Here's To My Team of Angels
I am not in this fight alone. My team of surgeons and nurses are working very hard to help me survive the cancer. I have no doubt about their motives. They want me cured. They want me to beat this. They know me by my first name and address me as if I was one of their own. I am not just another patient. I am not just another number. I have an oncologist who knows I do better with surgery than chemo and who has faught for me to have surgery. Is he out to make money by turning me over to a surgeon? I think not. I have surgeons that are working together to schedule surgeries and doctor's visits. I have nurses that welcome me like a friend when I go see them. People behind the desk that remember I had surgery and truly care about how I am feeling. Surgeons that are keeping tabs on my daughter so that she will be taken care of it and not have to go through what I have.
I am a firm believer in God and I have no doubt that surgeons are angels on earth and that God is working through them. It saddens me to hear some of the comments in another post that someone has said less than favorable things about surgeons. I want you to understand something, my daughter has watched her mother battle cancer for the past three years. My daughter has chosen to be a surgeon because she wants to save people lives like she has seen surgeons do for her mom. She wants to help people. She doesn't want to do it because of the money. She wants to do it despite the years at college, the fun time she will miss, the long hours on the job, the emotions that come with trying to save someone and sometimes not being able to. She wants to do it because she feels it is her calling. She wants to do it to save people.
So please before you judge surgeons, think about my daughter, who one day will hopefully reach her dream of being a surgeon and saving someone's life. She is in for the right reasons as are most surgeons.
My team of doctors and nurses are from Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida and I thank God for them every night and pray for their well-being. We need them in this world.
Comments
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I too
I too feel that God is working through all my caregivers. I am especially thankful for the excellent surgeons that ended up becoming my caregivers (three of them so far). I am so thankful that they were there for me, responding quickly and effectvely.
You should be proud of your daughter and I pray that she will someday be a caregiver to others as your surgeons have done for you.
God Bless!
Phil0 -
Well said:
What I have a hard time understanding is that if someone bashes doctors and wishes them pure evil, why do you go to them? Why did you do surgery, have chemo, have scans, blood tests, etc.?
A long time ago it was posted that Stage IV should consider death rather than do Folfori. Most horrible thing I ever read. I took it very personal and have never forgotten that they were wishing my husband death. Well guess what, over a year later he is sill here.
If you don't want to do traditional medicine then don't do it, let nature take its course, but please stop the hurtful discussions and comments, they serve no purpose.
John23 has taken another route that is successful for him but he always always wishes good health to all that chose mainstream and I totally respect him for his beliefs and good wishes to all.
Take care - Tina0 -
It's all about personal experience
Hello there- While I understand people have had wonderfull experiences with physicians of all kinds we must remember that there is a difference between buisiness and true caring and concern for someone. People have given examples for both pro and against the medical proffession I can tell you why I have mixed feelings about doctors. I had your same respect and faith in my gasto. doc who found my tumor (and likely saved my life) because he was so friendly and remembered my history at meetings and remembered details about my case. I saw him no less than five times for 2 colonoscopies and consults and follow-ups over a two year span. I was so impressed with him I convinced my wife to see him for a colonoscopy. Imagine my surprise when he came into the recovery room with my wife and intoduced himself to me as if it were the first time we met. He did not know me, he knew my chart and my file. Second instance was when I saw my primary care physician out at a local fair. Ive seen him as a patient a couple dozen times and he looked at me like a deer in the headlights and couldn't place me. Lastly while I love my surgeon and believe he wants the best for me I am a patient and that brings a "proffessional" compassion and caring that is taught in a classroom and cannot be confused with true feelings. That fact lets me be understanding when they don't follow-up after surgery or care that my four week follow-up visit gets put back to nine weeks because he's out of town for two weeks and booked up after that and no one bothered to tell me.
You see, unless someone is critical of YOUR doctor you can't blame them for their opinions based on their own experiences. I understand they see hundreds of people and they're only human but so am I and I know it is a buisiness.
Take care, CJ0 -
I think...geotina said:Well said:
What I have a hard time understanding is that if someone bashes doctors and wishes them pure evil, why do you go to them? Why did you do surgery, have chemo, have scans, blood tests, etc.?
