I'm going crazy!!

Options
JoyceCanada
JoyceCanada Member Posts: 134
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
This is an ongoing thing!!

I'm surely going nuts....my "regular" doctor just called me again. Last week I went for blood work essentially to get my thyroid checked. Blood work came back with LOW white cell count. She insists that I go for a repeat blood test for B12 and Folic. She just called me again to tell me that she should have asked that I also have one other test done (for blah blah lymph something).

I saw my Oncologist 3 weeks ago and my Oncologist didn't mention anything "unusual" in my blood work. Oncologist's told me to "go have a goood time in Florida, bye see yah in 6 months".

I'm just about ready to "jump out the window".

I told my "regular" doctor to talk to my Oncologist.

I presume that when blood work is done at the Cancer clinic they check for (blah, blah lymph something)?????

Sorry to vent.

Comments

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #2
    Options
    Nah, just kill your 'regular'
    I think you need a new general practicioner!!!!! This one has WAYYYYYY too much of a control attitude!!!

    I, being a hag by nature, would probably ask her what her trouble is....I don't need anyone treating me who is on a power trip...and ordering multiple blood draws is unconscionable!!!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • JoyceCanada
    JoyceCanada Member Posts: 134
    #3
    Options
    KathiM said:

    Nah, just kill your 'regular'
    I think you need a new general practicioner!!!!! This one has WAYYYYYY too much of a control attitude!!!

    I, being a hag by nature, would probably ask her what her trouble is....I don't need anyone treating me who is on a power trip...and ordering multiple blood draws is unconscionable!!!

    Hugs, Kathi

    Hi Kathi: I know my
    Hi Kathi: I know my Oncologist checked out my lymph nodes when she did the physical part of my exam. My CT, ultra-sound etc were NED!! She said that my blood work was fine.

    Is this a "standard" test?? My Oncologist is famous for being "thorough" I doubt very much that she would have missed this test???

    Anyway the guys with the butterfly nets and the white coats will have to catch me soon. If I get one more 'phone call from my "regular" doctor.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #4
    Options
    JoyceCanada said:

    Hi Kathi: I know my
    Hi Kathi: I know my Oncologist checked out my lymph nodes when she did the physical part of my exam. My CT, ultra-sound etc were NED!! She said that my blood work was fine.

    Is this a "standard" test?? My Oncologist is famous for being "thorough" I doubt very much that she would have missed this test???

    Anyway the guys with the butterfly nets and the white coats will have to catch me soon. If I get one more 'phone call from my "regular" doctor.

    Absolute Lymphocytes?
    This is part of a CBC (DIFF/PLT) panel. My oncologist runs this every 6 months. The last one was low, for whatever that meant...my onc wasn't concerned. My CEA was <.4...interesting, huh?

    I still think your 'regular' is beating bushes...do you keep copies of your labs? I always do, so that if there is any question, well, I have it right there...

    Maybe if YOU call your oncologist, explain that your 'regular' is being a pain, and could she please recheck your labs from last time and let you know what the 'regular' could be looking for, you would feel better. Oncologists are used to being called with stuff like this...especially from those of us (me!) that gets 'canceritis' every once in a while.

    Hummm, now that I'm looking at my next lab slip, it doesn't have CEA checked...I will need to call and check why not...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • JoyceCanada
    JoyceCanada Member Posts: 134
    #5
    Options
    KathiM said:

    Absolute Lymphocytes?
    This is part of a CBC (DIFF/PLT) panel. My oncologist runs this every 6 months. The last one was low, for whatever that meant...my onc wasn't concerned. My CEA was <.4...interesting, huh?

    I still think your 'regular' is beating bushes...do you keep copies of your labs? I always do, so that if there is any question, well, I have it right there...

    Maybe if YOU call your oncologist, explain that your 'regular' is being a pain, and could she please recheck your labs from last time and let you know what the 'regular' could be looking for, you would feel better. Oncologists are used to being called with stuff like this...especially from those of us (me!) that gets 'canceritis' every once in a while.

    Hummm, now that I'm looking at my next lab slip, it doesn't have CEA checked...I will need to call and check why not...

    Hugs, Kathi</p>

    Kathi: the plot
    Kathi: the plot thickens...."regular" 'phoned me to tell me she couldn't get hold of my oncologist to-day left a message. I asked her again "what are you looking for". She said white cell count is fine, but there is something with the "cells" which could indicate , Chronic lymphatic Leukemia./CLL she then went on to tell me that she has had a number of patients with CLL and they have "lived with it" and there was "no treatment other than watch and wait". Now she really had be freaked out :-(

    I'm calling my Oncologist on Monday....but come hell or high water I'm going to Florida :-)

    Thanks for listening,
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #6
    Options
    JoyceCanada said:

    Kathi: the plot
    Kathi: the plot thickens...."regular" 'phoned me to tell me she couldn't get hold of my oncologist to-day left a message. I asked her again "what are you looking for". She said white cell count is fine, but there is something with the "cells" which could indicate , Chronic lymphatic Leukemia./CLL she then went on to tell me that she has had a number of patients with CLL and they have "lived with it" and there was "no treatment other than watch and wait". Now she really had be freaked out :-(

    I'm calling my Oncologist on Monday....but come hell or high water I'm going to Florida :-)

    Thanks for listening,

    Go to Florida, ignore the regular....
    Of course, go to Florida!!!!! "no treatment other than watch and wait"....so, there isn't much to do about it anyway....wierd lady!

    Good for you, call your oncologist...she will know better what this is about...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • JoyceCanada
    JoyceCanada Member Posts: 134
    #7
    Options
    KathiM said:

    Go to Florida, ignore the regular....
    Of course, go to Florida!!!!! "no treatment other than watch and wait"....so, there isn't much to do about it anyway....wierd lady!

