The Two Terrible Diognosis Letters

The original letter from the GP

This is the first report from the ultrasound scan from the GP. We read this together - see 'Jenny's last days' and the 'Day by Day Diary' on the menu bar to the left

The horrific letter from the Consultant

This is the copy letter we received from the Consultant on February 12th - just 9 days before she died.

Surrey CR6 9HS

GM/FH/050462

 

8th February 2012

Consultation 7th February 2012

 

Dr P Morley                                          FAX  01883 713779

Oxted Health Centre

10 Gresham Road

Oxted  Surrey

RH8 OBQ

 

 

Dear Dr Morley

 

Jennifer Whittell  dob  26 02 47

 

 

Mrs Whittell came back to see me in my outpatient clinic at Gatwick Park this evening with her husband.

 

Unfortunately her CT scan has shown multiple liver metastases with a large lesion in the pancreas.  It is of course just possible this could be a lymph node although on review in our MDT it was felt that it was as likely to be a pancreatic primary with multiple liver metastases.

 

The discussion at the MDT was to consider a guided biopsy of the pancreatic lesion if Mrs Whittell felt up to chemotherapy.   Unfortunately in clinic this evening she is very poorly and doesn’t want to consider that option or palliative chemotherapy.  Clearly, I understand her wishes and have asked our specialist nurses at East Surrey Hospital and St Catherines to contact her and involve the full palliative care team.

 

We did review her CT scan from last year at the MDT this morning and this was entirely clear.

 

I am very sorry for this outcome.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Dr Gary Mackenzie

Consultant Gastroenterologist

 

 

Copy to

Mrs Jennifer Whittell