A long time ago it was posted that Stage IV should consider death rather than do Folfori. Most horrible thing I ever read. I took it very personal and have never forgotten that they were wishing my husband death. Well guess what, over a year later he is sill here.
If you don't want to do traditional medicine then don't do it, let nature take its course, but please stop the hurtful discussions and comments, they serve no purpose.
John23 has taken another route that is successful for him but he always always wishes good health to all that chose mainstream and I totally respect him for his beliefs and good wishes to all.
Take care - Tina
that Pete addressed his comments, and explained the specific nature of what he said (in other words, he didn't mean to tar and feather all members of the mainstream medicine world). Internet communication is tricky, and things can be said in the heat of the moment that don't come across to others in the way that is meant. I always try to look at what the intent behind the comment might be, and put it into the larger context of a person's statements and contributions. In Pete's case, I'd say his contributions far outweigh one intemperate comment. Plus, he apologized nicely, which is not always common in Internet Land! Ann0 -
Angels
What wonderful comments, Vicki. I've been blessed in my fight with two teams of Angels. During my first year, in Flagstaff, My chemo team always took great care to make sure that I was comfortable during treatment. When they first started me on "rhino in a tea can" and I became violently sick, one of the nurses drove me home and offered to sit with me to see if the nausea would pass. If I'd known how bad the vomiting was going to get, I would have taken her up on the offer. A couple of months later, my rectum went into spasm because of the diarrhea and I needed surgery to relieve the tension. I went to the surgeon on a Friday and told him that I'd have to wait until Tuesday when I got paid so that I could make the co-pay at the surgery center. He personally made the call to get the appointment scheduled for the first thing Monday morning and made the co-pay himself. He would rather do that then have me go one day longer in that kind of pain.
After I moved to Utah, the new oncology team went out of their way to make me feel welcome. The whole team -- from the reception staff to the doc -- have always been very caring and even made my dog Lu a sort mascot for the office. The nurses in the infusion room room even bought a doggy bed and water bowl with her name on them for when we go in. When I told the onc that I was getting a shirt made up that said "Chemo-brain is contagious: you get it from your oncologist" he said he didn't know how to feel about that. I told him that it was meant with nothing but love and he should feel good about it. The alternative is much worse.
As much as I love my Angels, however, it would make me very happy to see them have to go into cosmetic surgery or some other sort of elective medicine. Something where they could be "just in it for the money" because cancer no longer existed. Their's is a terrible job and I know from experience that they grieve when a patient dies just as if that lost person was a family member. I love them and I know that they love me as well.
God Bless them all.0 -
I agree 100% with you about
I agree 100% with you about surgeons. I would not be alive if it wasnt for my surgeon who did 3 liver resections on me. Last time he opened me up he felt a small soft mass on my abdominal wall. It didnt show up on the scan and he was sure it was benign since it was soft but he removed it with good margains and had it tested just to be sure. It turned out to be cancer. It sucks it was cancer but i am so proud of my surgeons abilities and thoroughness.0 -
Angels
After my colonoscopy I was sent to my surgeon. The first thing her nurse said was" doctor wants you to have an enema."She needed to examine my rear. When she was done,she,the surgeon,cleaned me up from the blood, lubricant,etc. I have never met a more caring doctor. And of course she ultimatly left me NED, THAT'S AN ANGEL0 -
oncology surgeon, a booming profession?
Vicki, congratulations on the high performing daughter.
In my view/experience, the next step of CRC treatment is cheaper, less dramatic (immuno, chemo) therapies that remove some of the current operating restrictions for surgery.
Right now, risk of metastases spreading during/after surgery is high that pallitive, or even potentially curative surgery series are refused by the surgeons. If mainstream medicine becomes better at stopping metastases both long term during or after chemo, and perioperatively, more surgeries until cured become feasible. I've examples of people cured or long term NED after multiple surgeries, like six.
Instead of one or no surgery, as so often for stage IV, several surgeries for several sites should become possible, even a surgical (multimodal) cure.0 -
Hi Vicki
I was fortunate to hook up with a great Oncology team shortly after my dx. The first guy was in no hurry at all to get things rolling plus he wanted to shoot first and ask questions later. I'm a firm believer in doing things right the first time...
