sitz question

geneviasue said:

Hummm
Both of my doctors recommended them for me. You might ask your doctor why. He may have a specific reason relative to you.
Many blessings to you along your journey.

Gigi

geneviasue
He said that it makes the burnt tissues drier and more irritated. I don't buy it and will do what I think is best. I have zero confidence in this guy but don't want to change horses this far into the race. I haven't gotten any burns yet but want to be prepared and ready when they come, with or without his "permisson," with or without his knowledge.
What about witch hazel?
What about epsom salts?
What about Tucks?
What about Baby wipes?

RoseC said:

I used Aveeno colloidal
I used Aveeno colloidal oatmeal in the sitz baths. About 1 teaspoon per bath, dissolved. It really seemed to help. I agree with Gigi though - it might be something particular to you as to why he's recommending not using the sitz bath. From everything I've heard (and been through), they're highly recommended. Don't know why he would say not to, unless he's got a particular reason for doing so.

RoseC
It can't be particular to me because I don't have burns yet. I think it's just his personal philosophy. I'm not happy with him, as I've said elsewhere, but don't want to change radiology oncologists at this late stage.

OMG 1012 said:

ASK YOUR TEAM of Dr's
ALL of your Dr's should be working as a TEAM.
Do you have a particular Dr on your team that you really like?
Can you say to them
"I would like to talk to you OFF the record"
and then explain your feelings about your Rad Onc?
My Rad office has a few tech's, maybe they can just change your
tech person?
I would ask the other Dr's in the team!
I wish you well---there is nothing worse then going through this
yet having to deal with someone you are not fond of---

omg 1012
My feeling is that all my doctors and I should be on this team. My rad onc is an older guy from the old school. His idea of the doctor/patient relationship is that he'll tell me what to do and I'll do it, I won't ask too many questions and that's that. That's so diametrically opposed to how I am and what I expect from any health practitioner that I think it's the crux of the problem. I've spoken at length with the gastroenterologist who I like and trust and will set up another appointment with her this week; I have no qualms about that and am not the person that holds things inside. I like my med onc but have a few concerns with him as well, different concerns but things that aren't insurmountable or deal breakers. When the blood blister was discovered under the plastic needle holder inserted into the port, he remarked, "Wow! We really can't touch you with ANYTHING," and I thought to myself, "Dude. Did I not you that the first time that we met? Were you listening? Did you think I was making it up?" When I tell people that my body responds in very unexpected ways, I'm trying to impart information to help them, help me. It falls on deaf ears over and over and over. Now I'm wondering, if I reacted to what is, basically, inert plastic, what's happening inside the blood vessel that the catheter passes through. To make things even more complicated, I started experiencing numbness in a surgically repared knee. My feeling is, "Ok, I don't know what this is, but the surgery was 23 years ago, so chances are that it's related to the chemo or radiation." Is it a weird but benign thing? My guess is that no one will know and no on will want to investigate it, which I think is a mistake which I'll have to try to rectify on my own. My reason is the following. I don't know what might cause the numbness but to assume it's benign without knowing that is it isn't sound medicine and not in my best interests. If it's a benign symptom I'm more than happy to ignore it. But until it's identified, to assume that it's harmless isn't in my best interests. I have a metal staple in that knee. Are there changes to the bone from the chemo and/or radiation that are affecting the staple? Is there some reaction between the treatments and the metal that need to be addressed? These are questions that need to be investigated but my guess is that no one will want to do that because things that fall outide the bell curve of expected, predictable reactions are most unwelcome to the majority of doctors. What I need is infomation. Really, that's all that I need and the only way that I can make informed decsions. Thanks for your support in this. Yes, you're right, there's nothing like going through this with someone who you neither like nor trust. It adds an entire layer of unnecessary complication to the entire affair.