Becky Canesse: The life-saving value of a second opinion

Perserverance

of my mom

saved lives

Standing up for truth is an important strength to develop, and this requires courage. My 93-year-old mother described a personal and profound experience with me recently, and she gave me permission to share this story with you. Her mind is still razor sharp, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to continue to learn from the wisdom she has gained throughout her long life.

My parents Edyth Rosalee Olson Warne and M.L. Warne had six children together. I am No. 5 and would not be here if this story had not unfolded as it did. Shortly after their third child was born, Mom was experiencing pain and went to the doctor. He told her she was pregnant and to come back in a month. She came back a month later, and he told her the same thing again. Every time she saw the doctor, she insisted she was not pregnant, but she was having regular periods with extreme pain.

These monthly visits continued nearly four months until she was exasperated and told the doctor, "I am not pregnant." The doctor dismissed her again, saying, "You wouldn't know. You are pregnant. Come back in a month." Since she had three previous successful pregnancies, she knew this was different and that something was wrong.

She went home, sat down at the dining room table, put her head in her hands and sobbed. It was 3:30 in the afternoon, when unexpectedly, my dad came home early from work. Seeing her crying, he asked, "What's wrong?" She told him what the doctor said and that she just knew something was wrong.

Dad said, "Call the Medical Center and get an appointment with a specialist." She called right then, told the receptionist her situation, and they asked her to come in right away.

She arrived at the Medical Center shortly after the phone call and was introduced to a new, young Dr. Hubert H. Theissen. He examined her and asked if she would mind if he had two other doctors come in and examine her as well. After the three doctors completed their examinations, they excused themselves to consult on their findings. They came back in and said they weren't sure what it was, but that she was definitely not pregnant. They suggested surgery as soon as possible.

She was scheduled for surgery, and soon afterwards Dr. Theissen described to her what they found. There was a tumor growing inside one of her fallopian tubes, and it was the size of a grapefruit. It was filled with toxic fluid and was dangerously close to bursting. He continued, "If you had waited, you would have been a gonner."

Dr. Theissen continued to be her doctor until he retired. He delivered the remaining three of my parents' six children, including me. In this experience, there were so many critical turning points that could have gone much differently. First, it was unusual for my mother to just sit down and cry, and second, it was rare for my father to come home at 3:30 in the afternoon. It was even more unusual that he would tell her to call a specialist right then and there, and that the receptionist would have her come in immediately.

What I especially love knowing, is that Dad listened to her and believed her. Then, the medical center's receptionist listened and understood this was serious enough that she should come right in. And finally, the new, young and brilliant Dr. Theissen attentively listened with an open mind, and then recruited a third and fourth opinion prior to making his recommendation for surgery.

For my mother, it was a marathon day of gynecological exams, and her perseverance saved her life. This is the power of holding onto your determination to find the truth and the courage to not give up. Standing up for yourself and listening to that "knowing" voice within can save your life. It saved her life, and the lives of her children as well as the generations that followed.

What an amazing turning point! Thanks Mom and Dad, thanks Dr. Theissen, and thank you God for blessing me and our family through all of them.

Becky Canesse, chief executive officer of Just for Girls, can be reached at beckycanesse@yahoo.com.

This story was originally published October 31, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline " Becky Canesse: The life-saving value of a second opinion ."