It's unfortunate that many folks have bad experiences with the people they choose to treat them, whether mainstream or other practioners. But thanks to those in this field who followed their hearts (or other organs) and got into the medical profession, many of us are doing well or very well. It shows (me) what hard work and their passion can do to make very competent, creative, and knowledgable doctors. I suppose those who treat it as "just a job" are easy to spot (after a while).
Congrats on your daughter. I have a niece who is does R&D for a small pharmaceutical company and her team recently presented the FDA a treatment for approval to treat colon cancer.
-phil0 -
A foot on both sides
I sometimes feel I walk a fine line in this forum as a cancer patient and doctor and while I am here as some one with cancer I can't ignore what else I am in this journey. However, it also doesn't make me immune to both good and bad interactions with the large numbers of doctors I see and have both good and bad stories to tell.
Ultimately doctors are humans doing jobs, but that job is about caring for people and helping them recover from illness, whatever that means within that person's journey. We have faults- and for instance may not recognise a patient out of context (if they turn up as another patient's carer or outside a clinical setting) and are just as prone to good and bad days as everyone else.
However, the profession in general are commited to helping use whatever evidence we have about tools that help (yes the emphasis is on evidence based intervention within the scientific interpretation of that) to support people's recovery. I have been hugely impressed on balance by the care I receive and can cope with occasional bad experiences because of their dilution by the positive experiences.
I also respect other's interpretations that doctors in particular lack acceptance and knowledge around complementary treatment. I also respect that people will voice those opinions in a variety of ways often affected by the huge emotional burdens we all know we carry and manage differently.
Tolerance and respect of diversity have to be core here as without that we will lose a huge amount from this site.
steve0 -
I see a lot of people on thePhillieG said:Hi Vicki
I was fortunate to hook up with a great Oncology team shortly after my dx. The first guy was in no hurry at all to get things rolling plus he wanted to shoot first and ask questions later. I'm a firm believer in doing things right the first time...
It's unfortunate that many folks have bad experiences with the people they choose to treat them, whether mainstream or other practioners. But thanks to those in this field who followed their hearts (or other organs) and got into the medical profession, many of us are doing well or very well. It shows (me) what hard work and their passion can do to make very competent, creative, and knowledgable doctors. I suppose those who treat it as "just a job" are easy to spot (after a while).
Congrats on your daughter. I have a niece who is does R&D for a small pharmaceutical company and her team recently presented the FDA a treatment for approval to treat colon cancer.
-phil
I see a lot of people on the board getting starting with certain doctors getting an opinion from those doctors and then going out and seeking out other doctors for a second opinion, to have a second set of eyes with a different approach is great. What amazes me is that when I was in the hospital my team of doctors arranged for an ambulance and sent me 60 miles away to a bigger hospital for a second opinion. I was sitting in hospital in shock by what was happening, dumbfounded, in a fog.....I didn't request a second opinion....I didn't have any doubts about what they were telling me......but THEY conferred with another hospital and referred me to a larger oncology centre to get another expert opinion. It still floors me.0 -
on a missionsteved said:A foot on both sides
I sometimes feel I walk a fine line in this forum as a cancer patient and doctor and while I am here as some one with cancer I can't ignore what else I am in this journey. However, it also doesn't make me immune to both good and bad interactions with the large numbers of doctors I see and have both good and bad stories to tell.
Ultimately doctors are humans doing jobs, but that job is about caring for people and helping them recover from illness, whatever that means within that person's journey. We have faults- and for instance may not recognise a patient out of context (if they turn up as another patient's carer or outside a clinical setting) and are just as prone to good and bad days as everyone else.
However, the profession in general are commited to helping use whatever evidence we have about tools that help (yes the emphasis is on evidence based intervention within the scientific interpretation of that) to support people's recovery. I have been hugely impressed on balance by the care I receive and can cope with occasional bad experiences because of their dilution by the positive experiences.
I also respect other's interpretations that doctors in particular lack acceptance and knowledge around complementary treatment. I also respect that people will voice those opinions in a variety of ways often affected by the huge emotional burdens we all know we carry and manage differently.
Tolerance and respect of diversity have to be core here as without that we will lose a huge amount from this site.
steve
The way I think I have come to know Pete, is that Pete is on a mission. He has many irons in the fire and many doctors who are advising and working with him. Sometimes I feel he is overdoing it a little, but .... it his his life he is fighting for. He gets emotional, like we all do at times and when something get stuck in his mind he comes to the board, like we all do, and lets go of what is troubeling him at that moment.
