uh-oh Second Opinion on my reoccurance

13

Comments

  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175 Member
    #42
    Meena im glad you made your
    Meena im glad you made your decision and im just sorry you have to go thru this...your situation sounds so overwhelming but your one tough cookie!
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #43
    cindycflynn said:

    Meena
    In reading your previous post, you decided to get this second opinion because you weren't totally comfortable with your current doc's "wait and see" perspective.

    I know that you're not looking for anyone to make this decision for you, because it is only yours to make, and I'm sure it must be scary to hear about plans for more aggressive treatment, but I think once you process all of the information you have at hand, you will know what is the best decision for you.

    I will be praying that this is indeed a good night for you, because it is the night you decide how you will do battle going forward.

    Love and Big Hugs,
    Cindy

    I am so glad you got the 2nd
    I am so glad you got the 2nd opinion. I think the moving forward with all is the best approach with fighting cancer.


    Hugs and praying for you!
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #44
    jo jo said:

    Meena im glad you made your
    Meena im glad you made your decision and im just sorry you have to go thru this...your situation sounds so overwhelming but your one tough cookie!

    I am glad too that you have
    I am glad too that you have made the decision to go with your new oncologist.

    It just isn't fair that you are even in this situation Meena.


    You are remarkable!


    HUGS!
  • sal314
    sal314 Member Posts: 599 Member
    #45
    meena1 said:

    Oh, yes...i cannot believe
    Oh, yes...i cannot believe the difference in the treatment! Really, i am not look for anyone elses opinion on what i should do, i was just posting and thinking of what i should do. I have made a decision to go with this new doc, so everyone is in the clear!!!!! just kidding. Again, thank you for being there for me. I love you all.

    Whew!
    OK...not that you should have other people make the decision for you, but my first gutt reaction was "go with the new guy"! Especially if your type of cancer is aggressive and rare. So I'm so happy you mad that decision. You wanna go with the doc that has the most expertise and is up on the latest and greatest! I'm sorry you have to make that decision, but you are strong and you can get through this second bought! Keep fighting! Keep positive!! I'll be praying for you!:)

    Blessings,
    Sally
  • bjmom1
    bjmom1 Member Posts: 152
    #46
    Kylez said:

    I am glad too that you have
    I am glad too that you have made the decision to go with your new oncologist.

    It just isn't fair that you are even in this situation Meena.


    You are remarkable!


    HUGS!

    My opinion
    I would listen to that little voice that told you get a second opinion. I would listen because most of the time that little voice never lead you wrong. Also it seem this onc is listen to how much pain you are in and trying to help relieve that pain compare to the old onc.

    Good luck Meena

    Barbara
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #47
    KayNYC said:

    decisions
    Their having such different approaches to your treatment really boggles the mind. Good luck making the decision. It is not an easy one but the only one who can make it is you. I guess I would lean toward the doc that wants to fight with everything available and who will rely on the tests for confirmation of treatment results and status of the beast. It is hard to change docs and start anew.
    Thinking of you and sending you positive thoughts.
    Hugs,K

    I thought you might already
    I thought you might already know what you wanted to do, and, I am glad you are going with this 2nd oncologist. I know it is hard to change doctors, but, I have to agree with him that you need to treat this aggressively.

    Thinking of you and praying for you,

    Diane
  • DebbyM
    DebbyM Member Posts: 3,289 Member
    #48
    sal314 said:

    Whew!
    OK...not that you should have other people make the decision for you, but my first gutt reaction was "go with the new guy"! Especially if your type of cancer is aggressive and rare. So I'm so happy you mad that decision. You wanna go with the doc that has the most expertise and is up on the latest and greatest! I'm sorry you have to make that decision, but you are strong and you can get through this second bought! Keep fighting! Keep positive!! I'll be praying for you!:)

    Blessings,
    Sally

    I know you will make the
    I know you will make the right choice Meena. I have to say that I would go with the new doctor myself. I would want to fight the recurrence with whatever I could.


    Prayers for you,

    Debby
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #49
    meena1 said:

    I am definitely going to go
    I am definitely going to go with the second opinion doc. I have googled him, i have also gone to 2 other breast cancer boards where he is well known and they have highly recommended him. I know my treatment will be very aggressive. He is an expert in Inflammatory breast cancer, i actually had my decision made when i posted this. take care

    I NEVER once thought you
    I NEVER once thought you would not make the right decision for YOU!! You are a survivor and I'll be right there with you doing whatever possible to defeat the beast!! Only positive strength coming your way. Take care.
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #50
    bjmom1 said:

    My opinion
    I would listen to that little voice that told you get a second opinion. I would listen because most of the time that little voice never lead you wrong. Also it seem this onc is listen to how much pain you are in and trying to help relieve that pain compare to the old onc.

