Changing Doctors

Trew
Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
For reasons I have expressed in other posts, yesterday I set up an appointment with a new doctor and canceled my next appointment with the old. Records are now transferred to the new office- The break is now offical- I am moving on. For a guy on Eligard, this was a very stressful decision. But it's over. I took a xanax yesterday afternoon and an ibuprofen pm in the evening and only got up once during the night which is very very good for me. I feel much better this morning.

Can't wait to see what I have gotten myself into this time.

Comments

  • lewvino
    lewvino Member Posts: 1,010 Member
    #2
    Trew, Best wishes as you
    Trew, Best wishes as you move forward. I'm glad you made the decision. Talk to your new Doc about what you have been through. No Doc should keep you in the dark as you were!

    Larry
  • jminnj
    jminnj Member Posts: 129 Member
    #3
    Trew, wishing you all the
    Trew, wishing you all the best on your path. Keep us posted on your progress.

    Joe
  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    #4
    jminnj said:

    Trew, wishing you all the
    Trew, wishing you all the best on your path. Keep us posted on your progress.

    Joe

    All I Want is a Little .....
    I am just looking for a place where my cancer problem is not seen as something separate from me. "They" are not just treating a cancer- I am attacted to it, too. I what to know the whys of treatment and be informed of side effects and possible complications- I want to be heard and my concerns, like with the flomax, to be listened to.

    I don't think that is asking for too much. Is it?
  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,346 Member
    #5
    Trew said:

    All I Want is a Little .....
    I am just looking for a place where my cancer problem is not seen as something separate from me. "They" are not just treating a cancer- I am attacted to it, too. I what to know the whys of treatment and be informed of side effects and possible complications- I want to be heard and my concerns, like with the flomax, to be listened to.

    I don't think that is asking for too much. Is it?

    Good luck
    I think that it is a good idea to have a copy of all your records.

    How did you choose the new doc?

    Ira
  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    #6
    hopeful and optimistic said:

    Good luck
    I think that it is a good idea to have a copy of all your records.

    How did you choose the new doc?

    Ira

    Not A Complicated Choice
    How did I choose the Doc? Well, I know a resident Doctor at Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo. I asked him to scout around for me and find out the name of a good urologist. The resident doc asked his supervising doc who he would recommend and that is how I got the name of Dr. Robert Isacksen. This new doc is 45 miles closer to me and works out of two very good hospitals in this area. Basicly I am on maintainace and watching now- surgery is behind me. So this decision is not as critical as picking a surgeon. I just could not stay in the old office and be seen by a certain PA any longer.

    And a correction- I do not personally have a copy of my med records- though that sounds like a very good idea. I had all my records transferred over to the new doctor's office. I am feeling better about this decision every day. My last visit with the old PA was very discouraging. And when we had the follow up phone conversatin RE his medication orders to me that conflicted with the doctor's orders and the PA told my wife that "Dr. M deferrs to me on all medical issues"- well that was it- it was clear it was time to clear out of that office. I do not understand why this was so stressful for me to make this decison but I am feeling a whole lot better since getting this all behind me.
  • Feb2010
    Feb2010 Member Posts: 51
    #7
    Trew said:

    Not A Complicated Choice
    How did I choose the Doc? Well, I know a resident Doctor at Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo. I asked him to scout around for me and find out the name of a good urologist. The resident doc asked his supervising doc who he would recommend and that is how I got the name of Dr. Robert Isacksen. This new doc is 45 miles closer to me and works out of two very good hospitals in this area. Basicly I am on maintainace and watching now- surgery is behind me. So this decision is not as critical as picking a surgeon. I just could not stay in the old office and be seen by a certain PA any longer.

    And a correction- I do not personally have a copy of my med records- though that sounds like a very good idea. I had all my records transferred over to the new doctor's office. I am feeling better about this decision every day. My last visit with the old PA was very discouraging. And when we had the follow up phone conversatin RE his medication orders to me that conflicted with the doctor's orders and the PA told my wife that "Dr. M deferrs to me on all medical issues"- well that was it- it was clear it was time to clear out of that office. I do not understand why this was so stressful for me to make this decison but I am feeling a whole lot better since getting this all behind me.

    Trew, you usually feel good
    Trew, you usually feel good inside when you make the right decision.
    I think you have made the right choice.
  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    #8
    Feb2010 said:

    Trew, you usually feel good
    Trew, you usually feel good inside when you make the right decision.
    I think you have made the right choice.

    Good Affirmation
    Feb, I do feel very comfortable with this change now that it's done. I told this PA back in July 09- 3 months after starting on the Eligard- that my testicles were shrinking and he told me it was just my imagination- like there were no serious side effects to Eligard. He did admit there were hot flashes while on Eligard. Enough was enough.
  • Feb2010
    Feb2010 Member Posts: 51
    #9
    Trew said:

    Good Affirmation
    Feb, I do feel very comfortable with this change now that it's done. I told this PA back in July 09- 3 months after starting on the Eligard- that my testicles were shrinking and he told me it was just my imagination- like there were no serious side effects to Eligard. He did admit there were hot flashes while on Eligard. Enough was enough.

    It seems like that PA need
    It seems like that PA need some refresher training!
    Good for you, you're out of there!
  • gumbyrun
    gumbyrun Member Posts: 59 Member
    #10
    Trew said:

    Not A Complicated Choice
    How did I choose the Doc? Well, I know a resident Doctor at Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo. I asked him to scout around for me and find out the name of a good urologist. The resident doc asked his supervising doc who he would recommend and that is how I got the name of Dr. Robert Isacksen. This new doc is 45 miles closer to me and works out of two very good hospitals in this area. Basicly I am on maintainace and watching now- surgery is behind me. So this decision is not as critical as picking a surgeon. I just could not stay in the old office and be seen by a certain PA any longer.

    And a correction- I do not personally have a copy of my med records- though that sounds like a very good idea. I had all my records transferred over to the new doctor's office. I am feeling better about this decision every day. My last visit with the old PA was very discouraging. And when we had the follow up phone conversatin RE his medication orders to me that conflicted with the doctor's orders and the PA told my wife that "Dr. M deferrs to me on all medical issues"- well that was it- it was clear it was time to clear out of that office. I do not understand why this was so stressful for me to make this decison but I am feeling a whole lot better since getting this all behind me.

    Medical records
    I was able to get my records from my original urologist (who did not do surgery) as well as my family doctor. Today, I called the urologist office that did the surgery and they printed out all my records and put them in the mail. I had to send them a document requesting that they release the records to me but it was no big deal.
    I feel better knowing what was said and seen from their perspective. I have my 6 week check-up following the cath removal in two weeks (and 1st post-op psa test)and I want to be able to refer to the records with any questions, etc. Likewise, I have all the biopsy reports.
    I guess my point is that we have the right to this information and it should not be a problem to get it. BTW, your new doc cannot release the records to you from your old doc, at least that's what I was told today.

    Best of luck with the new Doc.

    Mike

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