I myself have been very lucky with my team of surgeons and oncologist. Hospital daytime staff was awesome, nightime staff had no compassion.
I have had 2 husband in and out hospitals, learned a lot and also learned to check and question everything what was going on. Many times I had to intervene in the care, because we are all human and mistakes are being made by tired and overworked doctors and nurses.
Each specialist knows his field best and what works for his patients and like in all professions thay can only work with the tools they have available.
Personally I am on a alternative course, my choice against the will of my oncologist, but he supports me and is happy and amazed that I am doing so well at the moment.
He told me, Keep on doing what you are doing, it seems to work for you.
I am still in his care and see him regularly, also my surgeon, new colonoscopy scheduled for october.
IF a recurrence pops up, I deffinatly wil go and see my onc and take it from there.
In my personal view, if your car is broken you go and see a mecanic, you all have had good and bad experiences with mecanics, the same as with doctors. And doctors are in a way body mecanics.
May God bless you all and keep you in the palm of his hand.
Hugs, Marjan0 -
Medical Teams Play a Huge Rolethingy45 said:on a mission
The way I think I have come to know Pete, is that Pete is on a mission. He has many irons in the fire and many doctors who are advising and working with him. Sometimes I feel he is overdoing it a little, but .... it his his life he is fighting for. He gets emotional, like we all do at times and when something get stuck in his mind he comes to the board, like we all do, and lets go of what is troubeling him at that moment.
I myself have been very lucky with my team of surgeons and oncologist. Hospital daytime staff was awesome, nightime staff had no compassion.
I have had 2 husband in and out hospitals, learned a lot and also learned to check and question everything what was going on. Many times I had to intervene in the care, because we are all human and mistakes are being made by tired and overworked doctors and nurses.
Each specialist knows his field best and what works for his patients and like in all professions thay can only work with the tools they have available.
Personally I am on a alternative course, my choice against the will of my oncologist, but he supports me and is happy and amazed that I am doing so well at the moment.
He told me, Keep on doing what you are doing, it seems to work for you.
I am still in his care and see him regularly, also my surgeon, new colonoscopy scheduled for october.
IF a recurrence pops up, I deffinatly wil go and see my onc and take it from there.
In my personal view, if your car is broken you go and see a mecanic, you all have had good and bad experiences with mecanics, the same as with doctors. And doctors are in a way body mecanics.
May God bless you all and keep you in the palm of his hand.
Hugs, Marjan
I've been blessed and credit a great deal of my success to the medical teams that have been assembled on my behalf.
I've had to do my part and have worked with them to achieve the common goal.
Vicki, congrats to your daughter for her choice of profession.
Phil, also congrats to your niece for the work that she does.
It is a noble calling and fills a vital role for society.
-Craig0 -
Surgeons and Physicians -
You can't group all physicians and surgeons into one stereotype just the same way you can't stereotype different races or male or female. I have the utmost respect for the medical profession. People talk about how much money they make but they never stop to consider how much money they owe in student loans and the sacrifices they went through in Medical School and Residency. Physicians dedicate a large amount of their lives to being doctors. I have never walked in a Physicians shoes so I an not about to judge them for their behavior.
Are there good and bad ones? Absolutely, but if you have a bad one you have the choice to choose another one. If you are not getting the best care for you, then go somewhere else. I am so blessed to have the best medical team in my area. They are very caring and competent.
Last Monday, I had unscheduled testing done at the cancer center. I had an emergency situatuion and I walked in and asked to see what I could do temporarily until I could get some fluids, testing and a doctor appointment. They saw the shape I was in worked me in for all of my testing and loaded me up with fluids. At 4:15 (Office Hours end at 4:00). The nurse unhooked me from my IV and said my doctor wanted to make sure he saw me before I left for the day. He was so kind and stayed and waited on the test results and took the time to review the results with me so I could go home with some peace of mind. He didn't have to stay after hours but he did! Now, if I ran into him on the street would he recognize me?? Maybe or maybe not but I really don't care because he has so many patients and I am sure when he is off he is focused on his family and not his patients which is the way it should be. When I am in his office he has reviewed my chart and I am his main focus then which is the way it should be. We are currently working on a difficult decision about my care, he took over an hour with me and explained everything in detail so that when we make the decison on my next visit I will be informed and comfortable with the decision we make. That is what makes a great physician, not that he does or does not recognize me on the street!
