Jump to content

Oncologist called today


Justakid

Recommended Posts

Just to recap......saw a new Onco, he wanted me checked for breast cancer, just to make sure.........had a PET Scan and breast MRI, he also had additional "smears" done on my tissue from surgery.

He called and left me a message today that the results were "interesting" and he wanted to discuss them tomorrow "face to face". What the hell does that mean! :cry:

I am going out of mind wondering what that means! I'm trying to keep it together till tomorrow but not suceeding very well right now. Thank goodness im home and not at work. This has been one long roller coaster ride. I thought after treatment things would settle down for a short time. Yeah right

I'm also mad, cause something showed up (good or bad) there is something there. My other Onco wasn't going to do testing for almost a year. I have asked for a PET Scan since my very first treatment and was told I didn't need it. :x

Upset, mad, confused........and wondering what the hell "interesting" means.

Thanks for listening! I'll let you know what he says.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I TOTALLY agree with Shelly. Just call and tell them that you simply cannot stand to wait until tomorrow and you MUST talk to him now or you are going to kill yourself. NO!!! NO!!!! NO!!! That was just a joke. Don't tell them that, but get as close as you can without them calling the cops! LOL! If that doesn't work, go and stand at the receptionist's desk and tell her you are not moving until they give you the report or let you talk to the doctor. I guess I'm probably going a little overboard here, but . . . . WHO CARES!!

Do some of these doctors even have a clue how hard it is to wait? Beth, these aren't even my tests, or my husband's tests, but I am feeling the very same anxiety for YOU that I feel as we sit and wait for our results.

Go get'em!!

Love,

Peggy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In October 2000 I received a call telling me my mammogram looked suspicious and I should have a biopsy done to be sure. It drove me crazy even knowing that. Just to let you know, I eventually did have a lumpectomy done as they found cancer that was still within the cell, and I have been found to cancer free now for four years. Even if it turns out not so good news, remember there is much success now in this department.

Wishing you the best,

Cyndy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Early this year I was told I had to have a repeat mammogram , they saw Calcium. 3 months later I had it, they still saw calcium and told me to forget it there was no change. Perhaps you have calcium.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beth, go to his office and request a copy of the report and then sit in the waiting room and read it. If you have any questions, I would ask to speak to the Dr. or a nurse and tell them you will wait. I always get copies of my reports before my Dr. even gets them. I go to the place where I had the test done and ask for it. They ask to see ID and they give it to me. These belong to you not them.

In the meantime, I will be praying for "interesting" and nothing worse than that. You just take care of yourself and be just as "pro-active" about your health as you need to be. Please let us know when you do.

Love and hugs,

Nancy B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nancy, that is good advice for Beth, if it works. It doesn't work in Indy, at least not with some places. We have this crappy little sub-paragraph in our statute that basically says they do not have to release the reports if giving the information could have the potential of being harmful to the patient. They use that excuse to NOT give us our reports until the doctor's appointment has come and gone - regardless of whether the results are positive or negative.

I had a CT scan about a year ago and INSISTED they give me the written report because it was MY report, MY body, and I paid for it. They wouldn't budge! And let me tell you - I can't think of ANYTHING that makes me as mad as this does.

I work for attorneys and have thought about trying this: Take a HIPAA authorization that is signed by my husband (or me, if I'm the patient), and requesting the report be released to the attorney. I think they would HAVE to comply. The only problem is that there is no statutory requirement that they send it immediately, but I think they would if the request was faxed with a cover letter from the attorney and a request that the report be faxed ASAP. I think they legally have 30 days to comply.

Peggy

P.S. There are a couple of places that have provided the report, so I know it's simply a matter of "their" discretion. GRRRRRRRR! This is really a BIG hot button with me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beth

Pls call him back today. "Interesting" is used as a eupheimism (sp) but is used for so many things, but not usually really bad things..... I think so, anyway.

I just hate that you are being made to wait and wait. It seems life goes into a kind of holding pattern during all this waiting.....

love and fortitude

elaine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I'd call and if he won't discuss it over the phone, I'd insist on an appointment today.

As to the copies, what I started doing when I was having all the trouble getting copies of my records recently was to ask the people I'm dealing with what their names/titles are, and who they work for. Then, I ask for directions to the CEO's office, and I go there with a written report of what happened and who said what to me.

I had a PET scan on 11/23, and didn't have an appointment to go to the Oncologist until the 29th. I didn't insist on knowing that one, as I knew the schedule, and just thought I'd not worry about it over the holiday weekend. Of course, no one called and said it was "interesting" either.

Hope you will let us know as soon as you can once you find out.

Di

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ditto, I would call and badger and at least get an idea of what it means.

I can't imagine a dr calling and saying the resutls are interesting if it is bad bad though, that would not be the right word, at least I wouldn't think so.

