Schedule for follow-up after RT, with whom and when?

[quietcorner]

My partner finished RT a few months ago, and the MO at the center scheduled a teleconference with him for a follow-up. That day is coming soon. Shouldn't the MO have also sent in an order for blood work, or isn't there something more required? Or is it going to be only a call to ask how he's feeling, and issues urinating, etc?

[fireandice123]

I can tell how things went for me post-RT.

My RO and MO worked very closely together. They are in the same hospital which helps. They are in constant communication with each other. Any bloodwork was ordered by my MO. He just creates standing orders for PSA, testosterone, and CMP tests. He certainly wants to have those tests immediately prior to any appointments with him and that’s communicated to me but I can go in on my own and have a PSA test whenever I want. Occasionally I have had a PSA test on my own if I’m feeling some anxiety.

After RT I saw my RO about a month after RT ended tp go over any lingering SEs. I saw him again after 3 months, 6 months and 1 year.

My usual schedule with my MO is seeing him every 3 or 4 months and that continued after RT. So post-RT I saw my RO before I saw my MO but no bloodwork was done until my 3 month appt with my MO. The body needs a period of time to ‘settle down’ after RT to get an accurate picture before any bloodwork is done.

I would definitely be questioning the MO about what they are expecting for the upcoming appointment. That should be communicated with you. IMHO without bloodwork results the value of the appointment would be pretty limited.

[quietcorner in reply to fireandice123]

This is incredibly helpful, exactly the info I am looking for. Thanks a bunch.

[Mgtd in reply to quietcorner]

The above is exactly what I experienced. My MO and RO alternate visits now so I get to see one of them every 3 months. Their offices are in the same building with the radiation equipment.

They stopped doing T test once the T rose to about 250. They told me it was at saturation level.

[Tall_Allen]

His RO is the one he should be talking to (not his MO) AFTER he has had his PSA and T tests done locally. It would help he also fills out the IPSS questionnaire:

baus.org.uk/_userfiles/page...

[quietcorner in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thank you, I printed it out.

[Billyeff]

It doesn't sound like he really wants to see test results. But, if he changes his mind, he can get them all on his own. I now use Walk-in-Labs for about $45/test and have been doing my own monitoring for years. It's all online and very easy, with them providing the required prescription.

[quietcorner in reply to Billyeff]

I'm pretty certain he does want to see the results; unfortunately, he comes from a different generation/has a different mindset, "I don't want to be a bother". My very elderly parents have the exact same mindset, and it frustrates the heck out of me; I'm always telling them to speak up! ask questions! take control of your own health. But it's just the way most of their generation was raised. Last night I had a talk with hubby and told him that nowadays the medical community is overworked and understaffed and people are falling through the cracks all the time (it's happened to him already) and you have to be on top of things, no passivity allowed.

Thanks for the tip about the Walk-In labs.

[j-o-h-n]

Yep us "old" generationals are the "I don't want to be a bother" types. It's in our DNA and just can't tell the "new" generationals to go suck their eh... thumbs.... It's not our age, it's our upbringing....Don't be hard on your dear Husband or your Parents, they come from an age where there was respect for Doctors (who made house calls) and for people in general. I'm from the OLD NORMALS and I say to and about the New Normals "MY name is Donald Duck and I don't give a flying feather"......Don't knock the poor guy......

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n