Help, Please. Need Advice on Letting Go and Destressing

Sorry, Allison.  I think you gave yourself the answer, I'll come back to that.  But, I will tell you that I would never have made it this far in my 14 year melanoma journey, without laughing at the rediculous and infuriating shit I've had to deal with. Completely oblivious providers that spend MY time talking about car repair and spackle.  Horrible experiences with the TSA and car rental folks. (I had to travel for my trial.) Nurses and others who clearly had no idea what they were doing.  Here is a letter I wrote to a physician after a particularly infuriating encounter:  http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2011/12/hands-down-most-obnoxious-infuriating.html  

Like you, I clearly reported the incident to the physician and his supervisor!!  I don't know how much of a difference it made….but I did get a written response and phone call from the supervisor and a written apology from the perpetrator.  Perhaps, he learned something and has become a much  better provider and human.  Perhaps, he had his arm twisted and the reply was written under extreme duress.  Either way…I can at least feel that I did the best I could with the situation and laugh at how the conversations in the aftermath went down.

Here is just one other ludicrous event I recounted…if you are bored or need to laugh:  http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2011/05/6-months-down1-more-trip-to-go-well-2.html  

So…your answer…that YOU already noted:  1.  Take the best action you can in order to do the best you can to help others and turn the experience into something that makes sense.  2.  Tell someone…even if they are only those off in the inter-webs!  3.  Breathe.  4.  Recognize what is REALLY important – your peep!!!  5. Laugh.  

There really is nothing else.  Hang in there.  You got this.  Celeste

HI Alison – I'd be willing to bet that everyone on this forum has experienced the "perfect storm" of medical ineptitude at least once.  If not, they are much more patient than I am.  Our most recent storm occurred at a follow up appointment after my husband had Mohs surgery to remove a squamous cell carcinoma that developed as a side effect from dabrafenib.  In the course of casual conversation with the dermatologist, I made some comment about my husband's port.  She looked at him quizically and asked why he had a port…did he have cancer?  OH MY GOD…..he's been a patient at this clinic for the past 5 years, diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in 2012.  Didn't she even glance at his chart??? Shouldn't that be pretty obvious?  We were too stunned to even respond.  I get that she was a new provider who hasn't been actively involved in his care prior to the Mohs procedure but come on.  I called the clinic administrator the next day to discuss what seemed to be a significant gap in knowledge of my husband's medical condition.  She relayed my concern to the clinic Medical Director and the take away was that they weren't sure any physician would know that my husband had a port…..WHAT…..our issue was that the physician didn't know he had been actively receiving treatment for metastic melanoma for 5 years.  Still shaking my head over this one.  This is not the first "storm" event – and, unfortunately, my guess is it won't be the last.  Somehow, my husband who is the patient, always takes these care hiccups better than I do. Sending prayers for a smoother appointment next time around!

Ann