How long from diagnosis to breast surgeon consultation?

dysonsphere

I was just diagnosed today with IDC, ER PR +. her2- grade 2. I was referred to MD Cancer Center which is well known around here. They are booked for 3 weeks. In the grand scheme of things, is this okay a wait for this diagnosis? I figure I can have a normal christmas before I focus on surgery etc. Has anyone waited that long to visit BS?

flashlight

Hi, Yes I think this is normal. I waited 2 weeks to get an appointment last November. Your doctor might be taking a long weekend around the Holidays. I had asked to wait to have surgery until after Xmas, but that was a no! Try to enjoy the Holidays. Good luck to you!!

Scrafgal

I live in Houston. I was diagnosed 2 days after Christmas 2016. That night, I self-referred online to MD Anderson and by the next day they had set up a team and my first appointment with the MO, BS and RO was January 2. No joke. It was that fast.

I now volunteer at MDA. I've noticed how much more crowded it seems now...and it seemed pretty crowded when I was being treated. I don't know what to say to you other than: I really value the treatment and care that I received at MDA and would say that it's almost worth the wait. I say that because my PCP had referred me to someone else who, due to the holidays, was out ot the country until Jan 9 and couldn't see me for JUST a consultation until then (no test). MDA kept me all day for two days, testing 6 ways to Sunday (Jan 2 and Jan 3), and I had a firm diagnosis and treatment plan established. The place is amazing, in my opinion, but you will find others who disagree, I suppose.

Best to you. It was hard for me to have a good holiday, to be honest. I was waiting for the biopsy result, literally, from Dec 22 to Dec 27. And then I got the bad news.

As it is, you will be waiting about 2 weeks longer than me, but they will work fast when you get there...

dysonsphere

Thank you! Yes, they mentioned if I did not want to wait I could be referred elsewhere but I know it is a tricky time of year. They have me scheduled for December 31st and I am willing to wait! I just wondered if I was being to optimistic! lol

Scrafgal

dysonsphere,

In the long run, I think you will be happy with this very important decision about where you get your cancer care. To be honest, even though I live less than 15 minutes from MD Anderson, I really didn't know that much about it...until the night I got diagnosed. I was frustrated that my PCP's MO would not even have a consutation scheduled until Jan 9th, and it was Dec 27th.

I was surfing the internet, stressed out in the middle of the night, and I found some online cancer forum. This person online said, "Hey. You are in Houston. You can self-refer to MD Anderson online. They are the best in the world at cancer." I was up all night stressed out. So, I said, why not? The rest is history.

Now that I've been treated at MDA, and volunteer there, I can tell you that the doctors, nurses and staff are pretty amazing.No place is perfect, but I still say AMAZING. The wait times for some doctors can be long after your scheduled appointment, but they don't cancel. They stay late and you will get seen.

They do what they have to do, in order to get fast results to make decisions. For example, I was scheduled for a simple test that turned into an on the spot biopsy, where the doctor then called a mobile pathology unit to the room so that the we could get the results right then (he didn't want to send it off and wait for results in even just 24 hours)! I know that I made somebody's appointment get delayed that day, but we really needed to definitive answer to the issue. After that experience, whenever my MDA doctor is running late, I tell myself that somebody else is must be getting just what they need when they need it...like I did. When I wait now, I see some people get ansy in the waiting room. I share that story to get people to focus on the most important thing about MDA: Getting you the best treatment without delay. Getting you what you need when you need it. Trying to save your life.

I never felt as much hope as I did on the night of Jan 2 (the first of of 2 days of initial testing at MDA). I felt comforted that they knew what they were doing and were not at all intimidated by the cancer that, prior to that day, had kept me so stressed that I could not eat or sleep well. They gave me hope from Day 1! I hope the same for you!

rubyredslippers

I saw my surgeon the following day. He keeps timeslots free to see newly diagnosed women within 24-48 hours I believe. Not too good emotionally to be told to sit and worry for 3 weeks. I've experienced this twice so far.

Yogatyme

I only waited 4 days and could have been seen the next day but wanted DH to go with me and he was out of town, so we waited. 3 weeks is a long time to wait, but if you are going to MD Anderson, the wait is likely worth it. Everyone I know who has been treated there sings their praises. I hope for the best for you

Anonymous

I had a consultation with my breast surgeon the same day as I had a diagnostic mammogram & ultrasound. I saw her right after having these tests done without an appointment. I was told to just show up at her office after the tests to consult with her about the results. She then scheduled my first biopsy 6 days later. My first diagnosis was 4 days after that.

Salamandra

From a treatment point of view, it’s totally fine.

From an emotional/human/anxiety point of view - my wait was two weeks, so shorter than yours - but completely hellish.

I was too scared to do any online research, so that meant I was too ignorant not to realize that my chances that it was metastatic were slim to none, I had absolutely no idea what might happen at my appointment, and thus even more terrified.

So I’d say - it’s worth the wait to get a good treatment team. But do take care yourself better than I did. Ask questions here, and ask your pcp for something to help with the anxiety if that’s an issue for you.

Anonymous

My breast surgeon warned me about internet surfing. She said there's a lot of good information out there but a lot of bad information, too. She told me to stick to only reputable sites.