Doctor, Doctor, Give Me The News

Putting off things has been easy to do since Friday which was mucho doctor day. Lots of thinking and decisions were involved, but just doing something to take a step forward felt good so I had a fair amount of energy.

Yesterday - the day after doctor day - I was worn out and spent the day napping and doing not much else; not even getting dressed. There was much to write about but I kept putting off tackling it.

Tonight I found myself looking first for pocket planners and then adding various luscious moleskines to my Amazon gift list - something I almost never do even if there's an occasion coming up.

When things progressed to the point of reading about a paper animation of a cow doing something - who knows, mooing I guess - it was clear I had to write since obviously I was going nuts. Window shopping for pretty red planners is one thing but cows on a box with a crank means I'm frittering away time.

So back to Friday it is

What woke me up was a call from Doctor Liu from Georgetown, to whom I had written the "dear doctor" letter. She was sorry she had not contacted me earlier; she was out of the office. And she was sorry but she has a full practice.

Sigh. I thanked her for calling.

She said that Georgetown does not generally take patients that have been treated elsewhere. I didn't really let that sink in because I was busy explaining that I'd never really been treated, just had one visit with an oncologist who turned out to be a bad fit.

Looking back on it now it seems a very odd thing to say. Or a bad policy to have. Perhaps I misheard.

In any case, she repeated that she had a full practice and suggested the same new associate that Doctor Isaacs suggested on Tuesday. I expressed that I needed someone with broader experience but would consider seeing the associate as part of a team which would be able to provide more comprehensive care. Not really addressing that, she agreed that we could discuss my case in person and then she would refer me to the new associate if I liked what she could tell me about "the Georgetown System."

Um . .

Not really happy yet, I mentioned possible bone involvement and concern that I needed someone with experience with metastasis to bone. There was no real answer. She said she would speak with her secretary about setting up a time to see me to talk in person. When she gets to the office she should have my records.

I guess I should take a look at what it says to know what the doctors are basing their decisions on.

But that's how Friday started. This was before getting to George Washington to see my friend the art lover and reconstructive surgeon Dr Chang.

So - I'm another week down the road

Am I beginning to see a theme with Georgetown? Let's be positive, Doctor Liu was very sweet on the phone. She DID phone me personally, and eventually I will at least have spoken to someone there, in person, and will form my own conclusion about whether it would be workable for me.

It's hard not to let desperation to be treated by someone - anyone - cloud my decision making. In the meantime, what's going on inside my body?

I know, I know - in any case, I will meet Dr Liu - hopefully sometime relatively soon - and I will learn more about how the system works - at least at Georgetown.

Still it looks as if the new associate gets essentially all the new cases, not necessarily the right doctor for the right patient.

But that's just my take on things and I have been wrong before. That said, I'm not giving up on needing a half dozen eighteen month planners from moleskin.

Comments

[isabella mori]

oh, i hope this works out for you. squeaky wheels and all - we know that DOES work.

i was just discussing a similar situation here in canada. never mind getting the RIGHT doctor. getting ANY doctor can be a challenge.

but nevermind. let's just keep our heads up, and if you need someone to hold your head once in a while - virtually, at least - let me know!

[Brian Walin]

Susan,
Have you thought about taking your case to some of the best doctors in the country like Sloan Kettering (NY)or MD Anderson (TX.) I travel to Texas for treatment from CA and feel it's worth it to have the best. Afterall it's you're life on the line.

I know money might be an issue, but they have programs to help with travel, hotels, longer term housing, etc. If you want more information I'd be happy to tell you more or help you find a doctor,