decided to replace the shower door. It wasn’t the cheapest option or the most expensive. But I’d read-up enough on the subject to know the solution made sense.
Obviously, fixing a shower stall does not compare to the frustration, anxiety and confusion that many patients face as they decide on a treatment plan for lung cancer. But it does highlight the benefits and drawbacks of seeking multiple opinions before making a decision.
Did you encounter ‘multiple opinion madness’ in the course of your cancer journey?
How did you handle it?
Tags: advocate, alliance, cancer, hope, living, lungevity, partnership, patient, remodelling, survivor
For me getting a second opinion was the best thing I could have done. In fact I should have done it earlier…. Quite honestly, if the cancer has metastasized and spread to your bones most experienced doctors immediately write you off… My Cairns oncologists had me sign paperwork that I was a palliative case almost immediately. I was given less than 12 months as the lung cancer tumours were all through my lungs and through my ribs, spine and pelvis. Being only 41, a non smoking super fit gym junkie with a young family did not make a difference. Regardless I did get the correct treatment. IV Gemcitabine/Carboplatin chemo, that initially shrunk the primary but metastases and bone cancer continued unabated. When it looked like we weren’t going to slow the rolling snowball of cancer, I decided to hit the road and travel around Australia to make some life memories for my family… As a last result they supplied me with Tarceva, oral tablets, which seemed like a last result.. 2 months later I was feeling normal, gaining weight, and my colour had returned. Meeting the Perth oncologists was a watershed moment, as they asked me if I’d been tested for the lung cancer mutations. I had purposely avoided researching the subject in an effort to stay happy for my family… The first time I had looked up Non Small Cell Lung Cancer my google prognosis was grim and the averages had me surviving 18 months at best. The mutations suggestion was totally out of the blue. The Perth CT scans showed I was gaining ground on the tumours and there was evidence of my bones repairing. The Western Australian oncology team believed I had the EGFR mutation. My condition continues to improve and bone scans show a dramatic gains. My experience was clouded by well meaning friends and family that although meaning well offered a multitude of wives tales… Ground apricot kernels, iodine that worked a treat on the friends’ cousins horse, meditation with purging the tumours with your mind… When you start the journey, you have to plot a solid course and have blinkers on to avoid all the misinformation, no matter how well meaning those deliver it are. But getting a second from a different state was something I should have forced. As although I was prescribed the correct medication. It was guessed and I’m sure I would be taking a dirt nap if they chose incorrectly. Im now 9 months since diagnosis and I’m feeling great. I’ve even reduced my pain relief by a quarter. I’m not dying anytime soon and I’m looking to fit 10 years of living inside 2…
Hi Brad,
Thanks so much for sharing your situation. I am so glad that you were able to find the right people to talk to in Perth!
Lots of luck to you and your family!
Juhi