Thanks to Tony, PaulB and Cheryld. Cheryl I agree that my PET/CT could have been electronically sent to the surgeon as we were walking out the door.

As for the next topic, Cheryl, you may have to help me here so I don't get banned. My 59 years of experience with our socialized Canadian system is that you get in line, wait, be glad for your spot in line, wait, see the doctor, wait, see the specialist, wait, then get treated. I sense from our American friends here that they can go to another doctor for a second opinion. I presume they have to pay to do that. Now I know nothing about the American system, but here, in BC at least, we never pay at a doctor's office. We have a "Care Card" which is issued by the provincial government, which owns the hospitals, ambulances, equipment, and pays the salaries of everyone: surgeons, nurses, MDs, lab and Xray techs, clerks, janitors, ambulance attendants, etc. Partly our taxes pay for this; many unionized workers have payroll deductions and/or matching plans, and selfemployed folks like me are directly billed every three months. Nothing is free here, the costs are just more opaque. One rarely, at least here in the bush, hears of someone going for a second opinion. Maybe we just don't have the disposable income. This could, of course, go way off topic to Americans being able to income tax deduct their mortgages, a bone of contention in Canada. Let's not open that can of worms.

So I suppose that there might have been consultation among the two oncologists in Prince George and the surgeon and MO in Vancouver. The way our system is set up, these people can all be linked as if the whole province is one big hospital. Does this make sense?