Seroma drained...mad...venting a bit!

Chelee · June 2007

I've had a seroma for OVER a yr. Its been drained ONCE until recently when I PUSHED my surgeon to do something about it! So he says we can drain it again. (this will be 2nd time in over a yr!) My seroma is BIGGER now then the 1st time he drained it. The 1st time it was drained they got out 44cc's of fluid. So this time I go in & get some DIFFERENT doctor & he drains it really *quickly* and starts to leave. I ask how much he got out of there? He says 31cc's. I said the other doctor got *alot* more last time when the seroma was smaller then it is now...so why did you get LESS?! (I have been in pain & misrable so I wanted an explanation!)

He looks at me & says, "I don't know...but thats good enough", & he WALKS OUT. I am ticked off...why is it JUST GOOD enough for me & done right for everyone else. I didn't go in there to have a NEEDLE stuck in my chest just to drain a SMALL portion of it out. I wanted the entire seroma drained like the 1st time. I didn't do this just for fun. If they aren't going to do it right...why bother! I am tired of this lackadaisical attitude they take towards me when it comes to everything it seems. If I am going to have needles stuck in my chest & risk possible infection...I want it done right. (Sorry, but venting!)

Has anyone else here had a seroma drained and the doctor just drained a *little* of the fluid out and didn't care if he fully drained it?

Chelee

roseg · June 2007

Are you still gonna switch health plans this summer?

It must seems like these people are a disaster for you!

Chelee · June 2007

Hi Rose, These people are a disaster and then some! These HMO's lock you into a GROUP and your stuck...I HATE it...especially when its your life your talking about.

I did run up to a larger cancer center for the 2nd time 2 wks ago. That onc is NOT happy with the way I have been treated at all. I have alot of issues right now and my onc could careless. So this 2nd opinon onc has gotten involved and called my onc to tell her I need a whole battery of test run on me and to set her straight on some things. I would of LOVED to see my onc face when this 2nd opinion onc called her.

In fact...thats HOW I got my surgeon to OK me to get the seroma drained....I said if you don't want to do it FINE...just tell me. I said I will talk to the other cancer center about it and see what they think. Next thing you know he had an appt set for me to get right in. He was SO AFRAID of what the other cancer center would think. But its ridiculous I have to go that far to get my onc and surgeon to do what their suppose too. Argh!

Chelee

Anonymous · June 2007

A friend of mine is taking me to 'SICKO', the new Michael Moore movie. Have not always agreed with all of his work in the past. But taking on the health care system (or lack of), is a subject so very personally important for us.

I know there are some good docs out there.....there are also some very bad ones. So sorry you have these issues. It just makes my blood boil! Hey, maybe boiling blood will kill off some of these cancer cells floating around in me!

Trying to turn lemons into lemonade,
Bethie

CTG · June 2007

I would suggest you get a second opinion at the other center. It is never a good thing when there is no communication between you and the doctor. If you do not get the respect you deserve Time for a New Doctor!
I wish you the best
CTG
dx fall05 stage4 liver and bone mets
dx fall06 brain mets / spring07 brain mets gone

Chelee · June 2007

Bethie, Personally I can't stand Michael Moore but in this case I am THRILLED he made this movie! Some people that never get sick just DON'T realize how BAD our health care system is. The more attention that is focused on this the better. And his movie will do that. I've never agreed with much of anything he has had to say but this time he is right on target. I've been telling family, friends and even my primary doc for YEARS that our health care system needs a MAJOR overall.

I wish I could say what my PCP has been telling me for years about it. Its not pretty as I am sure you all know. I really believe most of what I have HAD to advocate and FIGHT for in my care is due to them wanting to SAVE money. So I couldn't agree with you anymore on this one Bethie.

Bethie, I liked your comment about your blood boiling. lol

Chelee

teacher06 · June 2007

I am so sorry for your troubles with your doctor. I had a seroma drained twice by my breast surgeon, not my onc. The second time she used ultrasound as she drained to be sure she got every bit of fluid. Both drainages were done within a couple of weeks of my surgery. Why on earth did they make you wait so long? Was it an insurance issue or a doctor's opinion issue?

Chelee · July 2007

teacher6, That's the question of the year? I've had several different doctors ask me many times WHY the seroma is not being dealt with? I tell them my surgeon just makes excuses for not doing it. Once he told me, "I don't want to keep draining it because we could puncture a lung and you could end up in the hospital". Then he said its not worth the risk of infection. (Its always something.)

This was ONLY the 2nd time I got him to drain it in OVER a year. Yet other women have had their seroma's drained many times with no problems. I told my surgeon I am in PAIN...it hurts and burns in there. I told him I can't take it anymore. I really believe my surgeon and onc is ALL about SAVING MONEY at my expense. My insurance WILL pay for it...but I have a feeling these doctors are getting kick backs or bonuses for saving money?

Sounds like you have a GREAT surgeon..at least he made sure he got ALL the fluid out unlike mine. Thanks for your reply teacher.

Chelee

Seroma drained...mad...venting a bit!

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