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Chelee · 06-13-2006, 12:23 AM

Hi Bobbi, & Kisten. Thanks for your replies as I am really curious about how many others are getting checked out when they go into see their oncologist? I don't know what the norm is per se. I see my oncologist almost weekly due to my full cycle chemo and then weekly herceptin and she never ever checks me out?

Just today I went in for my last full cycle of chemo and she seemed rushed as always and I said "Hang on one minute please." I showed her this new slightly enlarged deal growning underneath my collerbone I am really worried about. I showed it to her...then she says "keep an eye on it for me and let me know if it gets worse". She said it could just be there from my surgery as people gain weight on chemo and it just might be a fatty deposit since that spot did NOT show up on my PET/CT scan. But she wouldn't even take a good look at it. She said she didn't have time to look at it right now. I don't know why not...I didn't even have to take my blouse off to see it. Why should I keep an eye on it...she is the doctor...I am trying to keep on top of my cancer...not let it just grow! My husband can see it and he knows it was NOT there before. Five months with two different oncologist & neither one has checked me out? Well...the first guy did at my second appointment come to think of it. But that is it! It had been so long..I forgot. But since I started chemo in Feb...no one has looked at me or my incision, under arms..nothing?

Bobbi you did mention one thing my oncologist HAS done. She has a few times looked at my lower legs because after I landed in the hospital a pulmonary doctor that followed me put me on lasix (Water pills). So she does look at those. But I rather her look at my lymph nodes, and keep an eye on my other breast, etc.

Boy Bobbi, your oncologist sounds great...you get checked every visit. I can't imagine that. I see my doctor 3 times a month and never get checked out. So you had a repeated mammo after a year. And Kisten had one every six months. Maybe mine will bring it up at the end of this month which would be six months? I know either way..I am going to HAVE to mention it to her. I am concerned and want to avoid anymore problems then I have to.

Thanks Kisten for letting me know BOTH your surgeon & oncologist looks at you. Sounds like my oncologist just aren't doing their job. I changed to a new one just for this reason...now it seems like they are both the same way. Its frustrating.

Thanks so much you guys.

Chelee

06-13-2006, 12:23 AM	#4
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Hi Bobbi, & Kisten. Thanks for your replies as I am really curious about how many others are getting checked out when they go into see their oncologist? I don't know what the norm is per se. I see my oncologist almost weekly due to my full cycle chemo and then weekly herceptin and she never ever checks me out? Just today I went in for my last full cycle of chemo and she seemed rushed as always and I said "Hang on one minute please." I showed her this new slightly enlarged deal growning underneath my collerbone I am really worried about. I showed it to her...then she says "keep an eye on it for me and let me know if it gets worse". She said it could just be there from my surgery as people gain weight on chemo and it just might be a fatty deposit since that spot did NOT show up on my PET/CT scan. But she wouldn't even take a good look at it. She said she didn't have time to look at it right now. I don't know why not...I didn't even have to take my blouse off to see it. Why should I keep an eye on it...she is the doctor...I am trying to keep on top of my cancer...not let it just grow! My husband can see it and he knows it was NOT there before. Five months with two different oncologist & neither one has checked me out? Well...the first guy did at my second appointment come to think of it. But that is it! It had been so long..I forgot. But since I started chemo in Feb...no one has looked at me or my incision, under arms..nothing? Bobbi you did mention one thing my oncologist HAS done. She has a few times looked at my lower legs because after I landed in the hospital a pulmonary doctor that followed me put me on lasix (Water pills). So she does look at those. But I rather her look at my lymph nodes, and keep an eye on my other breast, etc. Boy Bobbi, your oncologist sounds great...you get checked every visit. I can't imagine that. I see my doctor 3 times a month and never get checked out. So you had a repeated mammo after a year. And Kisten had one every six months. Maybe mine will bring it up at the end of this month which would be six months? I know either way..I am going to HAVE to mention it to her. I am concerned and want to avoid anymore problems then I have to. Thanks Kisten for letting me know BOTH your surgeon & oncologist looks at you. Sounds like my oncologist just aren't doing their job. I changed to a new one just for this reason...now it seems like they are both the same way. Its frustrating. Thanks so much you guys. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.