I got a text message from my mom when I woke up this morning. Very simply message: "Here is my doctor diagnosis, don't know if you have an American doctor to take look, see if it is easy to fix or not."
Since my mom got sick, I try my best to meet with my parents' request. Call them as often as I can, make plan to go home for 2 months during the summer, try to find some "miracle" supplement for them online (Chinese people in China believe in any supplements from other country. The Chinese business people make all those supplements as this miracle which can cure all health problems from tumor to cancer. Once I saw this supplement which Chinese site made it sounds like GOD's gift, but in American site it's not even FDA proved.), try to be as careful as I can when I talk to my mom (don't want to piss her off again), etc.
So, when I saw the text this morning, I know that I can't satisfied her. My parents know there is difference between China and US, but they don't know well enough to think about how much difference there actually is. In China, everyone seems to know someone. It's not surprise if my parents know 10 doctors personally or related to someone they know. Since my aunt is a doctor, she has many doctor friends. It's very easy human resource for my parents when they need to ask some advice. And, I am sure they have been doing this since they are over 40 years old. China also has a lot of health consultants which you can just bring your diagnosis in and ask for advice or put your diagnosis online that some doctor will answer you. But most of those are for basic illness.
I feel bad to tell my mom that I can't find a doctor to read her diagnosis and give her any suggestions. What my mom has is not a simple stage 1 common cancer. I don't think any doctor, even the speciality cancer doctor will just read her diagnosis (which is in Chinese, I am not sure I can do a good job translate all the medico term, for example when I search to translate "diagnosis" from Chinese to English, it gave me the term "medical certificate".) and understand her condition. And, I don't even know if any doctor will just read a diagnosis and give advice if it's not their patient in US. I want to help my mom and fulfill all her request, but it seems to be hard sometimes. And, I hate to say "no" to her when she needs my help.
All I can think of now is post her diagnosis on some American medico websites, and see if anyone will respond. My guess is even if someone responds, the respond will be like "she should go see her doctor" or "need specialty doctor".
P.S. My mom's tongue cancer is doing well. She is home taking chemo medication since her body need rest from intravenous feeding chemo. Now they are trying to treat the cancer which spread to her lungs. Since she was off the medication for 2 weeks, the cancer got bigger on her lungs. The treatment plan is taking chemo medication at home first, see what the result is like, then come up with next plan.
Since my mom got sick, I try my best to meet with my parents' request. Call them as often as I can, make plan to go home for 2 months during the summer, try to find some "miracle" supplement for them online (Chinese people in China believe in any supplements from other country. The Chinese business people make all those supplements as this miracle which can cure all health problems from tumor to cancer. Once I saw this supplement which Chinese site made it sounds like GOD's gift, but in American site it's not even FDA proved.), try to be as careful as I can when I talk to my mom (don't want to piss her off again), etc.
So, when I saw the text this morning, I know that I can't satisfied her. My parents know there is difference between China and US, but they don't know well enough to think about how much difference there actually is. In China, everyone seems to know someone. It's not surprise if my parents know 10 doctors personally or related to someone they know. Since my aunt is a doctor, she has many doctor friends. It's very easy human resource for my parents when they need to ask some advice. And, I am sure they have been doing this since they are over 40 years old. China also has a lot of health consultants which you can just bring your diagnosis in and ask for advice or put your diagnosis online that some doctor will answer you. But most of those are for basic illness.
I feel bad to tell my mom that I can't find a doctor to read her diagnosis and give her any suggestions. What my mom has is not a simple stage 1 common cancer. I don't think any doctor, even the speciality cancer doctor will just read her diagnosis (which is in Chinese, I am not sure I can do a good job translate all the medico term, for example when I search to translate "diagnosis" from Chinese to English, it gave me the term "medical certificate".) and understand her condition. And, I don't even know if any doctor will just read a diagnosis and give advice if it's not their patient in US. I want to help my mom and fulfill all her request, but it seems to be hard sometimes. And, I hate to say "no" to her when she needs my help.
All I can think of now is post her diagnosis on some American medico websites, and see if anyone will respond. My guess is even if someone responds, the respond will be like "she should go see her doctor" or "need specialty doctor".
P.S. My mom's tongue cancer is doing well. She is home taking chemo medication since her body need rest from intravenous feeding chemo. Now they are trying to treat the cancer which spread to her lungs. Since she was off the medication for 2 weeks, the cancer got bigger on her lungs. The treatment plan is taking chemo medication at home first, see what the result is like, then come up with next plan.