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Shirley · 07-25-2014, 10:13 AM

Eva,

Your medical team should work together. I wonder if the surgical oncologist said "no" because you'd be going to a different hospital, or maybe your plastic surgeon doesn't have privileges at MD Anderson? My PS was present for the mastectomy so that he could place the expanders.

I've never been told what to do; recommendations were made and I usually had some choice. I am going to providers that are all in the same hospital system and they all work together regularly. I did at one time consider a PS in another town for DIEP and they were all fine with that. Nobody ever said "no".

Ultimately it's your choice. Does MDA assign you with a nurse navigator? I went to this person on a few occassions for assistance (needed desperately to switch to a different radiation oncologist)--they are usually very good at helping you untangle and resolve these issues.

One comment about the nodes. What you've described sounds standard. If you have 2 positive nodes I think it is common to take more than that. I only had micromets in one node and my surgeon took 5 or 6 (and I know some of the other docs in that hospital routinely took out more than that).

I hope things get cleared up soon for you.

Shirley

07-25-2014, 10:13 AM	#6
Shirley Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Lakewood, WA Posts: 56	Re: Hand Slapped by my surgical oncologist 😡 Eva, Your medical team should work together. I wonder if the surgical oncologist said "no" because you'd be going to a different hospital, or maybe your plastic surgeon doesn't have privileges at MD Anderson? My PS was present for the mastectomy so that he could place the expanders. I've never been told what to do; recommendations were made and I usually had some choice. I am going to providers that are all in the same hospital system and they all work together regularly. I did at one time consider a PS in another town for DIEP and they were all fine with that. Nobody ever said "no". Ultimately it's your choice. Does MDA assign you with a nurse navigator? I went to this person on a few occassions for assistance (needed desperately to switch to a different radiation oncologist)--they are usually very good at helping you untangle and resolve these issues. One comment about the nodes. What you've described sounds standard. If you have 2 positive nodes I think it is common to take more than that. I only had micromets in one node and my surgeon took 5 or 6 (and I know some of the other docs in that hospital routinely took out more than that). I hope things get cleared up soon for you. Shirley __________________ Age 54 at dx (April '13) Stage 2b, grade 3 ER+ PR+ HER+, 9 cm tumor one breast and <0.5 cm in sentinal node BRCA1 and 2 negative Neoadjuvant TCH chemo started 5-15-13 (4 rounds, 3 weeks apart) Unilateral Mx w/expander 8-22-13 (right side) 5/5 nodes Neg clear margins but close. Tumor at removal down to 2.2 cm. Radiation 6 wks starting 10-17-13. Herceptin every 3 weeks until 4-23-14 DIEP/Mastopexy 10-8-14, U of WA