People I trust: Dr. Arthur F. Haney

 

Photo by Alex E. Proimos

Rewind one and a half years ago:  I found myself in my doctor’s office seeking relief from fibroid symptoms (benign tumors) that were worsening. I knew there were prescriptions I could get to ease these symptoms, so I made an appointment to see my doctor.  

I never expected what would happen to me on that day: I was gobsmacked when the doctor told me that my fibroids had grown rapidly over the past year, and therefore had suspicions they were cancerous.  Furthermore, she told that I had many, many tumors now--too numerous to count—when historically I only had three. With a great sense of urgency, she advised me to get a laparoscopic hysterectomy soon. I asked her about other options; she told me I had none. Honestly, I couldn’t see straight at that moment.

It took me some time to get over the shock of her words and for them to sink in. When I calmed down and replayed that visit in my head, I heard this doctor say things that just didn’t add up.  I immediately started reading, and soon found that there were definitely other options for me to explore. And regarding her suspicion of cancer--from what I read, the probability was low; and just because a tumor grows quickly it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s cancerous.  That really fired me up!   One caveat, however, stood out:  there was no medical consensus online.

During my quest for information, I found many women with my exact symptoms who were lead to believe that a hysterectomy was their first and only choice, and others who were fearful of cancer as well.  I also learned about a surgical option called a myomectomy, which preserves a woman’s uterus and simply removes the fibroids. However, myomectomies could be done different ways, with failure rates resulting in many women having to return for a hysterectomy after all.

I knew I needed a second opinion. Without question, everyone wants a good physician. But as someone who sees through people easily, I needed to find a doctor that would give me the confidence to go forward-- I can tell you, this would not be an easy endeavor.  I actually doubted I could find someone who would truly be able to make me feel confident, because I see what people don’t want me to see--things that people often wish to hide. I knew the person I was looking for would be a very rare individual--if I could find him or her at all.

I wanted a physician who was confident.   I could not tolerate an ounce of arrogance. You know what I say about arrogance—it increases the potential for deception (and human error) dramatically.  I wanted a physician who was highly knowledgeable, yet secure enough to admit what he didn’t know (as no one knows everything)—this shows humility.  Humility is a good indicator that a person will be more likely to be honest.  I wanted someone who was down-to-earth and approachable.  I wanted a physician who would listen to me, and who would educate me. I wanted someone who would have patience for my 100 questions, because I am endlessly curious and want to understand. I need to understand in order to feel safe.  I wanted a physician who respected me to make my own decisions. I wanted someone who was meticulous—especially if I had to have surgery. I wanted someone who was compassionate.  

Yeah, that’s a pretty tough list, I know. And I wanted this all in a highly regarded, top-notch professional.  The odds that these would ALL coexist together were exceedingly rare—I’d say less than 1% of professionals out there. 

After several weeks of sifting through doctors and reviews, I finally set my sights on Dr. Arthur F. Haney out of the University of Chicago. He had good credentials, and he had a warmth in his eyes when I looked at his photo, plus he appeared to be meticulous in nature—an unusual combination.  He also had good reviews, and a biography which was outstanding.  He was on my short list of possibilities, so I shot him an email; amazingly, he wrote me back. How many doctors take the time to answer a non-patient back?  I must say I was blown away by this. It said a lot about his character.

When I first saw Dr. Haney come into the consultation room I immediately envisioned him jogging in my mind’s eye—he just has that kind of physique. I also saw flashes of a man that had a fun, humorous side to him and boundless energy, too.  His posture was exceedingly confident. He owned the room, but without an ounce of arrogance.  His demeanor was light and jovial, as if he were about to go out on a Sunday afternoon to have a good time.  That was a bit shocking. I didn’t expect that!  

Within a very short time, he addressed my fears of cancer after having looked at my previous doctor’s report. He told me the odds of cancer were exceedingly rare, and considering length of the time I had these tumors (more than four years) and their size, the odds that they were cancerous were even less. He also said that while he couldn’t give me a conclusive answer on cancer until they were removed, he was not particularly concerned. That was a huge relief.

The more I talked to Dr. Haney, the calmer I became.  He allowed me the opportunity to ask question after question, and he enthusiastically answered each one. And he didn’t do it laboriously; he did it passionately and with excitement.  Plus, he never made me feel rushed.

