Lisa Monk claims she was given an “optimistic” 15 months to live when she was informed of her terminal cancer diagnosis at a check-up following spleen surgery.
A woman, who was given just 15 months to live, claims she had “aggressive” treatment and bid farewell to her family, only to find out later that she had never had cancer.
Lisa Monk went to the hospital at the end of 2022 for a CT scan after she started having stomach problems that she thought may be caused by a kidney stone. In addition to revealing that she had two kidney stones at her checkup, the test also revealed a tumour on her spleen, which was removed in January of last year.
The mum-of-two claims the organ was sent to three different pathology labs before being tested at a fourth lab where she claims it tested positive for an aggressive form of blood vessel cancer. The 39-year-old said she was told about her terminal cancer diagnosis at a check-up appointment following her spleen surgery and claims she was given an ‘optimistic’ 15 months to live.
Following a referral to a cancer hospital, the higher education professional was admitted to the hospital right away to start her first round of chemotherapy in March 2023. Lisa had ‘very harsh’ chemotherapy after losing all of her hair, which resulted in ‘silvery skin’ and vomiting.
However, she asserts that on a regular medical visit in April, she was informed that the first pathology result was inaccurate and that she had never genuinely had cancer. Lisa is upset that the physicians chose to “congratulate” her instead of offering an apology for their purported error. She claims the needless treatment has left her broke and her “insides cooked.”
Lisa, from College Station in Texas, said: “It was diagnosed as a super rare, super terminal type of cancer called clear cell angiosarcoma. I had gone to see my doctor as a follow-up from my surgery [when I was given the news].
“I was with my mum and he asked if I was okay to get bad news in front of her. This is when he told me it was cancer. I went into shock. The diagnosis was horrible and [they] told me it was terminal.
“It was a blood vessel type of cancer found in the spleen and told me that the most optimistic thing he could say was to give me 15 months [to live]. After I dropped my mum off at home, I went down to the river and prayed because I wasn’t ready to go home and tell my husband.
“I didn’t tell them at this point that it was terminal or I only had 15 months, I just told them it was bad but I was going to try to fight it. My oldest son took it the hardest. My little girl was very good at hiding her feelings but I found out from her teacher was getting overwhelmed about it at school.”
According to Lisa, the hospital received the first report that indicated she had terminal cancer, but as per their procedure, they needed her spleen to do more testing. She says that after having her organ checked, the hospital’s test revealed that she had never had cancer; however, she also alleges that the hospital did not review their findings until the April visit, which occurred one month after they got it.
Lisa claims this meant she endured chemotherapy treatment when she didn’t need it and is now dealing with the repercussions of this as she never had cancer. Lisa said: “I saw the nurse practitioner first and she just asked me about my symptoms and she was scrolling on the computer while she was talking to me.
“All of sudden, she just stops talking and has this look on her face. She turned to me, looked completely horrified and told me she needed to get the doctor. She then ran out of the room. She left me alone for about 15 minutes and the doctor came back in. He said a lot of medical lingo to me and then told me I didn’t have cancer.
“I was confused, as they were acting like it was a bad thing. I just thought [if I didn’t have cancer], it meant the chemotherapy was working. The doctor then told me that I never had cancer. [At that moment] I looked like I had cancer, and I felt like I had cancer as I was vomiting, I was sick, and my skin was silvery because of the chemotherapy.
“The doctor then congratulated me, which really bothered me. At the time, I was in shock, but now I feel the more appropriate response would be ‘I’m sorry’. I asked for a copy of their pathology report, and I found a hallway to call my husband and tell him the news.
“The first pathology test I had back from the lab said I had cancer, and I started treatment based on this report, but then the hospital ordered my spleen to conduct their own pathology test as it was their policy to do so. When I got home, I listened back to the recording of my doctor’s appointment, as I was able to record them in case I missed any information and it dawned on me about the date they got their [the hospital] pathology report back.
“I looked at it and it was dated a month prior to my appointment. I had had chemotherapy during this time, and they could have told me a month earlier, and I would have avoided the second round of chemotherapy if they had bothered to read their own pathology report.
“[After being told I didn’t have cancer] I had to wait a couple of days, and then it was confirmed to me that it was not cancer after having a discussion with all the doctors. In the end, they determined that my spleen was going to rupture which is why it had the mass on it. It was just blood vessel activity and no cancer in it.”
After being told she never had cancer, Lisa said chemotherapy treatment was stopped immediately. And, despite being relieved by the good news, a year on Lisa still feels ‘angry’ for what she and her family have been put through.
This is very sad, but now hopefully she can put this all behind her and enjoy the precious future with her loved ones. We must also not forget that this is wrong in so many ways, and how in this day and age does this kind of thing happen? This was pure neglect by medical health professionals, and if this can happen, how many people out there have been told they don’t have cancer when they did?
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 