The dumbest things people have said to you/about you

I had a woman from my son's school come up to me the other day and asked me if it hurt when they cut my breast off. What an idiot. I should have told her she had nothing to worry about because only smart woman get breast cancer.

I love this thread. Reading your posts I am trying to learn what more I can expect from people as this journey continues. So far only 2 things that people have said/asked have bothered me but they don't compare to what some of you girls have had to put up with... wow!!

1) My RO basically told me that he didn't feel that radiation would be sufficient to take care of my anterior margin that was dcis-positive. He recommended mastectomy because of the margin, the size of the dcis, and my family history. Going into the appointment I figured I was getting setup for radiation treatment so the mastectomy idea came as quite the surprise and I was in shock. To add to this, the RO's nurse who was there for the whole appmt said to me on the way out, "You may as well get both breasts removed, at our age what do we need them for anyway." Give me a break, I'm 47, and kind of attached to my girls thank-you very much!!! ...maybe she was an alien.

2) I was still not sure how to break the news to friends and family about my mastectomy so I thought I would just say "I have to have another surgery" when people asked how it was going with treatment (which, like I said, was supposed to be radiation until I saw the RO). I had not come to terms with the whole idea of mastectomy and thought I should find some peace with it first. Not a chance for that... the first phone call I got from an acquaintance asked when I would be starting my follow-up treatment and I said "well not sure yet, I have to have another surgery" now doesn't that statement say leave-it-alone loud enough, guess not, her next question was "Are you having a mastectomy??" Well I can't lie so I said yes, and just about hit the floor after I hung up ... another one bites the dust. 

Clarification ... I did NOT mean Jenlee's comment was brutal - I was referring to the doctors!

they say the most socially inept doctors......are the best surgeons.....

He must be a friggin' genius surgeon! 

As Shayne said this guy obviously has no manners, so sorry. Really there is no need for this arrogance or ineptness however brilliant he is.

Kathleen, My surgeon is one of the kindest sweetest people I have ever met.  He is a true physician, dedicated to his profession and his patients.  My biggest fear is that he will retire while I am still under his care and I will have to find someone else.

The joke I've heard is that there's a reason they work on unconscious people!

The lady from teh surgery center called me on Tuesday to do the normal pre op questions (exchange is next Thursday).  She goes ON and ON and ON about me seeing my cardiologist (which for my other 3 surgeries, I haven't had to) and then she asks me if my primary care physician knows about my "Problem, er, I mean Procedure".  No, not really because I am being seen by my MO EVERY 3 weeks where he gives me a good once over much like any other physical I have ever had, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!  I have never wanted to reach through the phone and choke someone as much as I did Tuesday night.  My PS is part owner of the surgery center and you better believe I'm going to let him know.  He is a perfectionist and I know he would want to know.  I don't know who this lady thinks she is and for all I know, she is just someone who calls to get the information and isn't even medically trained for anything!!!  (I'm still ticked off about it, can ya tell??)

Now, tonight, I got an invitation to a friend's littler girl's bday party.  She is the one who has said to me..."I've just been so busy, I'm sorry I can't come see you and help you out"  or "the price of gas...blah, blah, blah"....Well, I guess I will be busy that day, too. 

Right before my surgery the surgeon asks me completely straight-faced, so which breast are we doing, the right or the left? I was too stunned to answer, I am thinking if you don't know I want out of here right now.... I understand they have to double check for liability reasons but the question scared me. For those of you who have seen Arrested Development where Dan Castelleneta is the surgeon, I thought oh no this is who I have... 

Its a pain in the butt to keep repeating yourself at surgery time I remember. But we have a local hospital that when it opened about 5 years ago ended up doing amputations on the wrong limb to more than one patient in a short period of time.  It was in the news and an inquiry was called and everything. 

I have to say the follow with the piece of skull missing was a bit much. 

I was also asked about a bazillion times which breast was being operated on. I said left....that's "my" left, not yours.

Yeah I still have the writing on my shoulder. 

Ok, stop the thread I think Stormynyte just won :-). What did they say when you showed them?

One really clueless TSA agent told me I had to remove those things (surgical drains) so they could go through the xray. I said "they are drains from my surgery", she said, "but there is an unknown liquid in them, that is not allowed". UGH!



Had to demand a supervisor, then a private room, complete strip down (nearly) and educating of personnel on surgical drains! What a ditz! They wiped every inch of the tubing, dressings, etc.