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Thank you for your kind response. 😊 Some days I’m fine, other days my emotions sweep over me. My cancer diagnosis/journey has been a total disconnected one. When the radiologist kept apologizing during my post DX Mammo Breast U/S I thought why are you apologizing? Then it clicked Omg she sees CA. I would rather her say nothing at during it….
Then after my core needle bx (a week later done by another radiologist ) was over I was given a Breast Cancer tote bag with mints & nail files…..Hot pink ice pack (no literature in the tote at all) & I was sent on my merry way! I thought really?! I’m given this without having an official BC diagnosis yet…..It’s putting the cart before the horse….Really not cool!
I’ve picked my surgeon, & oncologist, plastic surgeon all separately based on my insurance plan…..Now I’m looking for a radiation oncologist…..I have no idea what treatment I’ll need after surgery & it feels so disconnected.
I talk to other BC patients who have a whole team coordinating their care!
I’m stressed, confused & overwhemed & saddened by all this ..Once surgery is over & my path results are back I’ll be able to see where my journey will go….In the meantime I will pray hard, stay positive & take one day at a time…….
Replies to "Thank you for your kind response. 😊 Some days I’m fine, other days my emotions sweep..."
Ask your oncologist office for a patient coordinator visit. They usually have one and can help you with this. Also they can help you find a radiation oncologist within your network if you need one. If not your primary care might be able to get you some help with coordinating care.
Are you going to a local cancer center, or a large cancer center or university?
A cancer diagnosis is a scary and devastating. I was terrified when it happened to me in 2014. "Don't get ahead of yourself." was good advice. You should not have to seek out specialists. I agree with the others: your primary doctor should be referring you to the specialists. Once you get to the Cancer Care area of your hospital, mine was MDAnderson, you should be assigned a nurse navigator. One thing that MDA offered that helped me mentally was Laugh Yoga. I encourage you to look at the programs that help your mental health, too.
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When I was diagnosed I went within minutes from the radiologist who detected the cancer to a breast surgeons office who coordinated my care. I will say that coordination was both a blessing and a curse but at the end it worked out OK. The breast surgeons office referred me to medical oncologist and radiation oncologist and plastic surgeon. Scheduling in hospitals now is crazy!!! I did not get a tote bag I got a binder filled with information and a video, I had fantastic surgeons.