    Good for you, call your oncologist...she will know better what this is about...

    Hugs, Kathi

    Kathi:
    Got a call to-day
    Kathi:

    Got a call to-day from my GP. At first I refused to go but she suggested I bring along "my trusty side-kick i.e. my Hubby". She started the conversation by apologizing from "upsetting" me. She sent my blood work to a Hemotology/oncologist and his only comment was, wait, re-do in 6 months. She spent a good 30 minutes talking to me "patting me on the back telling me not to worry". She explained that she had not had the "recent" reports from the Cancer Clinic and that she was comparing her results to a report of May 2008. In essence my blood work hadn't "gone down the toilet in 10 days and in fact they were only very "slightly" different from the Cancer Centre report of 10 days ago.

    I want to say sh*t happens.....but I told her "gawd damn it you almost put me over the edge, why in the heck didn't you check this out before you gave me your "opinion" of Chronic Lymph Leukemia.

    Her last words to me were have a good time in Florida. Remember to have your blood-work re-checked in 6 months.

    If I wasn't in danger of getting removed from this board....I could tell you what my parting words to her were!!

    I will never go to her again, from now on my Oncologist is the one I will deal with. If I need a prescription filled I'll go to a walk-in clinic. No more "amateur" oncologists for me!!
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #8
    Options
    JoyceCanada said:

    Kathi:
    Got a call to-day
    Kathi:

    Got a call to-day from my GP. At first I refused to go but she suggested I bring along "my trusty side-kick i.e. my Hubby". She started the conversation by apologizing from "upsetting" me. She sent my blood work to a Hemotology/oncologist and his only comment was, wait, re-do in 6 months. She spent a good 30 minutes talking to me "patting me on the back telling me not to worry". She explained that she had not had the "recent" reports from the Cancer Clinic and that she was comparing her results to a report of May 2008. In essence my blood work hadn't "gone down the toilet in 10 days and in fact they were only very "slightly" different from the Cancer Centre report of 10 days ago.

    I want to say sh*t happens.....but I told her "gawd damn it you almost put me over the edge, why in the heck didn't you check this out before you gave me your "opinion" of Chronic Lymph Leukemia.

    Her last words to me were have a good time in Florida. Remember to have your blood-work re-checked in 6 months.

    If I wasn't in danger of getting removed from this board....I could tell you what my parting words to her were!!

    I will never go to her again, from now on my Oncologist is the one I will deal with. If I need a prescription filled I'll go to a walk-in clinic. No more "amateur" oncologists for me!!

    Whew!
    Goodness! What a lot of worry because somebody thought she knew more than she did. That's horrible! I'm so glad it turned out so well, though. The one thing I would tell you, though, is to see if you can find a much better family doctor. I am a firm believer in having a thorough, wonderful, caring doctor who manages your health history (I have a great one if you live in NC).

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • rrob
    rrob Member Posts: 158
    #9
    Options
    Have a great time in Florida!
    I had a similar experience just before I started chemo. I was dx'd Oct 26 last year, surgery Oct 30. 2nd surgery Dec. 3 for 2nd primary cancer. Set to start chemo in Jan. I had a cyst in my breast that had been there for 3-4 years, so I went to my gyn for recheck 2 days before I started chemo. During the exam she says "This is not a cyst; you have breast cancer." She also said she would get me in immediately for a mammogram, but she would also call my oncologist to stop chemo until after the mammogram because I would probably need a different regimen. I broke down because I just couldn't face a third cancer in 3 months. So I'm crying, waiting in her office for the mammogram to be scheduled. She comes back in and says it's possible it's just a cyst after all, because she looked back at her records and it felt the same when she first found it and had it mammogramed 3-4 years ago. I wanted to scream! I could not believe this woman had not read my records before telling me I had breast cancer. I had the mammogram the next day--it was a cyst. I started chemo the next day as planned, but I swore I would never go back to her again.

    It is inexcusable to tell someone (like you or me) that they have cancer before getting the facts. The fear and waiting are horrible-words can't begin to describe. I am so glad you are going to Florida--enjoy!!

    Rebecca
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #10
    Options
    JoyceCanada said:

    Kathi:
    Got a call to-day
    Kathi:

    Got a call to-day from my GP. At first I refused to go but she suggested I bring along "my trusty side-kick i.e. my Hubby". She started the conversation by apologizing from "upsetting" me. She sent my blood work to a Hemotology/oncologist and his only comment was, wait, re-do in 6 months. She spent a good 30 minutes talking to me "patting me on the back telling me not to worry". She explained that she had not had the "recent" reports from the Cancer Clinic and that she was comparing her results to a report of May 2008. In essence my blood work hadn't "gone down the toilet in 10 days and in fact they were only very "slightly" different from the Cancer Centre report of 10 days ago.

    I want to say sh*t happens.....but I told her "gawd damn it you almost put me over the edge, why in the heck didn't you check this out before you gave me your "opinion" of Chronic Lymph Leukemia.

    Her last words to me were have a good time in Florida. Remember to have your blood-work re-checked in 6 months.

    If I wasn't in danger of getting removed from this board....I could tell you what my parting words to her were!!

    I will never go to her again, from now on my Oncologist is the one I will deal with. If I need a prescription filled I'll go to a walk-in clinic. No more "amateur" oncologists for me!!

    YIKES! Hope she learned something....
    I KNEW something had to be wrong with this gal!!!! You would have thought, since she KNEW you were under the care of an oncologist, that she would have called HER first, before making such rash determinations!!!! That is just CRAZY!!!!

    After you get back from ENJOYING Florida, maybe ask your oncologist for a referral for a new GP....


    Hugs and Bon Voyage!

    Kathi

Discussion Boards