Has your doctor done something extra special?

My doctors special act
Last November I had an appointment with my onc doc, who, as it turned out, had to be away from the office for the day. Apparently there was a mix up at her office and I didn't get a message advising me of such. I went to the appointment and as seen by her nurse practitioner and it was not a problem at all to me. Any way, the next week on the day before Thanksgiving I received a beautiful floral table arrangement from her , along with a note of apology. Now how many doctors do you think would do that. She is a gem!!!

sparky72156 said:

My oncologist, frustrated
My oncologist, frustrated with the staff at the plastic surgeon's office, called the surgeon and told him that he needed to call me. This was in response to the office telling me that I had to wait a week to get in to see the surgeon so that I could ask 3 short questions, and that they wouldn't schedule the surgery until I had talked to him. My oncologist said "That is unacceptable", and had the surgeon call me that night! Because of him, the surgery could be scheduled for that week!!! He knew the kind of pressure I was under and he found a way to alleviate it. Also, he called me once just to see how I was tolerating some steroids that I needed to be on prior to surgery. I just love him!

Here is a couple:
1) On my first meeting with my onocologist I was absolutely terrified! I waited and waited and when she finally came in I felt like the gauntlet was going to drop on my head. She looked at my intently and said, "Get off the table and sit in this chair. You are not a patient, you are a person." Wow. Talk about a wave of relief that washed over me at that point!

2) When I was deciding whether I wanted a masectomy or radiation I went to see a radiation onocologist. He spent no less than an hour and a half listening, answering every single one of my questions with brutal honesty. I've never had a doctor spent such quality time with me.

There are some good doctors out there. Keep looking 'til you find one.

laurissa said:

Hi Traci
My surgeon is the nicest man. He's the one that diagnosed me. Mammo, ultrasound and biopsy the first day I went to him, though I had to wait 2 days for results. He gave his home phone number to call at anytime. He did my lumpectomy and I'm cancer free now. Whenever I thank him he says "no, thank God" He's the one that did it. He takes no credit at all. In his waiting room, he has a framed painted picture on the wall of a surgeon operating with Jesus standing behind him watching over him. I was in good hands.

Great idea
I will think about it. Having almost 14 doc through my treatment I can find several good ones.

Youcandothis said:

Oh my yes indeed
1. My internist has her office in the same building as my oncologist. She actually came down to the chemo suite to spend time with me during my second infusion.
2. My onc spent plenty of time explaining the process. The protocol in the chemo suite is that every time they put something into your iv they tell you what it is: "this is first, it's for nausea...here's the cytoxin" etc. When I had a terrible time after first treatment she reduced dosage by 10% and told me a little adjustment was common and wouldn't affect the efficacy of the treatment.
3. Everyone, without exception, in the rad onc suite was encouraging and engaged. I hated lying there exposed but their high level of professionalism made it so much easier.

When I was first diagnnosed
When I was first diagnnosed my internist sat down with me and listened as well as talked to me without any time restraints. She told me to call her at any time, day or night if I had any questions or just wanted someone to talk to. She even made a note on my chart for her staff that if I called to put me through to her immediately. I was so touched by her care and compassion that I knew that I could make it through this detour in my life. She is a blessing!

My oncologic breast surgeon
My oncologic breast surgeon is the sweetest woman. she spent a lot of time with us explaining what they had discovered and what options we had to fight it. As I stood up to leave she gave me the greatest hug---the close kind that makes you feel safe and cared for. After the surgery and pathology reports came back she gave us the good news---no further treatment was needed. she was grinning ear to ear and gave me another of those caring hugs. I'm so fortunate that I don't need more treatment but, I really miss her.

El

aztec45 said:

Good Post
I like your post. Accentuate the positive. My Radiation Doc came in on Saturday and Sunday to help get me caught up with my radiation treatments. I kept missing them due to the job. He is the greatest guy. Always nice and upbeat. I told him to bottle up his energy and give it to me.

P

My onc is a 17 year bc survivor!
and when she met me she hugged me! The first onc I went to gave me all the nasty stats and told me I might as well be triple negative and said it with a really negative tone of voice.
When Dr. Scott saw my chart and saw the 5% positive ER she hugged me and said "Thank goodness you have that! Now you can have more treatments!"

Well....
It was the usual annual gyn exam , my Doc - whom I absolutely love - exited the room and I being in a hurry, quickly started to gather up clothes. But I stepped on a tiny sliver of glass and yelled "OUCH!". Dr opened up the door and asked if I was okay. I was naked clutching my clothes and trying to tweeze the glass out with my fingernails. Stupid thing was bleeding like crazy. He got the glass out and was so upset that it was there anyway...

