Since the diagnosis of stage three colon cancer, Cherri's had surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and most recently a gamma knife procedure. She's also taken up the cause of early screening.
"Don't be embarrassed and be open and honest with yourself, and with your doctor. Don't put it off, don't make excuses. It's the difference between life and death."
Dr. Kevin Hoppock knows some symptoms are difficult to discuss with anyone. He suggests taking a deep breath and just getting it out.
"I think you'll find as soon as that is out, as soon as it's out in the open, the comfort level becomes much better, and you realize the thing that you were so fearful of loses its power over you."
Often, patients will wait until the doctor is ready to walk out of the door before they bring up what's really bothering them.
"We call it the by the way question," Hoppock told me. "That is the time when the doctor has exactly the least amount of time to go ahead and deal with the problem. It is critically important that the most important issue to you goes right up first in order to fully describe that."
A written list of symptoms may help you remember important information to share with your doctor, how frequently you have symptoms, how long they last and if there's a pattern to the symptoms. Having a regular relationship with a doctor may also make the conversation easier. Not having the conversation means risking the consequences.
"It's your life and you have to be an advocate for your own health," Cherri Dorsett says. "If you're not being the advocate, no one else will. You have to be open and honest with yourself and open and honest with your doctor."
Eyewitness News asked Kansans about their relationship with their doctor. Of the 500 Kansans surveyed, 89 percent say they have a doctor they go to for care or routine exams.
More than 90 percent rate their doctor good or excellent for taking their concerns seriously.
Just a quarter of those surveyed have avoided bringing up a problem, and the most common reasons for that were embarrassment or not thinking the problem was serious.
Do you have a specific doctor you go to when you need medical care or for routine exams?
89%
Yes
11%
No
0%
Not Sure
Asked of 500 Adults Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 2.8%
How would you rate your doctor for being compassionate? Excellent? Good? Fair? Or poor?
63%
Excellent
27%
Good
7%
Fair
2%
Poor
0%
Not Sure
Asked of 443 Adults Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 4.6%
How would you rate your doctor for taking your questions and concerns seriously?
64%
Excellent
27%
Good
5%
Fair
3%
Poor
0%
Not Sure
Asked of 443 Adults Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 4.6%
Have you ever avoided discussing a health issue with your doctor?
26%
Yes
73%
No
1%
Not Sure
Asked of 443 Adults Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 4.2%
Why did you avoid discussing the issue? Because you were too embarrassed? You were afraid of the answer? You didn't think it was important enough? You didn't want to waste the doctors time? Or another reason?
35%
Embarrassed
15%
Afraid Of The Answer
34%
Didn't Think It Was Important
1%
Didn't Want To Waste Time
13%
Other
2%
Not Sure
Asked of 114 Adults Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 9.4%
For More Information:
American Cancer Society
The Wichita Clinic
