قصة تاتيانا بيترسون: من التشخيص النهائي العضال إلى الجراحة المنقذة للحياة في ألمانيا
- Diagnosis That Changed Life and Limited Options
- The Limitations of Standardized Healthcare
- The Search for Alternative Solutions
- A Miraculous Discovery: Finding Booking Health
- Comprehensive Support During the Journey to Germany
- World-Class Surgical Excellence
- Remarkable Results and Renewed Hope
- A Message of Hope for Other Patients
Overwhelmingly, Norwegian doctors told Tatyana Peterson she had only months to live – and she refused to accept it. Her journey from a cancer diagnosis to successful treatment in Germany shows that seeking second opinions and exploring options abroad can virtually change life.
Diagnosis That Changed Life and Limited Options
Tatyana, originally from St. Petersburg but living in Norway for nearly three decades, believed she had put cancer behind her. Back in 2022, she was treated for ovarian cancer that had spread to the peritoneum – a severe condition known as peritoneal carcinomatosis. After 6 cycles of chemo and surgery, she was cancer-free for 2 years.
Unfortunately, in October 2024, an X-ray revealed a large liver tumor located in a particularly dangerous position – under the liver, near the porta hepatis, and very close to the portal vein.
"The Norwegian doctors decided that surgery was not possible in my case," Tatyana recalls. "They simply sent me home, saying that I have a few, in better case, 6 months left."
The explanation was painfully simple: operating so close to the portal vein could cause life-threatening bleeding. Medical team excluded surgery from a list of options. Their only suggestion was more chemotherapy – treatment that would not remove the tumor, only slow its growth for a short time.
The Limitations of Standardized Healthcare
Despite receiving good care in Norway, Tatyana encountered the rigid limitations of a standardized healthcare system. "In Norway there are good doctors and good service, but unfortunately there are such things as general rules," she explains. "All oncology hospitals and all other hospitals have to follow these strict general rules."
The standardized approach meant that doctors didn’t offer treatments outside protocols – even when a patient’s age or personal circumstances required adjustment of a plan.
"Many patients don’t get a personal approach," Tatyana explains. "Many patients do not get an individual approach. It’s not allowed to step outside the guidelines. If you do, it’s considered a mistake."
The Search for Alternative Solutions
After hearing such a prognosis, Tatyana and her family refused to sit and wait. They immediately start searching for options outside Norway – hoping that someone, somewhere, might see her case differently. Friends and other doctors all pointed toward the same conclusion: "Germany is highly rated in the world in terms of medical care and experimental surgery."
They tried to navigate the German healthcare system independently, following advice to avoid intermediary companies. "We chose the 10 best hospitals in Germany and started to contact them," Tatyana explains. They prepared document packages with X-rays, CDs, laboratory tests, and doctors' reports for each hospital and sent them one by one.
However, this approach was frustratingly slow. After 3 weeks of waiting, they received responses from only 3 of the 7 hospitals they contacted – and those responses were automated messages about "the review can take up to several months."
"You understand that this is especially not relevant for cancer patients, when tumors do not wait, they grow," Tatyana emphasizes. "In my situation, the count was already in weeks, first in months and then in weeks."
A Miraculous Discovery: Finding Booking Health
And just when hope seemed lost: "By chance, when we had given up all hope, we came across Booking Health and got a response from them," Tatyana recalls. "We were very surprised and the next day we started working. This discovery was a real relief. I would even say it was a miracle."
Unexpectedly, the difference in response time was remarkable! What had taken weeks of attempts was resolved in a single day through Booking Health – their team, professional network and expertise.
Comprehensive Support During the Journey to Germany
Tatyana appreciated a level of support that transformed her medical journey from the moment they contacted Booking Health: their service extended far beyond simple appointment scheduling…
"We were even greeted at the airport by a luxury car as a compliment," she shares. When diagnostic tests faced 2-3 week waiting lists at the main hospital, Booking Health efficiently organized alternative arrangements at other facilities.
"I felt supported all the time and every day," Tatyana emphasizes. "If there were any problems, organizational or otherwise, I could always contact Booking Health and they were always on the phone day and night."
The emotional support was also important for Tatyana and her family. "Booking Health team was so compassionate and reassuring in a difficult situation. They gave me hope, and it was justified."
World-Class Surgical Excellence
Tatyana's case required exceptional surgical expertise, and she found it in Germany. Her complex 7-hour surgery was performed by two renowned specialists. These were Dr. Lipp – a professor specializing in HIPEC and abdominal therapy and surgery – and Dr. Oldhafer – a professor specializing in liver surgery.
She explains: "It was a really difficult surgery and it was technically complex, but in the end it worked." And Tatyana's recovery surprised even her. "I expected to have a difficult recovery period. But it turned out to be quite comfortable. If I compare it with my first surgery in Norway, which was only 4.5 hours, that time the recovery period was much more difficult and there was a lot of pain."
Remarkable Results and Renewed Hope
The surgical outcome exceeded all expectations: "All visible clusters of cancer cells were removed," Tatyana shares with excitement. "The comprehensive X-ray diagnosis that I have just had shows that there are no visible cancer foci at all."
Tatyana is currently undergoing consolidation chemotherapy to maintain her surgical success. But what is important, her perspective on life changed completely. "This operation saved my life. Just knowing that there are no malignancies anywhere in my body gives me hope."
The psychological impact of successful treatment – it extends beyond physical health. "This is a very good and positive thought. Of course, it affects my well-being, my appearance… We are enjoying every day, we are happy, and we are making plans."
A Message of Hope for Other Patients
Tatyana's experience strengthened her belief in Germany's medical system. "Germany is simply a land of opportunity with a variety of different treatment options, individual approaches, innovative treatments, choice of doctors, clinics, and medications."
Her advice to other patients with similar challenges is: "I would sincerely advise other patients to contact Booking Health, because of course they can find the best doctors. They have experience connections, they have understanding, and vision of the situation about the hospital that can help a patient at the moment."
After trying to undergo treatment abroad on her own, without Booking Health support, she emphasizes the following. "Patients themselves are not able to find the right treatment, I have understood this from my own experience."
Tatyana's story shows: never give up, seek second opinions, explore all available treatment options – and you will receive the desired result. Through professional medical tourism services like Booking Health, patients can access life-saving treatments all over the globe.
