Opinions, please

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chynabear
chynabear Member Posts: 481 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
It is approaching the one year anniversary of my diagnosis. With that comes time to do the colonoscopy.

We are in a new town which is small enough that your GP does everything from the delivery of your babies to seeing you for the common cold. Today, I saw the GP for my annual woman wellness exam and while I was there asked him who does Colonoscopy's in the area. This area is small enough that the GP (himself and one other in his office) do them and there are two internists who do them in the next largest city which is about 40 miles away. The GP I saw today has done them since 1985 and has scoped colon cancer patients before. He is very intelligent and seems capable enough. But, I'm used to living in the city where you go to a specialist for each different senario so I'm having trouble deciding if I trust him to be able to see everything he would need to see. On the other hand, to work with my husbands schedule so we get all of my appointments taken care of in October it would be very convenient to just do it here.

The closest Gastro is 104 miles away. Now, my Oncologist is four hours away so we're not opposed to driving to find quality care.

The question comes down to whether to trust a competent GP for the convenience of it or to make the drive to see a specialist.

Advice?

Thanks,

Patricia

Comments

  • kerry
    kerry Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    #2
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    You know Patricia, my mother always said that the advice you get is worth what you pay for it - so...for what it is worth, my opinion is that I personally (after battling colon cancer for 3 years) would go to a gastro. doc. Too many things can go wrong with a colonoscopy procedure, like tears, perferation....and not to mention having all the latest and greatest equipment. My health and medical care is very important to me and my family and I intend to seek the best. Now, that is just my opinion.

    I know from personal experience that moving, especially during a trying time like recovering from an illness, having a baby, etc..can be stressful when having to choose new medical care. I wish you the best of luck with your decision. Bottom line is that YOU have to be comfortable with your decision and comfortable with your doctor. Convenience (to me) has very little to do with it.

    Good luck. Let us know how you do.

    Kerry
  • CAMaura
    CAMaura Member Posts: 719 Member
    #3
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    kerry said:

    You know Patricia, my mother always said that the advice you get is worth what you pay for it - so...for what it is worth, my opinion is that I personally (after battling colon cancer for 3 years) would go to a gastro. doc. Too many things can go wrong with a colonoscopy procedure, like tears, perferation....and not to mention having all the latest and greatest equipment. My health and medical care is very important to me and my family and I intend to seek the best. Now, that is just my opinion.

    I know from personal experience that moving, especially during a trying time like recovering from an illness, having a baby, etc..can be stressful when having to choose new medical care. I wish you the best of luck with your decision. Bottom line is that YOU have to be comfortable with your decision and comfortable with your doctor. Convenience (to me) has very little to do with it.

    Good luck. Let us know how you do.

    Kerry

    I agree with Kerry. This is hard, because the merits of a more 'old fashioned' GP are numerous - from expertise to plain old logic. But, Gastroenterology is a specialty. One does not know if there will be a need for biopsies and a really well-trained eye is incredibly important for those of us unfortunate enough to have been diagnosed; we would certainly not want anything to be missed. You might ask around town for opinions about your doc and the procedure; but if you are in doubt, I'd head for the specialist. I sincerely wish you the best and hope to see a NED posting from you! Take care - Maura
  • chynabear
    chynabear Member Posts: 481 Member
    #4
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    Your opinions are very important to me; that is why I asked... you guys are all going through the same stuff as I am.

    Typically, I go for the "specialist" just because that is what the choice was and how I have learned to deal with healthcare in the past 10 years. Because I have lived in big cities for the past 8 years you go to a OBGYN for "those exams" and to have babies; you go to a gastro if you need to have a colonoscopy; you go to a Podiatrist if you have problems with your feet, etc.

    Really, I just don't want to, for lack of a better way of saying it, doubt the abilities of the GP. Plus, my care is very important to me; I mean, I drive four hours to go to an Oncologist because I believe that he is the best I could have.

    I also don't want to have my decision "clouded" by convenience. The GP really seamed to downplay the difficulty level of doing a scope; like it was really not that hard to do or that big of a deal. Kerry, you gave me something important to think about by reminding me that things "could" go wrong and how important it is to be in capable hands.

    I just wondered what people do when they are in situations similar to mine.

    Maura, fortunately my first NED PET/CT came last Nov after I had surgery. My second NED came in July. My third will be October. Thank you for your well wishes, I really appreciate them. We can always use more :)

    Thanks,

    Patricia
  • neeliec
    neeliec Member Posts: 106
    #5
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    I would drive to see the specialist. I have heard of horrible stories due to drs. that do not stay on top of the latest drugs, and techniques. I actually lost one of my cousins-- not yet 40-- to one such dr.-- Just my opinion.
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #6
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    Great question Patricia!!!!

