Changing Doctors

I saw my oncologist today. I see him once a month while on adjuvant Herceptin. He has always aggrevated me because he has ABSOLUTELY no memory. He is also very conservative and I have to tell him everything and prove everything. The most aggrevating thing is the memory (he is only 46 so its not old age dementia!!!!). I know this sounds trivial but I must have seen this man over 30 times (monthly or bimonthly) and he always asks if I have kids and their ages. We have kids that go to school together and know each other. Also, our oldest kids just went off to college in Sept 04 when I got diagnosed and we talked many times about that (change in family etc). Everytime he asks, I tell him the same thing and he REALLY is hearing it for the first time. So I figure, he's forgetting about me medically as well.

I have had one of his colleagues when he was on vacation twice. Both times was a joy and this other doctor says hello to me by name if he sees me. He is also much more intelligent than my doctor. I have meant to switch many times but somehow always talk my current onco into what I want (although this other doctor is giving his breast cancer patients herceptin as an adjuvant too).

Have any of you changed doctors and especially within the same practice? I feel funny about it (cuz my doctor is a nice guy but I am not so sure about his smarts). How did you go about it.

Lastly, if any of you read my thread about my recent uterine biopsy - it was benign with not even any aplasia let alone hyperplasia.

Thanks for listening

Becky

Hi Becky

I just made the switch myself -

My onc. of 6 years left for another hospital in San Antonia and I stayed under the care of one of her fellowship doctors. Very nice and I am sure very knowledgable in his line of cancer, but I did not feel he was as knowledgable in the breast cancer area. I spoke with my P.A. in the unit and explained how I felt, that it was nothing really against him and she told me he would understand completely. She spoke to him and he even called me to go over other oncologist he would recommend in the breast cancer center at the Moffitt hospital where I go. He was very understanding about it and said he would still be interested in my care and to call him. Bottom line is you have to be happy with your choice. This is someone you have to depend on for you care and I am sure your present doc. would understand (or maybe he won't even remember after a few day's anyway ) lol

Good news on your biopsy. Take care and good luck

Irene

Irene

Thanks so much for responding because your line about "he won't remember you in a couple of days anyway" made me laugh so hard (and I have been kind of upset with my onco visit yesterday and him not remembering stuff).

Thanks so much

Becky

I did change. It took me several months of asking everyone. I was told I couldn't unless I wanted to changed to another hospital on one of the days the oncologist I wanted was there. I refused. When mine went on vacation and I saw the one I wanted to change to I asked him and he said, "why of course and that I should see the doctor who I felt the most comfortable with" So it does happen. Good luck, hugs, Sandy

Hi Becky,

There are 5 oncologists in the practice where I go. In the beginning, I made it a point to see each one of them. When I was deciding on reconstruction (whether to remove my other breast) I was able to get 5 opinions without ever leaving the practice. Some women don't even stick with one particular doctor, they just pick an appointment convenient for them and whatever doctor is there that is who they see (I don't necessarily agree with that strategy!) Of course I stuck with the doctor with whom I felt had it all, brains and compassion (and he remembers me!).
Go ahead and switch!!!

Susan

I'm going to try to change within the same practice too and even though I'm convinced I have to do it, I'm finding it hard just because the PCP I have here (and work with daily) has such strong ties to the onc I see now.

*sigh*

AlaskaAngel

Well, I did change and it was easy. However, the onco I had was on vacation this week and doesn't know yet. I'll let you know in a few how it goes.

I feel funny and the receptionist at the practice says the onco will call me to find out why I've switched within the practise after so long. That will be a hard conversation.

Becky

Lose the forgetful onc and find you someone YOUNG and FRESH who is NOT jaded and PER some of the earlier posts...I think a really smart one doesn't hurt. I had a young brilliant one in the beginning who truly saved my life, figured out the whole her-2 thing back in 1999 and got me herceptin when no one else could...alas..he was skirted away to the bigger and better...and I was left with...sighhh...lest she read this, I can't say...but if she wasn't only 2 miles from my home and basically agreeable to let me do anything I want..I tell you I would CHANGE in a quick minute...smile...There are good ones...but you have to interview at least 10 to find ONE. Get one who can REALLY communicate. Sometimes women oncs are more easy to talk with about weird side effects...I remember one PARTICULARLY strange side affect when I first started taking Herceptin...it made my vagina smell like WELL...I am NOT sure what??? We ran test after test...looking for fungi, bacteria...anything, but in the end...it would just fade away...eventually, until I took my next dose of herceptin. Coincidentally, although I FOUND THE musty/earthy exaggerated scent horrifying...I was taking grad classes at the time and I swear I had all these YOUNG guys pining away for me...Had to be pheromones of sorts hee hee hee. Very weird, but my woman onc was easier to discuss this with than a guy might have been...not to be sexist, but that is just my thought on it. Women oncs, just by virtue of their sex, come at it from an entirely different place than guys ever can...sorry guys, but that is just my take on it. Hope you find a GREAT one!!! Gina

