like father like son

OMG Twinnie, what a pea brain ( pun intended ). I know you felt his fathers inadequacy was down to age, sounds like it is more to do with genetics. The son is a safety hazard if that is the advice he gives to cancer patients, absolutely frightening. I am one of those he regards as having a slim to none chance of any further issues. There is no way of knowing; and he has no right to risk his patients life with spouting such garbage. I bet it took all your effort in keeping your hands from around his neck, waiting all that time to be faced with such claptrap, I can't believe it, the whole thing sounds farcical. So it's 2 yr follow up tests for kidney cancer, consisting of chest X-ray, blood work and a prescription for advil. Glad he is paying due diligence to his patients!

Djinnie x

Wait, what? YOUR doctor is on vacation and so YOU have to wait? Then NOT to be "treated" at all? Advil? Really?

There are some online healthcare providers rating services where you can do a survey on the care/appt/wait time etc. BUT I would seriously let the Medical director AND his father know about how you were treated, or in this case, NOT treated.

Geez louize...what exactly did you pay for? And insurance companies do not like complaints or the health corp he may work for either.

Jan

Oh your Twiness..  Sorry you got such bad treatment..  I fired an Oncologist due to such lousy treatment...  so perhaps this guy did you a favor.. and move on.. Find someone that cares AND knows his/her stuff..

By the way... you sure know how to make that hospital gown look good..!  

Ron

twinthings said:

Thanks for the support guys! 

Thanks for the support guys!  I am quickly losing faith in the medical profession, but only after giving them the benefit of the doubt for the past year.  I'm not one to call or write, with complaints.  I'll just take my business elsewhere. 

About 30 minutes after I got home today, the radiology department called to schedule my ct for Friday and suggested I come by before hand and pick up the 2 bottles of contrast I will need to drink prior to my scan.  I told her I just left there, following my x-ray and I sure wish they'd have given it to me then.  It's a 30 minute drive back over there.  She said the radiology department overlooked the order on the rx, for me to have contrast.  She was sorry for the inconvenience.  Again with the language! 

Assuming my labs come back good, I have to be there at 1:30 on Friday, and be fasting.  I might starve half to death by then!!

I mentioned to the lady on the phone that, in the past, my contrast was administered thru a vein.  She said I would be having the scan with oral and again with intravenous contrast.  I've never heard of drinking contrast but I'm pretty sure it can't be good. 

dj, you are right, as, that apple didn't fall far from the tree.  I will use them to get the results of my tests but that's it.  I'm d.o.n.e. and they are fired!

Iceman,  I knew before going to appointment that my blood work was necessary prior to contrast.  I called last week and asked if I could have the lab work done so that I'd be ready for the contrast.  I was told no, the doctor would not order anything prior to seeing me.  God forbid he miss out on a co-pay and insurance payment.  I could understand if they'd never seen me before or if he actually DID something while I was there, but, to do absolutely nothing but insult my intelligence, charge me, and then order the tests, well, that's just nonsense and a huge waste of my time. 

Ron, you're sweet but your vision sucks...see an eye doctor.  Nobody looks good in hospital gowns.  I'll be donning a new one in a couple weeks.  I wish they were available in black...with bling   Now THAT might be cute...on somebody.

I'm so ready for this week to be over. 

 

Sindy,

Sorry for your poor experience.  It's bad enough to have to deal with cancer, but to have an incompetent, uncaring physician(s) is adding insult to injury.  So far, I've been blessed with the physicians that I've had to deal with (with one exception).  I'd find another right away!

As for the contrast, I just had a follow-up CT and I always have 2 contrasts.  One to drink an hour before and one intraveniously during the procedure.  According to the tech, its the "best" kind to have.  Fortuntately, my one year follow-up colonsocopy for CRC was fine, but my CT scan showed that my kidney mass continues to grow.  So, onc is sending me back to the urolgiist to see if its "ripe for the picking". 

I hope you find a more competent doc for your follow-up care and that your CT scan comes back clean!

Best,

J

Djinnie said:

Here's to Pastures New!

Ugh!!! Well they are nothing if not consistent, they obviously have high work ethics in that place, responsibility of care just shines through, along with being competently incompetent!
It took me a long time to weed out a good doctor, I know you will make sure you have the  creme de la creme next time, it will be like night and day. Who needs the extra stress, we have it by the bucket full already! 

Hope you get to relax and enjoy some of this week, little Cooper being around will keep your mind off things.

I am sure your results are going to be good, will be thinking of you:)

 

Djinnie x

It is really important to be followed by someone who is familiar with RCC.  It is true that stage 1 low grade has a low chance of recurrance, but it can happen.

My initial urologist told me that I was stage 1.  He did not mention the grade on the path report....said it did not matter. 
The grade was 4 because of sarcomitoid differentiation.  I asked about that when I read the report, and he said it is not a big deal.  Follow up with Chest x-ray and abd. ct in 6-12 months. 

I enrolled in a study for familial kidney cancer, where they did a chest CT...and found my met. 

If I followed my (now former Dr's advice), I would be dead.

