Anyone in Seattle Wa

runalot08
runalot08 Member Posts: 163
edited June 2014 in Recommend Your Resources

I am getting approved to leave Japan and come to Seattle for a breast specialist.  Looking for someone who has seen IBC and can rule it out.  Anyone have a suggestion?

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  • PSK07
    PSK07 Member Posts: 781
    edited December 2008

    runalot - that's a long way for a consult!  I don't know off hand as I am at the very low end of the cancer scale.  There is the gaunlet to run at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance  http://www.seattlecca.org  (University of Washington Hospitals + Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center) - one of their highly-regarded breast specialists (Gralow) is on the BC.org board (?) and it is a NCCI facility.  From what I've been told, it can be daunting to get through the system, but there are some good people there. 

    At the Swedish Cancer Institute, there are oncologists who treat nothing but BC as well as a couple who are very well known for their research acumen and treat BC and Ovarian cancer.  http://www.swedish.com  .

    http://www.swedish.org/body.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=28&action=detail&ref=474.  I go to the woman mentioned in the press release. 

    best to you. hope it works out.

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  • runalot08
    runalot08 Member Posts: 163
    edited December 2008

    Well they have been consulting me here (general surgeon not a breast specialst as there are none here) and can not find the reason for my problems.  Most of my problems started in July/Aug.  They have tried ruling out IBC.  However, they have no MRI to do any breast scans.  The military has nothing breast wise in this region and were going to send me to Hawaii or to California.  I asked if Seattle was any further as it is a major hub and I have family there.  My mom went to Valley Medical breast Care for her cancer.  So, I know that is there and I did look at Sweedish.  I just wanted to make sure I got to some place that had a doc that had seen or dealt with IBC before. I will feel more comfortable with a specialist so I can truly rule it out.  Once it is ruled out my doc is having my implants out as it is kind of the last resort as to why my breast is swelling with an occsional red rash, it is very painful sometimes just the breast and then pain radiates into my arm pit.  My nodes under that arm are palpable also.  I actually found tiny little ones in my abdomen that I have never felt before.  We had one skin BX come back negative but the clinical symptoms are worrying me.  I told the doc that I prefer they send me to a breast specialist before they go removing the implants and doing any more damage. 

     Thank you very much for your info

    Runalot

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  • PSK07
    PSK07 Member Posts: 781
    edited December 2008

    I did send you a PM with names in it.  If it were me, I would go to one of the major cancer centers - Swedish, Seattle CCA or Virginia Mason. I love my surgeon and the others at Northwest Hospital, and my mom had a great oncologist there, but they deal with all the cancers, not just breast. I'd guess that Valley is much the same as NW.  With the possibility of IBC, you probably do want a specialist as that is nothing to play around with.

    The oncologist at Swedish immediately called for the slides to re-run the pathology & make sure that the diagnosis was correct (it was).  She also spent a lot of time with me discussing risk and a go-forward plan.  She is known to my surgeon & he said she is a great doctor. For me, with DCIS, LCIS, and ALH, risk reduction is of high importance & I was pleased to find a doctor who didn't brush me off, looking for a higher-grossing patient.

    P.

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  • runalot08
    runalot08 Member Posts: 163
    edited December 2008

    Thank you, I got everything.  I really like the help I got over the phone from Swedish.  Everyone did what was needed and were very efficient. 

    Take care and thanks again.

    Vickie

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  • PSK07
    PSK07 Member Posts: 781
    edited December 2008

    I'm happy that Swedish was helpful. I really like the people in that office.

    I hope that you are able to get the tests you need and if you have to come over to Seattle it all works out for the best with good - benign - results.

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  • runalot08
    runalot08 Member Posts: 163
    edited December 2008

    Thank you very much!

    Again I appreciate the information.

    runalot

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  • Heathersmom
    Heathersmom Member Posts: 46
    edited December 2008

    I went to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in Seattle and was very impressed by the facility and the doctors, nurses, and receptionists. They had the whole team there, breast specialist surgeons, oncology doctors, and radiologists. I was there for a second opinion and felt the doctor was really looking at my situation and giving me her opinion and not just agreeing with the 1st doctor I went to. She gave me additional ideas and what she would do if she were my doctor. I highly recommend this facility.

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  • runalot08
    runalot08 Member Posts: 163
    edited December 2008

    Heathersmom,

    Thank you very much for your advice I will be thinking on it.  The time has not come yet for me to go they now have switched me to going somewhere else.  If need be these suggestions are at the top of my list.

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