    Good luck Meena

    Barbara

    Happy that you are sticking
    Happy that you are sticking with the new doctor! I think that is the wisest decision!

    Praying and sending you hugs,

    Angie
  • jackiejhm
    jackiejhm Member Posts: 169
    #51
    Angie2U said:

    Happy that you are sticking
    Happy that you are sticking with the new doctor! I think that is the wisest decision!

    Praying and sending you hugs,

    Angie

    OK-
    I am so very glad to hear that you have chosen to fight this fight!!! We are right here, ready for whatever is needed! You are in my heart and prayers!! xo
  • survives
    survives Member Posts: 254 Member
    #52
    jackiejhm said:

    OK-
    I am so very glad to hear that you have chosen to fight this fight!!! We are right here, ready for whatever is needed! You are in my heart and prayers!! xo

    Gentle hugs, healting thoughts,
    and many prayers as you move forward with your treatment, Meena,
  • MNLynn
    MNLynn Member Posts: 224
    #53
    Meena,
    Thanks for keeping
    Meena,

    Thanks for keeping us updated on how things are going for you. How hard is must have been to have to look at two different options and make a decision. I feel that I would have probably made the same decision - I would want to take the more aggressive approach. Please keep us posted on your new onc and the treatments/tests you'll be having. Remember that I am keeping you in my prayers.

    Sending hugs . . .

    ♥ Lynn ♥
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #54
    survives said:

    Gentle hugs, healting thoughts,
    and many prayers as you move forward with your treatment, Meena,

    Yes, please keep us updated
    Yes, please keep us updated Meena on your tests and any other treatments that your new oncologist has for you.


    Praying for you,


    Megan
  • HeartofSoul
    HeartofSoul Member Posts: 729 Member
    #55
    MNLynn said:

    Meena,
    Thanks for keeping
    Meena,

    Thanks for keeping us updated on how things are going for you. How hard is must have been to have to look at two different options and make a decision. I feel that I would have probably made the same decision - I would want to take the more aggressive approach. Please keep us posted on your new onc and the treatments/tests you'll be having. Remember that I am keeping you in my prayers.

    Sending hugs . . .

    ♥ Lynn ♥

    You made the right decision
    You made the right decision Meena going with the 2nd med oncologist and his treatment plan. A Doctor is to use every means available for a complete and clear diagnoses and lay out the treatment plan and its reasoning, both benefits and risks. Stage 4 BC recurrance requires no less than an aggressive approach. In this case, i dont think a third opinion is required as time is very important to begin the next coarse of treatment after the MRIs are done on spinal chord and brain. I would think he would want a pet scan too to see entire body for any detectable tumors. That pet scan and any cat scans he may do should be compared to the last set of cats and pets you had previously to compare against. This will show if tumors shrunk, stayed same, or grew and locations of tumors.

    The radiation on spine is part of strategy as is pain management but cocktail of chemo treatment will most likely be administered as well as using a different combination of chemo then you were on except for herceptin (Trastuzumab), which is a monoclonal antibody that interferes with the HER2/neu receptor. The pain and discomfort you have had in your back should have been a red flag to your DR.

    If i can give you and others an example of the degree of aggressiveness in treatment that was done to my mother recnetly, it will give you an idea on the great lengths many med onc take even with early stage cancer. My mom was dx with triple negative brest cancer stage 1, no lymph node involvement and margins clear, size of tumor was just under 1 cm with no Metastatis. She had cat scan, pet scan, surgery to remove part of her breast, MRI to brain, 6 rds of chemo including taxol and carboplatin, and 35 radiation treatments. She is too come back every month for blood work for tumnor markers and get cat scans every 3 months for a yr, then every 6 mo for 2 more yrs. She is in remission now.

