The Apology

Brenda is releived, but angry and desides she would like a formal apology from DR Rhein for failing to refer her for a scan when she first presented herself with the lump some 2.5 yrs + previously. I tell Brenda apology is unlikely if a DR apologises this can be seen as accepting liability, Brenda however makes the request for the apology, which resulted in a rather weak unsympathetic reply. short time after DR Rhein retires from practise.

Brenda makes a difficult decision to seek legal advise, the result of this came as a real shock and left both of us extremely angry. The solicitor had made a request for a so called independant medical report, this was carried out by a professor at Edinbrigh cancer research institute. he states in the report that at the time Brenda attends DR Rhein with the lump in her breast, it would have been impossible for DR Rhein to have physically felt the lump, clearly stating in the medical report that the lump at the time of Brenda’s visit would have been to small to feel.

To the to the contrary DR Rhein in her own report refers to the lump as stringy muscle, therefore clearly does identify some kind of anomaly. I commend the professor for attempting to support and defend his medical colleage, however not at the expense of making my wife Brenda look like a fool.

Brenda continues with hormone therapy. she makes the descision to change GP practise. On numerous occassion Brenda attends gp suffering with pain in lower back, hips, and pelvis. She was referred for x-ray. sometime later result shows wear tear even although Brenda was currently being treated for a primary breast cancer  GP did not see a requirement to refer her for scan, feeling an x-ray was adequate. In these medical circumstances an x-ray is far from appropriate, once again 2nd GP fails brenda, and fails in their duties as Doctors.

Brenda and I continued with life as normal oblivious to the statistics , something that no primary breast cancer patients are informed about, almost one third of all primary breast cancer patients end up with metastatic breast cancer, scary, yes but fact. Unfortunately with all their training, and experience, onocologist’s have not came up with solution of having a patient of the significant risks, without terrifying them. strange but again true.

In Brenda’s case, her team probably didn’t divulge the statistics, as they had described her cancer, as a small low grade ductal carcinoma easily dealt with. we were naieve, they were wrong.

Brenda’s back, hip and pelvic pain continues. tough girl, endures but doesn’t complain.