I saw the surgeon at Cedars Sinai today. He has agreed to take me as a patient and believes he will be able to provide me with a great result (he is very experienced in dealing with radiated skin . . . my prior surgeon was not and that is how we ended up with some complications).
So, my new surgeon (YAY, I have a new surgeon, one I have confidence in, I am so ecstatic) took some fluid out of my right expander to relieve some of the pressure so I am no longer at a high risk of my skin breaking open (having the expander break through my skin). Surgery still needs to be soon, but, it can wait as long as three weeks now. The hope is to get a date in mid September. However, my new surgeon has a number of conferences to attend in the next month, so, scheduling something is the challenge. But, they seem to be confident that they will be able to get me in for surgery within the appropriate window.
This surgeon is fantastic. Everyone in the office – from the front desk person, the nurse, the physician’s assistant – everyone was just so nice. I felt as though I was absolutely their priority. It was a great experience. So, I feel really good about my decision. Now, I have to deal with my prior surgeon . . . that will not be so easy. I have had a relationship with her for almost a year and a half now. It is going to be tough – telling her that I am letting her go. But, I have to do what is best for my body as I am the one that has to live with it.
Thank you everyone for the prayers and positive thoughts.
I am so tired right now . . . still up in Los Angeles, waiting for a ride, fortunately I have a late check out . . . 2 pm. I think someone is coming to pick me up, but, not exactly sure. In the meantime, I am going to get some rest. I am so relieved and so, so tired.
Love and peace,
Lisa
cancerfree2b 
Hooray! I’m glad you’re no longer ticking. 🙂 And, I’m sure you can get someone to fire Dr. Z for you if you don’t want to confront her. I’ll do it, if you want; I have no emotional investment, and she won’t take it personally coming from me.
Love,
Sandy
Awe, Sandy, you are so sweet. I would love to have someone else do it for me, trust me, I am NOT looking forward to it. BUT, I have had a long standing relationship with her. As much as it is not something I am looking forward to, I feel I owe it to her and to her future patients, to explain why I am leaving.
I was mislead. I was told that she had done hundreds of patients with radiation, yet, when I asked over and over and over again to speak with a patient who she had done that had been radiated, I kept getting put in touch with patients who had never had radiation. I started to wonder if she had ever even done anyone who had been radiated. Or, whether she had any positive results. In any case, she has not been out doing this long enough.
While I am unhappy that I had to go through the complications that I am going through right now . . . if these complications had not arisen, then I would not have sought another opinion and would not have ended up at Cedars Sinai. So, it is a blessing in disguise. It is just too bad that for some reason there has to be a screw up (sorry for the language) in order for me get the long term, excellent care I need and want.
(You remember the fiasco with Burtzo and how it took that outfit coming close to killing me for my insurance to approve my having my UCLA oncologist . . . who is world renown and just a gem. It all works out, but, it seems like they really make it difficult, as in you have to physically pay the price before you can get the care you knew in your gut was the best (I saw Dr. Hurvitz out of pocket for quite some time before I was finally able to get my insurance to agree to let me go to her and cover it).
Now, it is kind of the same thing . . . I knew that I needed someone with more experience than Dr. Z. But, she was the best I could get through my insurance, now that she has made a mistake, they immediately send me to Cedars, immediately approve the surgery and I am on my way . . . but, not without a pretty high physical cost.
So, stupid really. Our system is kind of crap if you ask me. BUT, I am grateful to have coverage and grateful to have this surgeon now.
I hope we can meet up some time soon, maybe grab a bite to eat. Once I find out my surgery date, I will know whether there is time to meet up beforehand . . . assuming, of course, that you are free! 🙂
I look forward to hearing about your trip.
Talk to you soon!
Love,
Lisa