I changed oncs. I wanted Herceptin and he made it impossible to get though he thought it would help me. Also, he was very much against ANY kind of alternate therapy, mainly supplements of any kind. I wanted a doctor that was willing to work with me. I changed oncs and an now on Herceptin. In this case, the advice I was given was to find an older doctor who will not do just cookier cutter treatmemt. Find one that has been around long enough to know that different people need different things. My onc was pulled out of retirement to fill in for a few months why the local hospital searches for a new one. He has been an oncologist for 40 years and knew all about Herceptin and that I should have it. He worked with me on the protocal. I do not necessarily trust his advice on supplements. That I am going to have to keep working on.
My next scheduled appointment with my old onc is for September. I have to call to cancel, just haven't done it yet. I am still in a state of suspended belief that after 7 months of asking for Herceptin, I got it so easily from the new onc.
Janet

[Ginger]

I know its been a while since these postings but I would like to change ONC's as well and have made calls to 2 different ones. Their office girls have both told me I would have to bring copies of reports, Dr's notes or case notes, etc. with me to the first visit. One told me I could just drop them off to get an opinion on whether I was a candidate for Herceptin after 2 years from treatment. Has anyone run into this situation ... how do you ask for notes or a report from your current doctor in order to just at least get an opinion from a 2nd doctor when you may end up staying with the 1st doctor? I am also thinking of switching to another one at the same Clinic. i could use some recommendations for ONC's in the Cleveland area. thanks much.

[AlaskaAngel]

It is awkward and can be expensive to get copies from the original onc. I requested them and it cost $40. And most of what I received was pretty useless to anyone, since it does not include any imaging studies or labs, which have to be requested separately from each facility where they were done. That is another good reason to ALWAYS get a copy yourself of each study at the time it is completed.

I decided to see an onc in the same practice as a baby step in considering hanging oncs and because this onc specializes in bc whereas mine does not.

The onc I have is well-known and very qualified and the doctors I know all pretty much refer there, so I keep that in mind. And I know a practice is a business and won't be one for very long if it doesn't handle enough patients -- and I know this one is pretty exclusive, so I know many patients are seeing this onc. I won't be missed.

In 3 years I haven't been able to find a way to improve the situation. The last visit was particularly difficult I think not only for me but for my onc as well. So I will take the initiative and see if I can find a better solution for both of us.

A.A.

[janet/FL]

I went oncologist shopping about 6 months ago. I took all the information I had from tests etc, and made the appointment. I knew at the time that this new doctor was a temporary--a fill in for one that had left the practice. But I really wanted to move on. Luckily the new onc recocnized the Her2 problem and immediately offered me Herceptin!
I got lucky and you might, also. This onc and the replacement both seem very good and the infusion center, MUCH better than the one I had left.

I think telling your current onc that you want a second opinion and asking them to send your reports to another doctor is the way to go if you can. I have been taking a pet bird to a top bird specialist and will now be asking him for a referral to another vet for a second opinion. I hope he isn't offended, I have been going for several years, but some doctors, be it for human or other animals, have a different perspecitve on a problem and I want to know what it is. I think my vet will understand, though I don't think my oncologist would have understood why I wanted to leave him.

Best of luck and you might well mention the matter of health insurance, Alaska Angel. I found out that I would have been given second rate care from the first oncologist--not because my health insurance wouldn't cover it--it is because they wanted much more than what my health insurance would offer! As far as we can figure based on what they told me, they planned to give less than State of the Art Care with less than the State of the Art infusion center--at least based on compassion.
Janet/FL

[Becky]

Ginger


I started this thread about 5 months ago. Sometimes its funny to see what you wrote then. You have a right to a copy of your file, even if you have to pay for it. Call the receptionist and ask what the procedure is for getting a copy of your file. That's what I did and it was easy and simple and I picked up my copy the next day. Did the same for my radiation records too (just to have everything on hand).

It does work out for the best. When you know you have to change, you just know.

Good luck

Becky