Dumped my MO

etherize

and now I feel guilty.  Not really, but I feel a bit sorry for her.  I'm probably not the only one to do so.

She is very, very young.  As a defense, I think, her demeanor is very stern and formal.  She also gets tweaked when I ask a lot of questions, which I don't think is medical ego so much as it is "20-something-I-know-everything" attitude.  Apologies to any 20-somethings reading this, but ... I remember how I was at that age.  

She was actually my 2nd MO.  The first one I dropped before my first surgery; just no communication there at all.

So now I'm on #3.  I feel like Goldilocks.  #3 gave me a 2nd opinion on treatment yesterday.  Liked him so much I called this morning to see if I could switch!  He appreciated all my questions, never getting ruffled.

That's the best thing about Kaiser; you can switch doctors easily.  Phew!

coraleliz

Since I only have 3 to chose from, I'm afraid to burn bridges. But it looks like I will be switching MOs as well. Mine is just always on the wrong page, tells me one thing during my appt & then contradicts himself my next appt. He treats all kinds of cancer, so his knowledge isn't what I wish it were. Sometimes I think I know more than he does(don't we all? ha!) I will say that if I ever become terminal, he is the doctor I'd want. Not sure if this makes sense.

BlueCowgirl

Are her initials E.M.? Long shot, I know, but she sounds EXACTLY like the MO I dumped earlier this year I was SO much happier with my new Onc. and the fact that he was significantly older and more experienced was extremely comforting to me. Personally, I like when I think doctors are older AND smarter than I am...even with my relatively young age and chronic chemo-brain, that seems surprisingly hard to find! 

Best wishes for a great relationship with your new Doc, and try not to feel guilty - this journey is not about her, it's about YOU.

etherize

coraleliz, it definitely does make sense.  Sounds like your MO is too absent-minded and uncertain, but has a good bedside manner and is compassionate.  I hope if I become terminal, my MO is that way (compassionate, that is!).  He seems so.

BlueCowgirl, that's what I told myself when I felt guilty -- I have to focus on my own challenge.  If it weren't cancer and I didn't have such a complicated situation, maybe I'd stick with her ... but I imagine all very young oncologists see high patient turnover when they're starting out.  They're probably even warned about that.