    Meena we all admire you here at CSN and are here for you always

    Heart of Soul
  • meena1
    meena1 Member Posts: 1,003
    #56
    HeartofSoul said:

    You made the right decision
    You made the right decision Meena going with the 2nd med oncologist and his treatment plan. A Doctor is to use every means available for a complete and clear diagnoses and lay out the treatment plan and its reasoning, both benefits and risks. Stage 4 BC recurrance requires no less than an aggressive approach. In this case, i dont think a third opinion is required as time is very important to begin the next coarse of treatment after the MRIs are done on spinal chord and brain. I would think he would want a pet scan too to see entire body for any detectable tumors. That pet scan and any cat scans he may do should be compared to the last set of cats and pets you had previously to compare against. This will show if tumors shrunk, stayed same, or grew and locations of tumors.

    The radiation on spine is part of strategy as is pain management but cocktail of chemo treatment will most likely be administered as well as using a different combination of chemo then you were on except for herceptin (Trastuzumab), which is a monoclonal antibody that interferes with the HER2/neu receptor. The pain and discomfort you have had in your back should have been a red flag to your DR.

    If i can give you and others an example of the degree of aggressiveness in treatment that was done to my mother recnetly, it will give you an idea on the great lengths many med onc take even with early stage cancer. My mom was dx with triple negative brest cancer stage 1, no lymph node involvement and margins clear, size of tumor was just under 1 cm with no Metastatis. She had cat scan, pet scan, surgery to remove part of her breast, MRI to brain, 6 rds of chemo including taxol and carboplatin, and 35 radiation treatments. She is too come back every month for blood work for tumnor markers and get cat scans every 3 months for a yr, then every 6 mo for 2 more yrs. She is in remission now.

    Meena we all admire you here at CSN and are here for you always

    Heart of Soul

    Thank you for the info,
    Thank you for the info, Heart. Pet scan today.
  • Pinkpower
    Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
    #57
    meena1 said:

    Thank you for the info,
    Thank you for the info, Heart. Pet scan today.

    Thank you so much for
    Thank you so much for sharing with us. Im glad you decided to go with the expert on your cancer. If my cancer came back, I would have done the same and gone with the aggressive doc. Your in my thoughts and prayers.
    Lupe
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398 Member
    #58
    Why second opinion
    I am not sure I agree with doctor about unnecessary mastectomy just from that visit and yes you have major concerns and they should be delt with. If you go for second opinion because you don't like something about your doctor then maybe a third opinion would help sort it out though I do not know how that works.
    I never did the second opinion because I knew in my soul the answer for me and didn't even doctors to know I had cancer. They had trouble believing it could be so wouldn't even diagnostically check. I hope you find what you need to do for yourself as well as finding the doctor your most comfortable with.
    My double mastectomies, chemo and radiation have saved me my life for the past 14 years. I should have had MRI's in 2003 and finally got one done in 2010 and Yes it showed problems there but not cancer thank goodness for me and I can only hope you too have great diagnostic outcome my friend.
    This is truly about us and what we can see and do for ourselves so go with your gutt feeling for it is truly right one...
    Tara
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #59
    meena1 said:

    Thank you for the info,
    Thank you for the info, Heart. Pet scan today.

    Wishing you good luck today
    Wishing you good luck today with the PET scan!

    Hugs, Leeza
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #60
    meena1 said:

    Thank you for the info,
    Thank you for the info, Heart. Pet scan today.

    Good luck with your PET scan.
    Please let us know how you are doing. I am thinking of you today and sending cyber hugs and courage.
  • HeartofSoul
    HeartofSoul Member Posts: 729 Member
    #61
    24242 said:

    Why second opinion
    I am not sure I agree with doctor about unnecessary mastectomy just from that visit and yes you have major concerns and they should be delt with. If you go for second opinion because you don't like something about your doctor then maybe a third opinion would help sort it out though I do not know how that works.
    I never did the second opinion because I knew in my soul the answer for me and didn't even doctors to know I had cancer. They had trouble believing it could be so wouldn't even diagnostically check. I hope you find what you need to do for yourself as well as finding the doctor your most comfortable with.
    My double mastectomies, chemo and radiation have saved me my life for the past 14 years. I should have had MRI's in 2003 and finally got one done in 2010 and Yes it showed problems there but not cancer thank goodness for me and I can only hope you too have great diagnostic outcome my friend.
    This is truly about us and what we can see and do for ourselves so go with your gutt feeling for it is truly right one...
    Tara

    a DR that we like and feel
    a DR that we like and feel comfortable with is secondary to their skill level, experience with the type of cancer we have, how well they communicate what treatments are required, and how quickly and thoroughly he/she responds to your questions. And always be open with DR with all symptoms and concerns you may have

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