So I was about 53 at the time and gravity being what it is and all, I was mortally embarassed. Doc has seen me naked from the waist up and the waist down - but always lying flat. He got the whole picture that day!

This is the same man who referred me to the worst surgeon on the face of the earth about 11 years ago (for a simple non BC breast surgery). Never had a problem/complaint with him before me). When I came crying into his office because of the outcome plus his double billing that insurance wouldn't pay, he personally called the surgeon and that was that.

In October, he called me and said "My Dear, I don't have good news..." He followed up with phone calls, had his nurse, a BC survivor call me. His many kindnesses through the years (about 22!) have always been appreciated. Every year I ask him if he is planning to retire and he squeezes my knee and says 'No, we have a standing date.'

Sue

Great Question
About 10 or so years ago when my older sister had her second battle with breast cancer she had the gene testing done and found out she was a carrier of the bc gene. She then contacted my baby sister and encouraged her to have both breasts removed and to get a complete hysterectomy, she was 31 at the time and not sure that was a good idea since she was healthy. My sister called my oncologist and explained to his receptionist that she was my sister and her concern regarding my older sister's suggestion then asked if she could have an apt. for a consultation with him knowing how much I value his opinion. The nurse put her on hold and the next thing she knew she was talking to my oncologist. He spent 45 minutes going over her health history reassuring her in his opinion it was not necessary to at that time to undergo such surgery and he volunteered to have her blood work done to check her cancer markers which came back fine. He did not bill her for his time or his lab work, he simply was being kind to someone in need.

RE

laurissa said:

Hi Traci
My surgeon is the nicest man. He's the one that diagnosed me. Mammo, ultrasound and biopsy the first day I went to him, though I had to wait 2 days for results. He gave his home phone number to call at anytime. He did my lumpectomy and I'm cancer free now. Whenever I thank him he says "no, thank God" He's the one that did it. He takes no credit at all. In his waiting room, he has a framed painted picture on the wall of a surgeon operating with Jesus standing behind him watching over him. I was in good hands.

beautiful
Traci......
sounds like God worked thru your doctors hands....
May God keeps blesing you and your doctor....

My Plastic Surgeon
My plastic surgeon was the first person in my life who had a calming effect on me. I walked into his office with butterflies in my stomach and I walked out of his office calm as could be. He sits directly in front of me, always smiles, listens to what I say, remembers what I said and encourages me to do things, such as form a breast cancer support group. Consequently, I am very comfortable when I see him.. He is an extremely kind, sensitive, and thoughtful man to everyone. He now hugs me and gives me a kiss on the cheek when our visit has ended. (My oncology surgeon, oncology radiologist and primary care doctor also hug and give me a kiss on the check...I'm just a lovable old woman who gives her doctors homemade goodies from her kitchen. LOL) I told him that I consider him as of my blood and treat him as the nephew that I never had. I zap him e-mails all the time and he responds to them.

He is 6’4” tall, skinny, and loves food. I am a woman with a very generous nature. I am an extremely fussy, expensive, healthy, cook-from-scratch cook who is known for her cooking and baking. Not only does he enjoy my cooking and baking, but his wife and sons also enjoy what I make.

Does bottles of good red wine count in exchange for goodies made from my kitchen? Or...when he went to Italy he bought me a gorgeous handmade, handpainted, ceramic wine and vinegar set that sits proudly on my kitchen counter. Or when he went to Alaska on a fishing trip, he gave me one package of Halibut that he caught. Or, he gave a jar of his mother’s prized homemade blackberry jelly. Or, he recorded a CD of various artists that he wanted me to listen to.

My plastic surgeon became my cancer doctor because I was fortunate in that I did not need chemo nor radiation after my bilateral mastectomy. Breast reconstruction took longer for me due to infections with the expanders.

I make him feel very special because I adopted him as My #1 Doctor. (He calls me his #1 Supporter.) He's my third adoption. I have an adopted niece and an adopted godchild who I also make feel very special. He became my third adoption in an 18 year span of adoptions. He was the doctor who removed the recurrence on my scar when I saw him for my annual breast reconstruction physical. When he got the biopsy report, he immediately placed it on the desk of my oncologist surgeon. With the recurrence I have discussed many times with him my feelings, radiation, and Arimidex. He is always there for me.

He treats me like an aunt. I told him once that he was meant to be in my life as I was meant to be in his life and I don’t know the reason why. If it was not meant to be, then I would never have had the infections, my breast reconstruction would have been completed quickly, and he would have never been adopted. He got adopted 9 months after I met him.

Hugs,
Janelle