As for my surgeon, an unexpected complication arose in my surgery in November. His knowledge and competency saved my life! Literally! Did he tell me this, nope! He never even mentioned it. He told me they had complications but everything turned out fine. I would have never had known had I not had the same nurse anesthisis for my port surgery. She remembered me because my case was so scary. She is the one that told me that the surgeons saved me life that day and she gave me a huge hug and said she was so happy to see me doing so well. He could have pat himself on the back for this and brag to me but for him he was doing his job.0 -
Hey Tanstaafl-tanstaafl said:oncology surgeon, a booming profession?
Vicki, congratulations on the high performing daughter.
In my view/experience, the next step of CRC treatment is cheaper, less dramatic (immuno, chemo) therapies that remove some of the current operating restrictions for surgery.
Right now, risk of metastases spreading during/after surgery is high that pallitive, or even potentially curative surgery series are refused by the surgeons. If mainstream medicine becomes better at stopping metastases both long term during or after chemo, and perioperatively, more surgeries until cured become feasible. I've examples of people cured or long term NED after multiple surgeries, like six.
Instead of one or no surgery, as so often for stage IV, several surgeries for several sites should become possible, even a surgical (multimodal) cure.
I'm curious...in your extensive research, have you come across any other things besides cimetidine to try to reduce cancer spread during surgery? I used cimetidine during the last surgery and for the first time got a NED scan three months post-operative. But of course, that could always change and I wondered if there are any other available mechanisms that you know of. Thanks for all the knowledge sharing you do! Ann0 -
multiple targetsannalexandria said:Hey Tanstaafl-
I'm curious...in your extensive research, have you come across any other things besides cimetidine to try to reduce cancer spread during surgery? I used cimetidine during the last surgery and for the first time got a NED scan three months post-operative. But of course, that could always change and I wondered if there are any other available mechanisms that you know of. Thanks for all the knowledge sharing you do! Ann
Starting with the predominate metastatic CRC biomarker pair (CA19-9 + CSLEX1, especially on tumor tissue, perhaps 65-75% of IIIs, IVs and future recurrences), cimetidine and natural COX2 inhibitors take on huge risk portions from VEGF-A, COX2 and lack of immune response.
After that, there are lots of targets (>50) in the network and cascades of molecular paths with lots of commonality, dependence and proximity. Hitting enough targets to fence or diminish the various (overexpressed) paths would seem a natural goal. The Life Extension protocols are a good starting point.
My wife is on cimetidine, beta glucans (PSK, other mushroom extracts, Biothera WGP), some herbal extracts and nutrients, vitamin B's, C, D3, K2 for life, no matter if we were to cut and drive CEA below 1.0 on a rock steady flatline and even stop UFT (an ultimate goal).0 -
Team
My team is awesome and I'll never even ask questions with my surgeon as he is so competent I'll know he will be doing the best. I've got a hernia surgery coming up and I'm not even wanting to ask questions because he is that good. All my other doctors are great. Can't imagine dissing my doctors and if you don't like them - get rid of them.
Kim0 -
Thanks for the ideas...tanstaafl said:multiple targets
Starting with the predominate metastatic CRC biomarker pair (CA19-9 + CSLEX1, especially on tumor tissue, perhaps 65-75% of IIIs, IVs and future recurrences), cimetidine and natural COX2 inhibitors take on huge risk portions from VEGF-A, COX2 and lack of immune response.
After that, there are lots of targets (>50) in the network and cascades of molecular paths with lots of commonality, dependence and proximity. Hitting enough targets to fence or diminish the various (overexpressed) paths would seem a natural goal. The Life Extension protocols are a good starting point.
My wife is on cimetidine, beta glucans (PSK, other mushroom extracts, Biothera WGP), some herbal extracts and nutrients, vitamin B's, C, D3, K2 for life, no matter if we were to cut and drive CEA below 1.0 on a rock steady flatline and even stop UFT (an ultimate goal).
I'll look into the Life Extension stuff. I think I learned about cimetidine originally from one of your posts, so if I stay NED for a while, I owe you a drink!0
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