[Gerri]

Becky’s post today about her rad onc got me thinking. If I had treatment to do over again, what would I change?

Of course, we would all change the results of the test that altered our lives forever, but that is not an option. My question is, after being told you had breast cancer, and knowing what you know now, what would you do differently? Hopefully some of the newbies can learn from our experiences.

Overall, I was extremely fortunate with my care. However, if I could go back in time, I would tweak things just a bit. For one, I would have made sure I had an onc who was a bc specialist. I absolutely love my onc, and it appears that she was right on target with my treatment plan, but she is a general onc and bc is not her passion. I want someone whose main focus is bc and is on top of the latest research and treatment options. On the plus side, I do appreciate my onc’s willingness to listen to my input and concerns. On the negative side, her breast exam is probably the worst one I have ever had. Fortunately, my surgeon and primary care physician give great breast exams so I feel I am covered. As much as I love my current onc I will probably end up switching by the end of the year.

Another thing I would change is, I would get a port at the beginning of treatment. I know that there are many of you that did not have a port, had the same treatment I did, with no permanent damage. For me, after the third AC treatment, my veins were shot. I finally got my port in time to start taxol and herceptin, but by then it was too late to save my veins. Now, trying to access a vein, even for a simple blood test, is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

So, my question is, aside from not becoming a member of this club –

What would you do differently?