Do I Trust Doctor or Look Elsewhere

Spydergal

Hi Ladies, Well I canceled my biopsy last week and my gynecologist referred me to Dr Michelle Cofield to do a DNC to see if I have cancer. Her office is supposed to call me to make an appointment to dicuss the procedure. Well today I googled her online and found good reviews and bad. The bad were about having to wait theee months for an appointment, never seeing the Doctor just the ARNP, and not nice office staff. I found not one single review about her doing DNC's nor anything about oncology. Her feedback is practically all in obstetrics. She is listed as a gynecologist not a gynecology oncologist. My gynecologist told me she only does in office biopsy's if I want a DNC I'll have to see her partner Dr Cofield. What the Hell?! Now I'm in panic mode that not only will I have a lengthy wait to see another doctor once I find one and by that time if I have cancer it will progress further. In my area of Florida it is not unusual to have to wait three months to see a specialis. My Endocrinologist and urologist are three months out for appointments especially for new patients. I haven't heard anything from Dr Whenham at Moffit, he hasn't decided if he will take me as a patient yet. I don't know if I should try to see if I can get an appointment at UF SHANDS. I'm so lost, confused, scared, sad And angry. Have any of you had to go through this much hassle in the beginning just to get a diagnosis? The longer I wait the less likely I'll even be able to have any surgery that's not considered immediately life threatening because hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID patients.  

Harmanygroves

YOU call THEM

I had a gyn obstet do my D and C too. You don't get sent to a Gyn Onc UNTIL they find cancer. 

Call and see if you can get scheduled STAT (fast). Get info about the timeline. If it isn't to your liking, take it from there. 

I think others here may advise you differently, but that's what "I" would do. 

First, though---take a deep breath. 

You may at some point end up taking a road trip. Would your insurance cover your care in another state? Do some digging.

You've got this!

Don't be shy. Call them. Or, at least, that's what I'd do, but I'm kind of a pushy aggressive old 61-year-old.

Love to you, Spyder. 

Deb

Spydergal

Harmanygroves said:

YOU call THEM

I had a gyn obstet do my D and C too. You don't get sent to a Gyn Onc UNTIL they find cancer. 

Call and see if you can get scheduled STAT (fast). Get info about the timeline. If it isn't to your liking, take it from there. 

I think others here may advise you differently, but that's what "I" would do. 

First, though---take a deep breath. 

You may at some point end up taking a road trip. Would your insurance cover your care in another state? Do some digging.

You've got this!

Don't be shy. Call them. Or, at least, that's what I'd do, but I'm kind of a pushy aggressive old 61-year-old.

Love to you, Spyder. 

Deb

I grew,up in Long Island NY

I grew,up in Long Island NY so, pushy is normal we will get along just fine, lol. Thanks for the explanation, I didn't know a gynecologist must do the dnc first before I can get a gynecology oncologist to see me. I'm being crushed by an 86 pound dog who.s jafraid of thunderstorm. Sam stopppppp, crud.  

Spydergal

HIPPA what the hell?

I couldn't figure out why Dr When at Moffitt never called for an appointment. I just got off the phone with Dr Adam's office to ask for them to fax records to Shands oncology at the UF Health Women's Center where they have gynecologists who do DNC's. I called Shands today and I was transferred to the correct department. I figured Dr When at MOFFITT decided not to take me as a patient so I called Shands. Today the office supervisor at Dr Adam's told me it's a illegal HIPPA violation to fax my records without a referral from Dr Adams. . I told her my spouse and me were there last week and I signed a release and they told us they faxed the records to MOFFITT. Today I was told there are no records of that and no fax was sent. She said that she was on vacation last week so one of the girls must've realized she couldn't legally do it that way so she just never sent the fax and whatever I signed was tossed. She wasn't happy that this happened while she wasn't there. I will consider going out of state for the procedure if I'm told I can't have the DNC because their not doing elective surgeries because of COVID. I have family in MD so hospitals in Baltimore or DC are an option. My best friend lives in DE. So I can drive to NJ or Philadelphia which are close to my best friend and they have Jefferson University Hospital I've been there when I lived in Philly. there's UofP and Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The Northeast seems to have way lower COVID infections so I'm sure I can easily get the DNC done up there. it would be a nice vacation to, lol. This calls for a visit to Bethany Beach DE and Ocean City MD. I want answers ASAP. If I have cancer I want to attack it now not next month

Harmanygroves

Spydergal said:

HIPPA what the hell?

I couldn't figure out why Dr When at Moffitt never called for an appointment. I just got off the phone with Dr Adam's office to ask for them to fax records to Shands oncology at the UF Health Women's Center where they have gynecologists who do DNC's. I called Shands today and I was transferred to the correct department. I figured Dr When at MOFFITT decided not to take me as a patient so I called Shands. Today the office supervisor at Dr Adam's told me it's a illegal HIPPA violation to fax my records without a referral from Dr Adams. . I told her my spouse and me were there last week and I signed a release and they told us they faxed the records to MOFFITT. Today I was told there are no records of that and no fax was sent. She said that she was on vacation last week so one of the girls must've realized she couldn't legally do it that way so she just never sent the fax and whatever I signed was tossed. She wasn't happy that this happened while she wasn't there. I will consider going out of state for the procedure if I'm told I can't have the DNC because their not doing elective surgeries because of COVID. I have family in MD so hospitals in Baltimore or DC are an option. My best friend lives in DE. So I can drive to NJ or Philadelphia which are close to my best friend and they have Jefferson University Hospital I've been there when I lived in Philly. there's UofP and Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The Northeast seems to have way lower COVID infections so I'm sure I can easily get the DNC done up there. it would be a nice vacation to, lol. This calls for a visit to Bethany Beach DE and Ocean City MD. I want answers ASAP. If I have cancer I want to attack it now not next month

One Step at a Time

Get what you need. Stay calm, breathe. Work hard to get what you need. You need to find out what's going on in that uterus. 

