How many MO have you used

Nulyte

I am on my third MO. Once I told her I only wanted to have surgery and use Lupron/AI she totally stopped interacting with me. When I requested a baseline estradiol level( premenopausal) she literally said "whatever" call your gynecologist see you in February. My surgeon discharged me 4 weeks post op and I have constant nerve pain and no range of motion. I had to literally fight with my PCP to order PT. What is it with healthcare?
I asked my MO about DIM , tumeric etc she said , that's a waste but do what you want.... I'm so depressed and discouraged. Husband says we need to go back to the East Coast for another opinion. Work put me on long term disability because I'm a pharmacist who can't use her left arm so I'm of little use to a busy hospital

Momine

Nulyte, sorry about your post-op troubles, but please don't lose heart. It can be a bit of a slog, but PT and exercise are your new friends. There is no reason why you can't regain full use of your arm.

Did your MO want to give you chemo and/or rads and you refused?

There is no hard evidence to back the use of turmeric etc. It may help, but at this point we simply don't know enough.

We do know that exercise offers some protection against recurrence

cp418

Nulyte - did you ever get genetic testing done on your tumor? Oncotype or Mammoprint, other testing? This would be valuable information to you and your doctor to better understand your risk and treatment regimen. You mentioned Lupron injection to take an AI - does this mean you are premenopause and maybe younger age? These are all facts that are used by your medical team. Regrettably I also experienced a doctor who would drop interest/follow up if you disagreed with their treatment plan. Supplements are useful but as a pharmacist you know they do not replace evidence based treatment protocols.

abigail48

that is not information appropriate to this thread

exbrnxgrl

Nulyte,

You asked questions involving both conventional tx and supplements, as well as mo choice. IMO cpl's response was appropriate. Finding an mo with whom you are completely comfortable is essential. Will you find an mo who is perfect and has a vast, up to date knowledge of all conventional tx and well as complementary tx? Maybe not, but you should be able to find someone who is not dismissive and open to new possibilities. However, it is probably unrealistic to expect a conventional mo to enthusiastically support completely alternative tx.

I am on my second mo. I was not entirely comfortable with mo #1. I ask lots of questions, have no problem reading research and must be an active participant in all tx decisions. My RO was fantastic and when I told him about my lack of comfort with my mo, he set me up (even made the appt.) with mo #2. I love her! She listens, answers questions, prints out articles and research that she thinks is pertinent and freely admits when she doesn't know something. We freely speak about supplements and as long as she feels they will not interfere with other tx, she is fine.

About pt...You should not have to fight for it! I had frozen shoulder and mild lymphedema. I was sent to pt very early on and within a few months had regained full range of motion and my LE remainsquite mild. PT was essential to this and my mo has made it clear that the pt door is always open should my LE ever flare up. Although I am stage IV, I still work full time (teaching first grade, not sedentary!), and lead a very normal life. I can't entirely explain or credit this to any one thing, but my mo has certainly been a big part of it.

No one will be perfect, but don't give up until you find someone who makes you feel comfortable and confident

cp418

Yes - exactly. Your surgeon should be providing you with PT support - prescriptions for these treatments. It doesn't sound right that you are discharged so soon from the care of a surgeon. I also ended up using a nutritionist who specialized in cancer plus other medical conditions. She was the one who was able to guide me to which quality supplements to use, dosage, when to use. Both my 1st and 2nd MO had no experience or interest in supplements. They could not refer me to anyone so I had to do my own research. I was very interested in supplements during my recovery and continue to use them.