WE THE FUTURE - The goal is NO late stage diagnosis!
I've always been the one to plan out my life in advance. What can I say? I'm very driven when it comes to my future, college, husband, where I'm living, kids, and most recently, medical school.
I received Cancer Schmancer for my fourteenth birthday in September, and I ended up realizing the truth of some fallibility in the medical community, after finishing the book in 2 days. Being a huge fan of Fran Drescher, and growing up with my mom being a feminist/medical consumer, reading what happened to Fran throughout her 2 year gap until a proper diagnosis really, well, pissed me off. I knew that I wanted to go into women's health while learning about genetics in biology last school year. But it wasn't until October of 2010 that I decided on my future career, a gynecologist. Now, I have said numerous times that I am sticking with the career I want. In first through fourth grade, it was a fashion designer, in fifth grade, it was a meteorologist, seventh grade, a genetics counselor, beginning of eighth grade this year was an author, but now, I know for sure that this is what I want to do.
Having a dad who's a doctor, as well as my grandpa, and many cousins, I hear a lot of what is going on in the medical community daily. I hear about numerous cancer cases that my dad has, and also many cases other doctors have. For example, just recently, my dad had a little four year old girl with a tumor on her tongue. It ended up being tongue cancer, in an early stage. Imagine, a little four year old girl, not even able to comprehend what cancer is, who's life could be put at a rapid halt. Luckily, this was an early stage of cancer, and as of now, I don't know what is going to happen. Well, that's the ENT world. In the gynecology world, however, things are a little bit different.
We all know that the female reproductive organs are inside of the body, and diagnosing gynecological cancers are a wee bit (okay, a lot) harder than diagnosing, say, tongue or skin cancer. The tests that the average woman knows about are the typical mammogram and pap test. But, most women do not know that the mammogram doesn't always pick up tumors, especially in denser breasts, and that the pap tests goes no further than the cervix. Many women do not ask for a breast or transvaginal ultrasound when they go to the doctor, which could, for some women, save their lives. This is the problem that we have in the world of women's health. Women are not transforming into medical consumers. Instead, they listen to whatever their doctor says and are just happy to get out of their examination clean. But unfortunately, some of the "clean" women are not always clean. Doctors are HUMAN, they make mistakes! You can't believe everything someone tells you without researching it, correct? That's the second step of scientific inquiry for G-d's sake!
Many of what I just said, I would not have known if it was not for Cancer Schmancer, Fran Drescher, and my mom. I'm only fourteen, and most girls my age would read that and wonder what the heck I was talking about! In fact, most people question as to why I want to be a gynecologist. Well, I usually tell them this:
I found out about Fran Drescher from watching The Nanny a year ago. Fell in love with her and the show….found out about Cancer Schmancer…loved the organization…joined…etc, etc. (You all know the story!) But because of Cancer Schmancer and Fran, I now have become a medical consumer and will eventually become a partner with my physician (not exactly too excited to turn eighteen knowing that's in store!). But, the main reason why being a gyno is so important to me is because I can use my medical consuming knowledge to save the lives of women.
During winter break, I went to New York with my grandma and cousin, Erica. We were coming down from the Empire State Building when Erica asked Grandma if her friend, Edie, would be joining us for tea the next day at the Plaza. My grandma told us that Edie's sister was just diagnosed with cancer. "Well, what kind?" I asked her. Now, my grandma is a stereotypical New Yorker, but she loves to test us and use her teacher skills on our family. "Well, Ms. Future Gynecologist, tell me what you think this is. She's eighty years old, hard stomach, change in stool, and rapid weight loss." I thought about it for a few seconds. Then, it hit me! "Well, Grandma, these are all some of the classic symptoms of ovarian cancer!" She looked at me. Wide eyed. Then, "It was ovarian. They misdiagnosed her with acid reflux." My heart actually sunk. Usually it was IBS that women with ovarian were misdiagnosed with. "Grandma! How does a fourteen year old who has never been to med school know that woman had ovarian cancer, when that doctor couldn't figure it out! Now, she's probably going to die, and I could've said a while back that was ovarian!" My grandma looked at me, in awe. She opened her mouth (there's a shock) and said, "Emily, become a gynecologist, please."
Well, there it is, that was the spark. From then on, I have decided that I want to be a gynecologist, in New York. I want to go to NYU Medical School, which I remind myself everyday by writing on my hand "NYU MED" for inspiration to do well in school. I decided that when I do become a doctor, I want to travel to third world countries to give free exams to women who ordinarily would not be able to afford them. No woman can be left behind, and I love "Fran Vans" because that's what they're for! If it were not for Fran and Cancer Schmancer, I wouldn't have these aspirations. Being a gynecologist would be the LAST thing on my mind! But, with knowing Fran's story, the woman with ovarian (who by the way died last month), and other women that I know who had a gynecologic cancer, I am determined to be the best doctor I can be. The goal is NO late stage diagnosis. I will do my best to detect and offer all tests available. No woman is left behind. No woman is taken from her family due to the fatal effects of cancer. But absolutely no woman is taken due to late stage diagnosis.
For once, I feel like planning out my life isn't so bad. Being driven to make the difference that I want to make is what keeps me going during math and science classes. It's what makes me want to do well in school, and continuously tells me that I can accomplish whatever it is that I want to accomplish, as long as my mind is in the right place, and I believe that I can make it happen.
Thank you Fran, and thank you Cancer Schmancer! Without you, I would be the same girl I was, not knowing any of what I know now. I am forever changed for the better in the sense of women's health.