When I saw how excited he was to talk about human anatomy--which he had undoubtedly done 10,000 times before in his career--I knew at that moment that I found a gem of a human being, a doctor, and a surgeon!  To most doctors, talking about anatomy would get old, especially after several decades, but for Dr. Haney there was nothing dull or boring about it. As he talked, he was like a kid flying his first kite--his eyes were open wide and he couldn't get all the words out fast enough! You couldn't help but get excited along with him as he talked about how the body works!  Naturally, all my fears abated.  It’s rather strange to admit, but it was actually a pleasant visit.

When I asked Dr. Haney if he felt I needed surgery now, he said I did not; that there were plenty of options that we could explore. I asked him how likely it was that I would face surgery for this in my lifetime; he placed the probability at about 75%. However, if I was content with my present status and agreed to take some vitamins, I could simply live with it and the 25% chance that I wouldn’t need any intervention at all.  I asked Dr. Haney to explain to me why there were failure rates with myomectomies (my surgery of choice), and if I would have to worry about a future failure. His confidence was stunning and graceful.  He told me that if a myomectomy is done laparoscopically, a surgeon cannot palpate smaller fibroids to ensure they are all removed—hence when the target fibroids are removed, the remaining ones not palpated often grow back fast.  To make sure a myomectomy is successful; he recommended open abdominal surgery, which made complete sense to me. It wouldn’t guarantee that new fibroids wouldn’t grow, but the fact that they would be new ones and not preexisting ones would give me longer time for them to grow large enough to cause complications again, if that should happen.

Dr. Haney was also incredible in that when I asked him for an opinion on what he would do in my predicament, he said it depended on a woman’s reproductive choices. If she didn’t want children, a hysterectomy was a guaranteed solution for resolving the problem for good; yet he completely respected me when I said that wasn’t the right option for me.  He even allowed me to discuss my reasons, and he offered his perspective.  He truly cared to make sure I was comfortable and understood all my options.

But the most amazing element of Dr. Haney that I treasured more than any other was his passion.  It’s the single trait of his that sets him above all others.  He is one of those people who wakes up each and every day excited to do what he is doing, and his passion drives him to be the very, very best at what he does--which he is.

While there may be many good doctors out there who do a reasonable job, no doctor who lacks passion will ever compare with one who is passionate.

And by the way, passionate people are usually extremely honest—they have no reason to lie!

I waited just over a year, and ultimately decided to have an abdominal myomectomy.  

Dr. Haney came by the morning of my surgery while I was in pre-op in a great mood.  He actually joked with me! And he lifted me up in my most nervous moments—that’s what passion does—its infectious!  I went into the operating room knowing I was in the best of hands. 

My surgery went very smoothly and I am healing well. I am now nine weeks out from that day.  Everything went exactly as he promised and my tumor pathology came back benign--exactly as Dr. Haney predicted. I also never had more than five tumors as I was told; only the original three. I didn't need a radical surgery either.  And although my first doctor woefully tried to mislead me, Dr. Haney restored all my faith in the medical profession, and then some!

I was so thrilled after surgery when Dr. Haney came to visit me the next morning, I couldn't resist jumping out of bed even with my fresh incision to get a picture with him. I didn't know if I'd see him again with my loopy post-surgery brain.  Mind you, I had a four-inch scar on my abdomen which was cut just hours before, I was not on any pain medicine, and I didn't think twice about it!  

Dr. Haney laughed as I jumped out of bed, and he said to my husband, "Look at her!"

I guess most people aren't jumping out of bed 24 hours after surgery.

 "Can I get a picture of us?” I asked. 

 He laughed and replied, "Most women don't want a picture of their gynecologist!"

Interesting point! I had never thought about that. My husband laughed!

"I don't want a picture because you are my gynecologist; I want a picture of you because you are an exceptional human being,"  I said.

Here is the photograph my husband took that morning.  

It has been a true honor and privilege to know Dr. Haney, and to have had him as my surgeon.  I can't possibly thank him enough for all he did to change my life for the better.  I will always be grateful…and I will never, ever forget him.

I share this information with you in hopes that it helps other women out there who suffer from fibroids as I did and as a sincere thank you to Dr. Haney for being such an outstanding professional.

*Many thanks to MJ and  Lynn Jurisin Brodsky for your editorial assistance!

** If you are suffering from fibroids, I highly recommend Dr. Arthur F. Haney.  I also found a great online resource by Dr. William H. Parker here, which has excellent and trustworthy information as well.