Post-treatment issues: when do you bring them up?

inkster

I'm seeing the oncologist tomorrow, so it's probably too late, but I gotta ask: when do you bring up medical issues with your oncologist? How severe do they have to be? Like bad enough you would mention them to your regular doctor in a check up? Bad enough to make an appointment specifically about them? Bad enough to drive you to the ER?

I don't want to be a whiner and I know recovery takes time, but at the same time I don't want to ignore something I shouldn't.

ksusan

I make a list, in order of importance. I give my MO a copy and then we discuss it. Don't worry about "whining."

mustlovepoodles

I tell my MO everything. I update her on my current meds and any illnesses, injuries, or surgeries every time I see her. It's not whining.  What I think might be minor, she may deem important. And what I think may be major, may actually have a reasonable and non-cancer related explanation.  I trust my MO to take care of me. My PCP and my BS see me about every 6 months, but for anything that might be remotely cancer related, they defer to the MO. 

salve777

This has also been my question. I finished treatment two months ago and had surgery last month. I will be on Herceptin for a year. After my surgery, I had been feeling shaky/lightheaded. When I went to see my NP before my Herceptin infusion, I told her about this and recommended a brain MRI. I am very nervous of a recurrence/metastases this soon but with this disease being sneaky, I will undergo an MRI. I have been having upper abdominal pain since last week and I don't know if this is a side effect of Herceptin (though I never experienced it during my treatment) or it's another issue. I went to the ER this past Sunday and had a CT scan and they discovered a thickening which needs to be investigated. I informed my oncologist's office about it and I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist. Cancer treatment, especially standard chemotherapy, is toxic to the body and its effects will linger beyond treatment. That's why I don't understand why I am being told (sometimes) by my health provider to see my PCP for pain that I know is a side effect of my treatment.

inkster

You all rock! Because of you, I brought up my concerns to my MO and it worried him enough to order a CT scan. All came back as normal. Whew! If I hadn't mentioned the symptoms, though, I'd still be wondering and going all those places.

Salve777 - I hope you have the same luck and that your MRI is clean.