Allot going on right now - mostly all good! My energy level is up, pain level is down (except for joint issues), I'm actually putting on makeup to go out, I'm driving myself around more, dressing better, I've even gone back to my sculpting and loving it! So I go into my Oncologist's office today for my 2 month checkup and don't see my doctor, but his Assistant. She seemed to be in a bad mood and basically contradicted everything I said. I explained about my RA was flaring up worse with each Exemestane and how I tried to use it with my Ibrance & without my Ibrance (I'm 7 days on, 7 days off) and my body simply can't handle it. She put me on a new anti-inflammatory starting immediately and told me to get back on the Inhibitor. She said that it can't cause the bigger joint pain, only small joint pain! Look, it's my body and I know what happened while I was taking the Inhibitor. Same thing happened 6 years ago! Then I told her that we were praying for NED in my next Pet scan the end of July and she snorted and waved that comment off like I was stupid. (At my last appt with my Oncologist, he suggested that I very well could end up with just scar tissue and no tumors next scan). Anyway, she continued to fuss or argue with me till I shut up and sat back. I came in the office all bouncy and happy. It was like a slap in the face. I was so stunned at her additude that I forgot to go by the front desk to pick up my next 2 appts that the Assistant scheduled on the computer. So I called the office and basically got a dressing down for not following appt protocol and I was told that they would mail me my appt schedule! I was so excited at my previous appt after hearing fantastic news on my PET scan that I had forgotten to get my appt then, too. I called that afternoon and they happily told me the date and time! The only thing I can figure is that there has been a change in their office recently and for some reason, everyone was in a bad mood!
Oh well, I still feel better, I know I'm going to beat this and I'm sorry they were having a bad day!
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Survivornow
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Getting shut down is disgusting and I as a nurse don’t do well at all with that;being a patient with this diagnosis is difficult enough. I would not have been as graceful as you were. You became quiet: she was offensive, that’s the bottom line. You held your head up with grace and dignity. I applaud you.
I could not get my onc for 10 days. First he had a week off, mon a death in the family. I left a message Monday morning with his clinical asst. No phone call. This morning 9 am I called again. Seeing patients. At 11:00 I called again and I know the staff- she told me if it wasn’t emergency I had to wait. That was it. I told her with anger- I am his patient and waiting three days; I don’t call unless I am having problems and I have been having major ones. I need my dr and I need a phone call. She changed her tune- said she understood and would go back n talk to him. He called within 30 minutes; I wanted to scream but I offered my condolences first before I went into my rashes, the unbearable itch, spiraling downwards from sheer nerves. He reacted- got me in right away to see an allergist and ordered a pet scan which I am so against doing again. It could be the ibrance, the faslodex- who knows?
My point to you is you dealt with that in your own special way- and held onto you; we are all here to hear you, love you and understand, and support each other. I would not have been as kind as you.♥️♥️
So sorry your appointment upset you. I often feel rushed in my appts and later realize I don't get all my needs and/or questions addressed. My last appt. they seem surprised I have no pain AND don't take oxycodone. One doctor kinda checked my spine with rather hard karate chops. One spot was different but not painful. They have been trying to differentiate between arthritis, degeneration and met involvement. Yet the next day I did feel residual pain in that dermatome that felt different. I thought... thanks for stirring things up!!! I take Cymbalta which is suppose to help with nerve pain. That's my venting.
I imagine there are days that are extra hard at cancer centers. My daughter (who also has RA & takes Humira) is an R.N. with certification in Oncology. Just this week she changed jobs for a small decrease in pay for a job in oncology where she hopefully won't get burned out. Burnout is a major concern in the medical field and staff is often spread very thin.
Sometimes I wonder if what I am feeling is a message to change or if I am being over-sensitive? Hope you find rebound quickly in spirit!!!
That sounds horrible! I have been so lucky with my oncologist and the nurse practitioner that I see that I’m not sure how I would react if someone treated me that way. I’d be tempted to ask them if they were having a bad day and add that their reactions to you were making my day a lot worse! I’d definitely tell your oncologist that you were treated very dismissively.
On my first AI after my initial breast cancer diagnosis I had a weird reaction. Every time I overstressed a muscle like coughing with a bad cold or gardening using my right arm to weed, I got extreme pain in that muscle. It wasn’t anything that anyone else was reporting. But my doc listened and switched me to Letrozol and I never had that kind of pain again. We are all different and your pain is real so if the new anti inflammatory doesn’t help I’d ask about switching your AI if that is possible.
But I’m glad the rant made you feel better! It’s always good to get it off your chest! Elaine
Pardon my sarcasm but pffft on them having a bad day. They don’t have MBC so their behavior is just rotten. Their “bad” day is no excuse when treating a patient like you. I’m very sorry you had this experience.
I had this same kind of a problem with my oncologists physician in Maryland. I wasn’t going to deal with her attitude and next time I saw my doctor I told him that I didn’t want to have any part in seeing me. When he said she really was nice I told him thank you and that I am sure she was nice to the other patients but maybe I reminded her of a classmate she had a long time ago and let him know I was not interested in talking to her about it. Life is too short and you have the right to surround yourself with people who speak life to you. Maybe if you do this she will think twice before she lets her bad day affect her patients. And try not to forget that you are paying them. They are not taking care of you for free. Why would you want to pay someone to be mean or disrespectful to you. Well thats my 2 cents but after I did all that I would pray for her success and pray that she would learn compassion. Forgive and let go. Literally!
I’ve had those days too! Sometimes I think these people needed to have fast food jobs in HS like the rest of us and learn customer service etiquette! 😀 You know smile and the customer is always right 😂🤣😂
And by the way NED can happen at any time! Even many years in...so tell that chick 🐣 to stop making faces because if u make a face and someone hits u in the back of the head...your face will get stuck that way! 😱
Greetings: sister/warrior AKA" Survivor now". Your name should be Survivor, now, and forever more. I love your positive spirit, and you speak into existence what you know will come to fruition. That is straight up faith. Don't let anybody rain on your parade. God is my #1 advocate, and I am my #2 advocate. Everybody has bad days, but when patients come to see their doctors, we need to be treated with respect, and compassion. Some Oncology doctors are hesitant to make emotional attachments to their patients. If they lose a patient that they really like, and care for, they will feel some of the same pain our loved ones would feel. I believe some of them disengage for the fear of losing a patient they have the potential to feel an emotional attachment to. I pray for that doctor you had such a horrible encounter with, will be more considerate to her patients, and that God will soften her rough edges. I also pray any other patient(s) she sees will be treated with dignity,and compassion. Amen, amen, and yesssssssss amen ! ! ! XoXoXo
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