Woman denied a colonoscopy by her doctor died of colon cancer at 39, friend says in viral Twitter

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

thread

A Twitter TWTR, +1.44% thread about a woman who recently died at 39 from colorectal cancer has spotlighted awareness about the proper age to begin screening for the often-fatal disease. It has also raised questions about how seriously the medical system takes health concerns among women.

Caitlin Gibson, a reporter at the Washington Post, shared the story Monday about the woman, a friend of hers, on the social-media platform. The thread has since received thousands of retweets.

Gibson said her friend thought she was at higher risk for colorectal cancer because her father had died of the disease. Gibson noted that her friend, who goes unnamed, sought to get a colonoscopy two years ago, but her “insurance wouldn’t pay for it.”

Link to tweet

In addition, Gibson said when her friend started experiencing abdominal pain, doctors told her it was likely gallbladder-related. By the time her friend was finally diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the disease had already progressed to stage four.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/woman-denied-a-colonoscopy-by-her-doctor-died-of-colon-cancer-at-39-friend-says-in-viral-twitter-thread-11654628369

Usually they don't screen till one is 50 or even 60 unless there's a family history which would seem to apply in this case.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Rule #1

The patient never knows what he is talking about.

I've been there. The things I was told. BS artists. All of them.

[moonscape]

3. True. I had increasingly stabbing pain

in my leg and asked my doc for an MRI of it. She decided the pain was coming from my spine and ordered an x-ray. Nothing showed. I said MRI of leg please. Went for my MRI and it was of my spine! Nothing. At that point my beloved doc of 25 yrs suggested PT. I said I was not going to PT in advance of a dx. Again, demanded an MRI of my leg. She finally relented.

Got out of the MRI at 5 pm. At 6:30 pm my doc called, distraught and apologetic, saying I had cancer and she had been talking to an orthopedist and another doc and best guess was sarcoma and bone cancer. A tumor had broken my tibia. She called me 2 more times that evening to check on me and said, TG I finally listened to you.

She was a great doc, just got tunnel vision. To her credit she recognized it and in the subsequent months bent the earth to make it up to me. Got me the best care with one of the top specialist oncology surgeons in the country on a relative dime.

But yeah, listen to your patients.

[MLAA]

5. Wow, what an experience.

[Meowmee]

9. This

I went to numerous docs with obvious signs of type 1 diabetes and still ended up in the icu nearly dead in dka due to gross negligence. Had any one of them done their job, done appropriate testing and put me on insulin that would all have been avoided. I have permanent damage. I am one of the lucky ones who survived.

This type of thing happens everyday.

[woodsprite]

2. I'm willing to bet Lynch Syndrome runs in her family.

I’m going through that testing now. Preliminary tests after my endo cancer surgery came back as positive. For a more formal thorough eval and report, they sent the specimens to Mayo.

They said if it does come back positive, blood relatives should be made aware and tested/monitored earlier than usual a suite of cancers, including colon, uterine, ovarian, kidney, liver, and pancreatic cancers.

[xmas74]

13. I'm scheduled for testing for Lynch.

Stage 2 ovarian cancer, finally starting chemo on Tues. Family history on both sides of breast, uterine, prostate and colon. When there's a variety of cancers running around genetics wants to test.

[woodsprite]

16. Just be aware it could take some time, but keep up with them.

Apparently our hospital pathology lab did the preliminary testing, but neglected to send the 10 specimens out to Mayo as ordered by my onco. My onco had warned me that it would take awhile and the results would be sent directly to me rather than him or entered into my patient portal so I didn't question the timing. When I went for my first follow-up after treatment, the onco asked if I had received anything. I bet he lit a fire under that pathology lab. My follow-up appointment had been April 7 (7 mo post surgery). Just this week I received an alert on my patient portal saying that the 10 specimens had been sent to Mayo -- on April 12!

Sending you positive vibes and holding you in my thoughts!

[xmas74]

18. Genetics is really backed up right now.

My appointment for screening is in two months. My doctor wants Lynch tested and the rest is mostly up to them.

[Tetrachloride]

4. Ex gf died of colon cancer at 50.

[Ace Rothstein]

6. I think now they suggest 45 for your first colonoscopy.

I'm 42 and my gastro has already discussed it with me.

[xmas74]

14. It's 45.

My gyn oncologist wants me to have a colonoscopy after my first round of chemo. (Ovarian)

[Ace Rothstein]

15. Ugh, I'm sorry to hear about your cancer.

Was it caught at an early stage?

[xmas74]

17. Stage 2

Could be worse.

[Ms. Toad]

7. My cousin is still alive and kicking -

But the same thing happened to her.

She is very high risk for colon cancer because of familial polyps. At one point her risk increased enough that she was on the every year or every other year schedule (she may have had an initial bout with colon cancer or dysplasia). But then her doctor moved her to a 5-year schedule. She requested a colonoscopy at 3 years, but was denied one because she wasn't due for 2 more years - and couldn't convince the insurance company to do one at 3 years.

She had surgery for advanced colon cancer within the past year.

[DET]

8. Tragic

My next door neighbor died of stage 4 colon cancer in her early forties. She had symptoms and repeatedly asked her doctor for a colonoscopy, which he denied. She eventually paid for it herself and got the diagnosis.

[Skittles]

10. terrible

I hounded a 50yr old coworker to get a colonoscopy after he told me his brother had passed in his 40's from colon cancer......turns out this guy had a "carpet bomb" of polyps and had to be scheduled for surgery to take care of them

just time bomb waiting to go off

[AntivaxHunters]

11. The perfect example why we need Medicare For All

[Hawaii Hiker]

12. Has anyone ever used Cologuard?

https://www.healthline.com/health/cologuard#takeaway

[xmas74]

19. It's not recommended for those with a family history of colon cancer

Or various bowel and colon disorders.

[alphafemale]

20. That health planned sucked.

It should have been covered with the family history.

There are end runs to do if there is an initial denial.

A doctor can speak directly and appeal such a thing which can often overturn a denial

Some doctors can't be bothered.

[Emile]

21. But Republicans say we have the best healthcare in the world?

SARCASM

[wishstar]

22. Colonoscopy is expensive- my last one was over $7000 if I had not had insurance

I have had 4 colonoscopies since age 52 removing multiple polyps each time. Seems like the first colonoscopy 16 years ago was only about $600 with removal of one quite large precancerous polyp and a couple smaller ones. Oddly I had no known family history then but just 3 years later I convinced my reluctant mother who had bowel problems to get tested and she as diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon cancer and died very quickly.

But I was shocked to see over $7000 in total charges on my billing statements 3 years ago when 3 small polyps were removed by same doctor at same place. Thankfully my Blue Cross has paid 100% of charges for all 4 colonoscopies.