Did Dr. Adams refer you for a D & C? If not, can you get back in there and get that referral?

Following your situation. 

xxDeb

 

 

Spydergal

Yes She did refer

She referred me to her partner, I googled her partner  and there is no feedback about biopsy or DNC's, her feedback is 3 out of 5 stars. The hospital she does surgeries at has a 1 star rating from CMS because their MRSA and sepsis rates were already awful last year and went up 30% this year. I lost my leg to sepsis and almost died. I wouldn't let my dog be operated on at that hospital. I'm sure she's a good doctor or my gynecologist wouldn't have partnered with her. You have to take online feedback with a grain of salt, lots of women said she was wonderful. I just don't feel safe having surgery at that hospital. SHANDS saved my life in 2010 I have had five surgeries there since then so I know I can trust them. Their infection rate wasn't great either at 3.5 however I read an article about the changes they've made to improve their infection control. The surgery I had last month they had me wash multiple times with two different types of soap every three minutes three times My arm was sore. I have experienced and seen the effort their making to lower the infection rates. 

Harmanygroves

Spydergal said:

Yes She did refer

She referred me to her partner, I googled her partner  and there is no feedback about biopsy or DNC's, her feedback is 3 out of 5 stars. The hospital she does surgeries at has a 1 star rating from CMS because their MRSA and sepsis rates were already awful last year and went up 30% this year. I lost my leg to sepsis and almost died. I wouldn't let my dog be operated on at that hospital. I'm sure she's a good doctor or my gynecologist wouldn't have partnered with her. You have to take online feedback with a grain of salt, lots of women said she was wonderful. I just don't feel safe having surgery at that hospital. SHANDS saved my life in 2010 I have had five surgeries there since then so I know I can trust them. Their infection rate wasn't great either at 3.5 however I read an article about the changes they've made to improve their infection control. The surgery I had last month they had me wash multiple times with two different types of soap every three minutes three times My arm was sore. I have experienced and seen the effort their making to lower the infection rates. 

In Your Corner

Following all this. Good heavens, girl!

You're a survivor already. Keep us well posted. Keep pushing that *()_ ball down the field. 

BluebirdOne

I had a similar problem.

Gynecological oncologists generally do not see you without a referral from another doctor, and you need the cancer dx. I had a heck of a time trying to get a dx, hysteroscopy, and a GO, locally. I realized later that the major centers  have a gynecological wing. In hindsight, I should have called for an appointment by the gynecologists who were affiliated with Mayo, Rochester, where I had my 2nd opinion, surgery and treatment. I realize now that i was too timid trying to get my hysteroscopy as it cost me almost two months dithering around with my incompetent local gyne. With the utmost frustration (I cannot express how terrified we were at that time just trying to get an appointment) with my local docs, my husband finally called Mayo and they scheduled me within days for my hysterectomy. Remember that most obgyn do not see a lot of cancer. They deliver babies, treat yeast infections and do pap smears. You want someone who does a lot of d & c's or hysteroscopies. You are on the right track with using the CMS services to evaluate hospitals. Keep dialing for dollars until you are satisfied with your doctors and hospital. 

Denise 

 

Spydergal

Got an email from MOFFIT yesterday

I followed their email link yesterday and set up a patient account, they informed me that they received the referral from my gynecologist. I received another email today sending me back to their site and they asked which Dr I wanted to see and what days and times I was available and below that it said that they would call to make an appointment. Awesome, I'm on my way to get answers. I hope I can get an appointment within the next two weeks to get a DNC scheduled. Today, I also got my new prosthetic microprocessor leg which replaces the one I managed to break; one jump too many, literally, lol. I also received my new microprocessor foot to replace the standard foot I had. Now I have to learn to use it because it feels so weird to actually have an ankle that's moves as opposed to my old foot that is basically walking on a stick, no movino ankle. I feel like the bionic woman now, lol. It was a good day. 

ConnieSW

Spydergal said:

Got an email from MOFFIT yesterday

I followed their email link yesterday and set up a patient account, they informed me that they received the referral from my gynecologist. I received another email today sending me back to their site and they asked which Dr I wanted to see and what days and times I was available and below that it said that they would call to make an appointment. Awesome, I'm on my way to get answers. I hope I can get an appointment within the next two weeks to get a DNC scheduled. Today, I also got my new prosthetic microprocessor leg which replaces the one I managed to break; one jump too many, literally, lol. I also received my new microprocessor foot to replace the standard foot I had. Now I have to learn to use it because it feels so weird to actually have an ankle that's moves as opposed to my old foot that is basically walking on a stick, no movino ankle. I feel like the bionic woman now, lol. It was a good day. 

Good day

Well, I guess so.  May it be the first of many.