At the age of 71, in late September of 2020, during the Covid pandemic and while evacuated from our home due to wildfire, I was misdiagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and began chemotherapy. A close friend recommended that I seek another opinion due to the serious nature of my illness. I followed her advice and was fortunate to be accepted as a patient at thesecondopinion. That wise choice has saved my life.
It was a time fraught with anxiety, and thesecondopinion gathered all my medical records, set up a team of five experienced doctors to review it, and the pathologist immediately explained my earlier pathology report was likely incorrect.When I presented this to my oncologist, he immediately sought confirmation. Sure enough, my cancer is Non-Hodgkin’s T-cell Lymphoma and the diagnosis paved the way for the correct and optimal chemotherapy.
The proper diagnosis, due totally to thesecondopinion, moved me to seek treatment at a major medical facility, where the leading physicians in T-cell lymphoma are using Brentuximab, a monoclonalanti-body developed for this specific type of cancer, in lieu of a stem cell transplant.
The work at thesecondopinion is beyond what I would have expected.The mission of this non-profit is powerful, and a huge gift to the world of health.They were effective, caring and reliable; all gifts that someone in my situation need and honor.– Carolyn Hackett, Patient