May 2013 surgeries

Mel-Don't worry about your work..believe me .I was there 10 minutes and felt like 3 months hadn't passed.  I knew that would happen, but had worked my self into a stomach ache from nerves going back. Now, Im just dying to get back to what I do.  I finished all my classes today and will be on phones tomorrow. I hope all goes well with yours!

Lisa-You know you are in my prayers!  I hope you have a non stressful vacation!!

Honey, you are in my prayers. Melanie, have fun on your first day back. Lisa, I will have you in my prayers.



I will post picture on fb when we get her. It is looking like Saturday morning. She is in Greenville, SC and she is being brought down to us, I will meet them somewhere in Atlanta I think.

Mel good luck today.



Run, good luck on #3. Hope it went well and keep us posted.



Your all in my thoughts daily.



Love n light

Hi everyone. Well I worked until 5:30 today. Stayed busy the whole time. It was a really good feeling. I look forward to going back to work regularly.



Melanie: I hear a lot of good things about Renee.



Liamsgrand: I know what you mean about the TE. I hope you will be able to do the tissue flap. It would probably match your other one better than an implant would.

Melanie, when I had PT, that is the area that the therapist said was really tight, and causing the pain in my arm. He massaged it before I did my exercises to loosen it up.

Could it be the way you laid on that spot?  Like it was pinching there?  Not sure where the spot is on your chest but if you lay on your side, sometimes your chest scrunches?  I've been putting two larger pillows under my top arm to keep compression of my chest down (and therefore pain while sleeping)

So, I got news yesterday that SHOULD be good news, but I am frustrated and annoyed and angry and depressed...



My oncologist called yesterday about my biopsy results. (Actually, he returned my call as I had called him to see if he had spoken to my gyn.). According to him, I should go back on the tamoxifen. He claims that he ever told me that I shouldn't take the tamoxifen any more, only to stop until we got the biopsy results. He claims he never told me that I HAD to go on an AI instead of tamoxifen, and that I would have to do something about my ovaries, but rather that would be the path if the biopsy came back malignant. He also says I may have to do something still if I continue to have problems with spotting.



I KNOW what I heard the first time. I am upset for several reasons. I am sick and tired of having my period every 14-18 days. I am worried that others will think I'm an idiot and "must have misunderstood" my first conversation with my doctor. My maximum out of pocket is met NOW, and I don't want to put the surgery off only to find I need to do it anyway, and have to pay for 100% of it. I can't believe that the doc didn't take decent notes from our first conversation. What's changed? Why? Is it valid to change his opinion, or is he off his rocker?



I know I am more emotional this week, as it was my first week back to work full time and I am very tired, but I need some support here and I don't know what to do!

Steph: I am sorry your are so frustrated. These Doctors think they never make mistakes. They get so busy they don't spend the time with the patient that they need to. We are just numbers to them most of the time. I hope you can get all of this straight. I have my out of pocket met also and anything I need done I want it done this year so I don't have to shell out any more money. It's expensive enough as it is. It will get better. Hugs to you.

Steph, I can only imagine how you must feel. I don't have any advice to give you, but please know I'm thinking about you. I've been frustrated with my MO who I literally see for only about 5 minutes at a time. I swear she is mentally onto the next patient. This doesn't compare with what you are experiencing, but I do understand the frustration part of it.



Ann

Hey Steph, I would be talking to another doctor. I would let the new dr know what your fears and your expectations are and let him know you have your deductable met so you would rather have this surgery now rather than next year. Cyber hugs.



Cyndie, I would put some powder on it and see if that helps. See what tomorrow brings. Hopefully it is all better then.

Ugh, Steph I tried several times to respond to your post but we were driving through the mountains and everytime I finished the post I got thrown off the internet! Anyways, it must be very frustrating for you. Wonder if the MO got you confused with something else? Chinneymae is right, some of them think they can do no wrong. And the good ones are so busy.....when I went to the MO for the first time a couple of weeks ago I felt like I was in a cattle prod..so many people in and out! I agree that it is a good idea to have someone else go with you. My appointments have been extremely overwhelming for me...feels like information overload (and I'm a nurse and actually used to do oncology and chemo). I feel like when the doctors start giving me all the info my brain shuts down. I try to reiterate back to the docs what I heard from them so they can confirm or correct. I think that is helpful. I agree with the other posts about talking to your doc about all the issues: your feelings, your frustrations, and your financial/insurance concerns. I'm in the position right now that I just started a new plan year on 7/1 and my co-pays and deductibles increased quite a bit. Fortunately my biopsy and BMX costs were covered at 100% because they were in May and June, but now I am in a new year and starting over. I realized that I had to bite the bullet and transfer money from savings to cover the expense.

I'm sorry I'm late here.. but I just wanted to give you a (((((BIG HUG))))) Steph.  I'm sorry this is happening.  Is there a way to get a second opinion.  Even to just tell him that NO this is what I heard and understood.  Make it not about him, but about you.  This is what "I" heard.. what "I" understood.  I also agree with the others about taking people with you to your appointments, especially if it's an onco one.  As well as a notebook to write in, and tell him to slow down and repeat as your taking notes.  They usually are more thorough when you do that.  Because I always confirm what I have written to make sure that it was exactly what they said! Puts it back to them.  

Ughhhh ladies.. I woke up today with total "runs"  I thought I was over this.  I relaxed all weekend, sat in bed, watched TV, played my pogo (anyone else?)  Took care of ME and I woke up to this?  I also feel much more swollen today too.  My MX site feels so sore.. like a ballon with a rubber band around it.  OY.  But on a good note.. my head feels clear.  I just hate waking up too early.  Not sure what I'm gonna be like tomorrow when I hit work and have to be up by 7. 

Thanks Mel.. that's good to know.  I had my hubby go talk to the pharmacist to be sure it didn't interact with ANY of the meds I am on.  I'm on a zillion (ok, not but it feels like it).  I have it on my list for the onco.. and I will call them tomorrow if I still have it.  They said they might want to run some "test" to be sure I don't have an infection or anything.  

Honeybunny, you make a great point that Steph should talk to the doctor and make it about her and not about him. "This is what I heard....." That may help him to rethink how he phrases stuff. The night before I got my biopsy results I was at a meeting about end-of-life decision making (I work in long-term care) and there was a MO who talked about delivering the message and how important it is to give clear information and to check for understanding. Sounds like this is the case for Steph. Maybe the MO does not know how to give clear information very well.

For myself it was kind of ironic that I heard that doctor speak. I remember thinking.....what if that was me that was getting the message? How would I take it? And the next day.....I understood how important it is to give clear information and to reiterate it several times.

Steph..... hope it all works out for you and you can get better clarification.

Martha

I agree Heather.  I think I already said this, but I have chemo brain.  At one point we were told taxol was weekly for 4 rounds.  We thought that meant 4 weeks total.  Then we found it 1 round is 3 weeks.  Okay, so we misunderstood.  We were told 3 weeks on, one week off = one round.  So, when the 4th week came and they tried to schedule me for chemo the following week, I blew up.  Both my husband and I understood that she said 3 weeks on, one week off (after already having thought it was 4 weeks total).  Confronted her and she apologized that she said the wrong thing.

I staye with her regardless because I really did like her, and an apology goes a long way for me.  Never had another issue though.