Modesty and feeling helplessly humiliated

maly

My docs and everyone have been great. Why can't all the technicians, etc., working on women with breast cancer be female? It is so humiliating to lay there getting ready for radiation and have guys putting marks on your chest everywhere..and when even more self conscious because of scars across your breasts! While they are professional and nice, my daily dose of radiation is also my daily dose of humiliation. Cancer clinics have to know how humiliating it is. Am I the only modest one out there? I have not cried through anything yet...but everyday I hold back tears of humiliation!

rosesrx

Maly,  speak up to the doc or one of the female techs. I have asked md to let me get dressed then we could talk. Have been known to slide chair blocking the door when at PCP to prevent md from leaving until all questions were answered. I know you are in shock with all that is going on,  advocate for yourself. 

I_Spy

Boo that sounds awful. I agree, I like having women working on me; I am choosing a female plastic surgeon. I will say this and hopefully it will help a wee bit: all day long, every day, week after week, the male technicians helping you look at boobs. They are way beyond caring what yours look like. So don't be embarrassed, I'm sure they have seen it all, and then some.

maly

Rosesrx: Thanks! They just don't have enough females to do everything at the cancer clinic so there isn't anything that can be done. The bigger deal made of something, the more you will be remembered. Hopefully employees "out there" will read this and possibly be able to make a difference for other women and it is something for which for which I will advocate at the clinic where I am for the future...so that they could make a hiring/assigning procedure to include more female employees.

I have been a huge advocate for myself and glad to hear I am not the only one who does, but there is nothing that can be done in my case; however, we all need to speak up if we want this to be standard operating procedure everywhere. I don't know if I am the only one who cares about it, though. One never hears about breast cancer patients complaining; additionally, the marketing to raise money for research and the celebrity status of some have somewhat trivialized all that women go through. WOMEN ARE STRONG...as getting through breast cancer is not easy. I am just hoping I can get clinics everywhere to understand the importance of using female employees for female cases...IF I am not the only one who cares about it.

maly

ispy: Thanks, and yes, I realize that. Maybe I am more sensitive to this because I dated a doctor long ago who was always pissed about the "unprofessional" talk from so many of the male employees (including doctors) behind the backs of patients or when in the OR. For this reason, I don't know if I am the only one who cares about trying to preserve a modicum of modesty. :-)