This time I “won”. I will be getting Herceptin on Monday. Still, I have missed over three weeks of Herceptin treatments simply because I have a jerk of an oncologist. you can read more about my earlier trials with this man from prior postings. My hands still hurt quite a bit and I am basically hunting and pecking rt now, so this will be somewhat brief. I don’t have the energy to get into just how I convinced my oncologist to let me have the life saving drug Herceptin this Monday (rather than continue to wait weeks longer for it). But, let’s just say that I decided to no longer even attempt to be pleasant or appear deferential to his “expertise”. Instead, I told his PA that if he didn’t call me back today that I would be leaving and that he would never hear the end of me, that I would tell my story every where I had an opportunity to do so and that my first audience would be every board member for the the Women’s Breast Care Center and Women’s Pavillion at Hoag and that I would be sending it via certified mail tomorrow along with emailed copies.
He called me back for the very first time ever. I told him I had nearly lost one month out of the 12 months of Herceptin treatments that are standard protocol for treating my cancer. I asked him why he did not agree with the rest of the world (UCLA in particular). He says now that he does agree with them, but he was just being “cautious”.
Again, he “went over my case with me” and in doing so was completely wrong – wrong on the pathology report, wrong on how much chemotherapy I had been through and even wrong on one of the chemo drugs I had been given. This is what I have to deal with on a day when I should have been in bed all day. I have never been so physically exhausted.
Anyway. some progress has been made. I still do not have any confidence in my oncologist and I still MUST find a new one. But, I want to keep my surgeons, especially my reconstruction surgeon. Amazing. I can not believe how well the surgery went. The reconstruction surgeon came in after my first surgeon (also excellent) performed the mastectomy. So as soon as one side was completed (mastectomy-wise) my reconstruction surgeon came in and worked on one side and then moved to the next. The total procedure (with both surgeons) was 6 1/2 hours.
Well today, I got to see the incision and it was incredible, I am absolutely amazed at what they did. I knew they were good and I knew that my reconstruction surgeon was one of the best in the country, but still, I am amazed. And, she isn’t even done yet (there are a few steps I need to go through). My reconstruction surgeon was very pleased with the healing so far and believes there will be no scarring. In any case, it is truly amazing. The advances made in just the past few years are truly remarkable. So, on that end, I feel very blessed.
Just have to find a new oncologist.
There is a possibility that I will be allowed to switch for just the oncology portion of my care to UCLA and stay for the reconstruction part of my care (and surgical follow ups) with Hoag. I have to file a grievance and go through a formal process through which hopefully will result in my insurance company agreeing that I can split up my care in this fashion. I hope so. Please say some prayers for me on this, I really, really hope it will work out.
Well, I am pretty spent right now. I am doing better, but today was a bit of set back physically and emotionally and pain wise simply because I had to deal with my oncologist. But, I am now going to bed. My Mom is here staying the night with me – which I so appreciate. So, I should get a decent amount of sleep tonight.
Love to you all and please continue to keep me and my family in your prayers.
cancerfree2b 
Leave a Reply