Let us know

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Beth

Webster's defines interest(ing) as...concern,curiosity;exciting thing. I doubt that helps, but we can just skim over the first 1 and assume its a curiosily exciting thing he has seen. I can imagine he would call and tell you this and it be bad bad news. I dont know how thats normaly done, but this doesnt seem like the way it would be handled

PLease let us know and in the mean time, extra prayers coming your way, hopefully to ease your mind until you can get to see the doc and he can tell you about your unremarkable MRI.

Kim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys.

I didn't call, by the time I got away from work my 8yr old was home from school. He has been through so much with this cancer thing, I just couldn't do it. If it wasn't good news I would have lost it and he would have become upset.

Just to explain how this has affected him......when I shaved my head because my hair was falling out, he cried and would not come near me for a few hours. It was 1 week before school started and we discussed that he needed a hair cut before school started. He refused, finally I convinced him that they would not shave his head and that he would not look like me. I had to reasure him and hold him while they cut his hair.

As much as I wanted to call......as tired as I am from lack of sleep.....as worried as I am.....I can look at him while he sleeps and know that he had a good day and didn't worry about Mom's cancer. As far as he knew, I was fine today. No papers came home with his writing saying I wish Mom would be OK or I wish Mom wasn't sick. He should be writing papers about dragons or bugs or other little boy things. Not writing about how he hopes Mom will get better.

Cancer sucks! But we have to try to protect the little ones as much as possible.

Thanks for listening. I'll let ya'll know what happens.................

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beth,

I support you 100% on sacrificing your need to find out results Thursday for your son's need to have a "good day". I would have to say that yesterday (Thursday), you had as close to a "normal" day as you've had in a long time. You were looking out for the happiness and well-being of your little boy, something so very "normal" for any mom!

Here's hoping your news brings more than a smile to your face on Friday! Maybe "interesting" is "disappeared"!

xxoo,

Becky

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beth,

Please let us know what you find out. I'd just like to tell you that I really and truly understand how you feel as a parent trying to protect your baby. My heart goes out to you for all you have been thru, you sound like an amazing mother. In many ways, learning to live with, accept and deal with cancer has made me a much better human being and certainly a much better parent.

God bless,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw the Onco today. Seems when the Nurse checked my pulse and blood pressure, they were through the roof. The Doc came in and asked if I was having problems......well yeah, I'm here to see you!

The PET Scan "Lit up" in the center of my chest.....it could be cancer or from the radiation treatments. Remember I have a hugh scar from the radiation I got in the center of my chest. Anyway, I like to believe that it's radiation scars. He said there was no way to tell till the next test.

My breast MRI was negative. The additional smears he had done on my lung tissue was positive for lung cancer and negative for breast cancer.

He said instead of sitting around and waiting for the next PET Scan in three months we are going to have a pro-active attitude. I start taking TARCEVA as soon as the pharmacy gets it in. He said as long as I can tolerate it and it works, I'll stay on it the rest of my life. I found out that it was $2500 for a 30day supply. I called the insurance company and they WILL pay for it, I couldn't believe it, I almost cried! :cry: This stuff was just approved by the FDA last month and insurance will cover it?! I was trying to figure out how to pay for it, I figured between the credit cards and 401K I had enough money for 10 months. Now I don't have to do that. My Husband WILL NEVER quit his job! Our Insurance had been great through this whole thing!

Anyway, I guess this was all good news. I am praying that the PET Scan results being positive for the center of my chest was because of radiation. I see the Rad Onco on the 15th, I'm gonna ask her opinion then. She was the one that said she felt I could be cured....so we really like her. :lol:

I'm also kinda pissed.....my other Onco wasn't going to do anything (tests) for 6mths +, that just seems wrong. I'm glad I switched Docs even though he made me wait a day. He said I am an interesting case based on my age and I guess all the really big words he used when explaining the results. I ignored the big words and was listening to if it was good or bad. My Mom picked up on everything else. She's hard to convince anything to and she walked out of there feeling great. She's the one with the medical background not me so I'll trust in that.

Hope this Tarceva works! For $2500 a month it BETTER! So I have three whole months to breath easy! :D Until the next PET Scan, when I have to lay in the dark for an hour and go in that damn tube for an hour! :shock:

Thanks for all your support and kind words, it helped last night when I couldn't sleep and I re-read the post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Beth,

I missed this post yesterday and I would have been like the others about the "interesting" message. :? Sometimes, I wonder if doctors put themselves in their patients position before they say those things. The good thing is that the end result sounds good. I will be keeping you in my prayers that the Tarceva will be easy for you to tolerate. You could use at least 3 months to rest easy. Keep us posted.

Hugs,

sue

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Beth, I know this is late BUT I had been waiting and wondering what was happening with your new doctor and tests.

Glad that you have found a doctor that you are more comfortable with and that you are getting some results with the testing. It's exciting to hear about the new drug that you will start. Keep us posted on how it is working for you.

Best wishes,

Wendy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.