Meeting New Onc

grandma2selena
grandma2selena Member Posts: 199
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Yesterday I met my new Onc. He first began by telling me how both himself and his partner had been with the same group of Onc that I began with but left due to the fact they did not like the way patients were being treated, not that the treatment for cancer was not current and appropriate, but for patient management, the with holding of information, and never being able to see "your" Dr. Basically the same reason I wanted to leave.

He discussed my hip pain and informed me that it is a condition called "Radiation Recall". He then took my chart and tore it apart and showed me every lab report, explained everything in detail, showing me pictures and explainging how my cancer was so different from other cancers.

He then assured me that there was no way I could have cancer in my liver that my type of cancer does not spread that way nor that fast. He said my liver is just sensitive to medications. He then showed me a way to check myself weekly to determine the reocurrance of my cancer and what to look for.

He also said this 75% in my favor was not so and that it is actually 90% in my favor that there will be no reocurrance based on the type and staging of my cancer. He also said there would be no need for scans so often but rather every 6 months, then possibly every year if everything is favorable within this first year or so.

I was so relieved, and now can truly move forward enjoying life NED.

Debbie

Comments

  • nudgie
    nudgie Member Posts: 1,478 Member
    #2
    CONGRATS
    It's always good when a GREAT plan comes together. I am soooo happy for you that you were able to find a doctor that actually cares for their patients. With so many HMO's, it is hard to find the ones that take the time.
  • grandma2selena
    grandma2selena Member Posts: 199
    #3
    nudgie said:

    CONGRATS
    It's always good when a GREAT plan comes together. I am soooo happy for you that you were able to find a doctor that actually cares for their patients. With so many HMO's, it is hard to find the ones that take the time.

    HMO's
    I agree with you there. I really thought the first place I went to wouldn't be that bad, since there were only 4 Drs in there with one PAC. It truly seemed like a warm caring place, nothing like the large HMO's. Well, I guess it doesn't matter what size they are, if their policies are in the realm of a HMO that is just how one will be treated. That is not to say there are not good Drs in the HMO's as I ran into a few that were very good and who did care even under the policies of a HMO.

    Another reason that we all have to become our own advocate and push for what we want and what we deserve when it comes to our medical care.

    Debbie
  • Fight for my love
    Fight for my love Member Posts: 1,522 Member
    #4
    Hi Debbie,that was great
    Hi Debbie,that was great news!I am happy for you that you got a new oncologist whom you like.It's really important that we are informed by the doctors.Anyway that was great!
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #5
    Wow
    What a difference you have made in switching doctors. My oncologist is a great doctor but just not the outgoing or upbeat like surgeon or radiation doctor. But she is caring and was very sympathetic to my problem when I had my port put in. It does make a difference if you like your doctor or not. I'm so glad that you got another one. You will feel so much better. Sometimes you just have to take that leap and make that hard decision to switch doctors especially if you are in the middle of treatment. Enjoy being NED.

    Kim
  • grandma2selena
    grandma2selena Member Posts: 199
    #6
    Fight for my love said:

    Hi Debbie,that was great
    Hi Debbie,that was great news!I am happy for you that you got a new oncologist whom you like.It's really important that we are informed by the doctors.Anyway that was great!

    Information
    I agree with you, we need to be informed, we need answers to our questions. No matter what the illness is, cancer or any other illness the more accurate information we get the better we feel, and the wiser our choices can be. I always say, if you just tell me directly what is wrong then I can figure out how to mentally go on, fighting it, giving you (the Drs) answers to their questions, and also learning to just live with it. We live in our bodies we know how we feel and we also have pretty good ideas about what we want done to us without the information we lose our voice.

    Debbie
  • grandma2selena
    grandma2selena Member Posts: 199
    #7
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Wow
    What a difference you have made in switching doctors. My oncologist is a great doctor but just not the outgoing or upbeat like surgeon or radiation doctor. But she is caring and was very sympathetic to my problem when I had my port put in. It does make a difference if you like your doctor or not. I'm so glad that you got another one. You will feel so much better. Sometimes you just have to take that leap and make that hard decision to switch doctors especially if you are in the middle of treatment. Enjoy being NED.

    Kim

    Thank you
    Thank you Kim, your right we must like our Drs. It isn't that I didn't like any of the Drs at my old place, they just had policies in place that I could not live with. Everything was kept so secret, and jumping around seeing different Drs everytime you went in the comunication became a huge problem. It is horrible to hear something from one Dr only to hear totally the opposite from someone else. I wish I would have made this switch from the get go...but oh well I did it now!

    Debbie
  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    #8
    Awesome!
    What wonderful news!

    Leslie

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