ConnieSW said:

Contrast

Try the banana flavored, really cold, and drink it with a straw.  Not too bad.

how some people can really fall through the cracks in the health care system? One problem is that most disciplines and departments work as an island. They all believe that what they do is the most important part. So communication gets lost and it is ALWAYS someone elses fault. There are so many poor patients who don't know how to stand up for themselves. How many here have we seen have to grab the system by the uh-hums, to get things done right. Everyone here is learning to spot the flaws and is becoming able to get things back in control. Twinny, your next career should be in hospital management. Straighten those suckers out. And how do I know? I've a masters in health care management. I've nothing but praise for the system in place at Yale. Except the billing system. That was my nightmare.

The oral contrast was a chalky flavored shake like drink. Yuk. But now they use what looks like water but isn't as refreshing. Kind of stale. You can add a flavor. I just chug it down like octoberfest. I believe that this drink acts to help the organs stand out. Then the iv contrast brings out the mets more clearly.

Poor Ron, first his kidney went south. Then his hair, and now his eyesight. Yet he still hands out the complliments.

twinthings said:

Thanks for the support guys! 

Thanks for the support guys!  I am quickly losing faith in the medical profession, but only after giving them the benefit of the doubt for the past year.  I'm not one to call or write, with complaints.  I'll just take my business elsewhere. 

About 30 minutes after I got home today, the radiology department called to schedule my ct for Friday and suggested I come by before hand and pick up the 2 bottles of contrast I will need to drink prior to my scan.  I told her I just left there, following my x-ray and I sure wish they'd have given it to me then.  It's a 30 minute drive back over there.  She said the radiology department overlooked the order on the rx, for me to have contrast.  She was sorry for the inconvenience.  Again with the language! 

Assuming my labs come back good, I have to be there at 1:30 on Friday, and be fasting.  I might starve half to death by then!!

I mentioned to the lady on the phone that, in the past, my contrast was administered thru a vein.  She said I would be having the scan with oral and again with intravenous contrast.  I've never heard of drinking contrast but I'm pretty sure it can't be good. 

dj, you are right, as, that apple didn't fall far from the tree.  I will use them to get the results of my tests but that's it.  I'm d.o.n.e. and they are fired!

Iceman,  I knew before going to appointment that my blood work was necessary prior to contrast.  I called last week and asked if I could have the lab work done so that I'd be ready for the contrast.  I was told no, the doctor would not order anything prior to seeing me.  God forbid he miss out on a co-pay and insurance payment.  I could understand if they'd never seen me before or if he actually DID something while I was there, but, to do absolutely nothing but insult my intelligence, charge me, and then order the tests, well, that's just nonsense and a huge waste of my time. 

Ron, you're sweet but your vision sucks...see an eye doctor.  Nobody looks good in hospital gowns.  I'll be donning a new one in a couple weeks.  I wish they were available in black...with bling   Now THAT might be cute...on somebody.

I'm so ready for this week to be over. 

 

I am confused; why do you have to drink the contrast? My husband just had his scans ( with and without contrast) on Monday.

they did the blood test, read the results and then the scans all in less than 30 minutes. 

The only contrast that he had to drink was when he had the blockage last August.

Sarah

foxhd said:

The contrasts are different

The oral helps the internal organs show , and the iv makes the tumors stand out. That is the rough idea. As I understand it.

so, shouldn't they do both types in the scans? They have never done the oral contrast as an outpatient, only when he was in the hospital.

is this something we should ask the onc about at tomorrow's appointment?

Sarah

DMike said:

Contrast

That's the way I understand it too, Fox.

I drink the "stale water" stuff 15 minutes or so before the CT scan and then they do the IV after doing the non-contrast scans. They just changed it from a more Gatorade-ish tasting drink to this stale water stuff this time. I have 2 large cups to drink and I just down it, get it over with!

I've been doing it this way for 2 1/2 years.

David

Mine had already mets to the liver and nodes, so I have the full works.  Chest, abdomen and pelvis when the CT is done.

The 2 bottles are barium sulfate, started one hour prior to schedule of the test, which will show and outline the gut, any blockages or other oddities that may be uncovered.

Most radiology centers/hospitals are adopting a protocol that you need labs at least 2 weeks prior to a CT with injectable "radioactive" isotope.  If the eGFR/Creatanine balance is off, they may do the CT but without injectable contrast.

Once you get to have the CT, the the injectable will go rapidly (or is that rabidly) through the blood and outline vessels in the bladder, remaining kidney, liver, stomach, etc.  It also offers a very hot sensation in the bladder.

The barium sulfate behaves like a laxative, as it draws fluid from the body and into the colon.  Be prepared---diaper wipes come in handy, as do an ointment such as A&D or Cortisone cream to protect tender areas, and even a panty liner.

I also have to have a liter of hydration both pre- and post- CT.  Trying to get up and sprint to the restroom dragging an IV pole takes dance steps to not run into the door frames.

Look at it as you GET to have a CT, a non-invasive method of following up on Kidney cancer.

Good Luck everyone.

Donna