TCHP and not getting the Neulesta, anyone else?

I went for another blood test today hopefully the neutrophils have risen a bit. I will know at 8AM. My issue is with my oncologist's office. I am wondering if I should find another oncologist. I know I am not a very trusting person, and I really feel I must have second opinions and I must research everything. It sure would be nice just to go in and let them do all the medical research and make the right decisions

A bit of my background as to why I can't just trust them.

1. Abnormal mammogram of right breast at a local hospital, call back was 2 weeks later.
(most call backs are within days or hours of an abnormal result, this delayed my treatment for 2 full weeks.)

2. At the call back, 2 weeks later, Local radiologist diagnosed breast cancer with a clinically palpated tumor, and ultrasound of tumor, a BiRad score of 5. and recommendation of needle core biopsy and breast surgeon appointment. I wanted a 2nd opinion to read my radiology reports before any surgeries or biopsy. That proved very difficult.
(finally found a 2nd opinion radiological consult at another hospital, the result was suspicious area in the other breast, requesting ultrasound and biopsy of both breasts BiRads score at this radiologist's consult of 4C both breasts, had I not insisted, they never would have found the cancer in my left breast, it was a larger tumor than the right.

3. After the biopsies,at the new medical center, about 2 hours out of town, the tumors were different, one was Her2+ and the other was Her2-. Both were Estrogen +, and one was Progesterone - and one was +. The KI-67 were quite different as well. The characteristics of both tumor surgery pathologies came back much different than either of the biopsies, I was on neoadjuvant hormone therapy and that inhibited the characteristics of both. However, that was never considered in the treatment options by my oncologist. He felt I did not need chemo. Oncotype score was 17 and 19. Mammaprint low. With not accurate info, and the left breast was never sent in, only the right. Her+ is not accurate, and extranodal is not accounted for either.
(2nd opinion Dr. recommended chemo and my oncologist agreed to keep me happy. TC x4.

4. 2nd opinion oncologist redid the pathology of the surgery and biopsies. Came to the conclusion I was Her2+, it was NOT a false positive in the previous report. He believes I have heterogenous tumors and need to be treated as Her2+. He personally contacted my oncologist and recommended herceptin and perjeta. Chemo was changed to TCHP x4 after 2 TC treatments.
(without this 2nd opinion I never would have been treated with chemo, or have been treated for Her2+)

5.After the change of chemo, I was seen by the nurse practitioner, not the Dr himself. She felt that with the change of chemo, it was no longer necessary to have the neulasta injection. I trusted her. Big mistake. I should have looked up the risk myself, she said 4% was the risk for neutropenia with these chemo drugs, but it is more like 79%. I got neutropenia. Big surprise.

I had the blood report of July 26th faxed to my oncologist's office at 7AM and waited until about noon for them to call me and give me direction as to my low counts and a plan of action. They did not call, I called them after noon. I asked if they had gotten my blood report faxed to them. After checking, and seeing they received it and I was neutropenic. Remember, I called them, they did not call me. They informed me of all the precautions, no fruits or vegetables unless cooked well, and no cauliflower or broccoli at all, no rare meat. Only well cooked meat.. No hugging,kissing, touching or shaking hands, no crowded places and not to be around anyone sick. The typical precautions they warn you about anyways. They also said my chemo was on hold and so was my port surgery for next week unless my numbers rebounded. I was told to go for another CBC 72 hours before I went back for my next chemo. They said to go Aug 4, a friday. I was caught off guard and did not have any questions and had to process all this so I agreed and we hung up. The more I thought about it and after I posted here, it dawned on me that this was ridiculous for them to just discontinue my safety net (neulasta) protecting me from neutropenia and risking my surgery and chemo. I need chemo for my very survival, delaying it is not in my best interest and the 79% risk was very high I needed that boost to my neutrophils and WBC I did not get.

I decided to go to a clinic and get a blood test today. I also sent an email to my oncologist this weekend (who is out of the office, he left a reply to contact the office) informing him I wanted to be proactive in warding off any delay to my treatment and also sent a portal message to my oncologists team with the same info. I asked for a prescription for neupogen. I got no results at all. I called them again on Monday at 3:00PM. I was met with a very unfriendly nurse. She claimed there is no way they will give me the neupogen. There are a million things they need to check, and it is not something I should be concerned about. I should just sit home and wait. I reminded her, if I just sat home and waited I would not know how my blood was until it was too late to do something. I want to be sure I do not miss my treatment and if the best chance was to find a way to get this injection, then I need to find a way to get it. She asked when I got my blood test, I said I just did it the results will be in tomorrow morning and if I need this drug, I need to make arrangements for a DR appointment now to get in. Their answer was to just chill and wait. I explained if I just chilled and waited and did what they told me to do, I still would not have had a blood test, and when I did (Aug 4th,) it would be too late to remedy the situation if my blood was still too low for chemo or surgery, she did not want to hear that and then I pretty much gave up. I told her not to worry, that I know they are very busy and I am sure there are other people much more important than I am and that I would not bother them again with such minor issues. I will just sit and wait and hope all goes well. I so much want to switch my oncologist. I really don't want to switch my care, Everyone else there is wonderful. I really do love that place, but the oncologist is the one I need to deal with more than anyone else.

Anyone else switch their oncologist mid treatment? Is it possible to change and not have a delay? I need to trust my doctor and his nurses, and I do not.

Congratulations Intergragirl!

I get to say that in 6 more weeks, I have 2 more cycles to go for this regime, then the HP for 14 more cycles, but I will be very happy to be done with the taxotere and carboplatin.

I only had bone pain from the neulasta and when I premedicate with claritin, I don't have any pain at all. I will know more tomorrow if I have a reaction to the neupogen, but I plan to premedicate for that too with claritin.