    With gas prices going up again and all the hoopla about time issues, it is a decision we all need to make individually. I chose to drive 60 miles further even for my chemo treatments because I thougth I deserved it and my insurance was going to be there for me. It was only "hard" on me. 20 months into it, I do not regret my decision at all and continue to do what I feel is best for me. I think one of the most important things about fighting cancer is one's attitude and having some control over your particular circumstances is very important to that. Go with your gut. You know what you think you should do. Your new GP will not be offended, he should understand and value you as a patient even more.

    Lisa P.
  • CAMaura
    CAMaura Member Posts: 719 Member
    #7
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    chynabear said:

    Your opinions are very important to me; that is why I asked... you guys are all going through the same stuff as I am.

    Typically, I go for the "specialist" just because that is what the choice was and how I have learned to deal with healthcare in the past 10 years. Because I have lived in big cities for the past 8 years you go to a OBGYN for "those exams" and to have babies; you go to a gastro if you need to have a colonoscopy; you go to a Podiatrist if you have problems with your feet, etc.

    Really, I just don't want to, for lack of a better way of saying it, doubt the abilities of the GP. Plus, my care is very important to me; I mean, I drive four hours to go to an Oncologist because I believe that he is the best I could have.

    I also don't want to have my decision "clouded" by convenience. The GP really seamed to downplay the difficulty level of doing a scope; like it was really not that hard to do or that big of a deal. Kerry, you gave me something important to think about by reminding me that things "could" go wrong and how important it is to be in capable hands.

    I just wondered what people do when they are in situations similar to mine.

    Maura, fortunately my first NED PET/CT came last Nov after I had surgery. My second NED came in July. My third will be October. Thank you for your well wishes, I really appreciate them. We can always use more :)

    Thanks,

    Patricia

    I am thrilled that you are NED! These decisions are hard because anyone can make a mistake - or just not know their stuff. But, I have been using my gastroenterologist more recently - for consults about lab results and to review past and present CT scans - and a good one is an asset. They know the involved pathologists and radiologists very well and feel comfortable meeting with them on your behalf. I do not (and cannot) count solely on my oncologist; my gastro knows organ function so well that he has become a very important part of my team and my effort to be cancer-free. I am sure you will chose the right person. I would suggest receiving copies of past scans (if ever needed) for comparison. Take care and all the best - Maura
  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #8
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    Hi Patricia,
    I will never forget a statemnt my surgeon made about GP's . This particular one had failed to refer me to a specilist for severe nosebleeds (turned out to be an annurism). and I quote "For goodness sakes what is wrong with the man? He is only a booking agent,it is his job to confirm that there is a problem then send you to some one who can deal with it!" Perhaps you should stick with the specialist,Ron.
  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    #9
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    kerry said:

    You know Patricia, my mother always said that the advice you get is worth what you pay for it - so...for what it is worth, my opinion is that I personally (after battling colon cancer for 3 years) would go to a gastro. doc. Too many things can go wrong with a colonoscopy procedure, like tears, perferation....and not to mention having all the latest and greatest equipment. My health and medical care is very important to me and my family and I intend to seek the best. Now, that is just my opinion.

    I know from personal experience that moving, especially during a trying time like recovering from an illness, having a baby, etc..can be stressful when having to choose new medical care. I wish you the best of luck with your decision. Bottom line is that YOU have to be comfortable with your decision and comfortable with your doctor. Convenience (to me) has very little to do with it.

    Good luck. Let us know how you do.

    Kerry

    Patricia, I agree with Kerry. Please see a gastroenterologist if at all possible. Complications are rare, but possible, and the specialist is best prepared for them. Plus, I think you'll get better anesthesia that way also.

    Betsy
  • Moesimo
    Moesimo Member Posts: 1,072 Member
    #10
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    I will add my two cents worth. I would definitely go to the GI doc. You are not your average person having a colonoscopy. You want the BEST. When I found out I had cancer, I saw a general surgeon at the hospital where I work. He was great and got me through the first few difficult days. He saw me right away in the GI lab after my scope because I was such a wreck. I saw another doc in Boston, over an hour away. I ended up chosing the surgeon in Boston. I felt bad that I did not chose the first surgeon, but the one in Boston was an oncology surgeon and I wanted who I thought would do the best for me. When I have a bowel obstruction, which has been way too often I go to the local hospital where I work and the first doc is my surgical consult. I feel a little guilty because he did not do my surgery, but he is always very nice to me.
  • jana11
    jana11 Member Posts: 705
    #11
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    Hopefully you are still checking this note. I am a GP and I would DEFINATELY go to a specialist. The procedure is only as good as the person doing it. It takes special training, good eyes, etc. I have done MANY colonoscopies as screening purposes only. You are past all that.

    Stick with the GI guys. They have more training and will be less likely to miss anything little because they do more of it.

    Good luck with the prep. jana

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