Donna in Hollywoodland

The Nice Oncologist

Not my favorite place to go - but I told my Doctor that I would see his buddy, an Oncologist.
They don't think there is anything wrong with me.
But my general family doctor said that he felt it would be a good idea to get check-ups from an oncologist as well.
And so he asked me "Why don't you just go and talk to My Guy, he has over 30 years experience, and I think you will like him."
It was the friendly approach.

I made an appointment with "His Guy" about a month ago, and somehow the appointment got all screwed up and I ended up with the wrong oncologist ,a man I had interview back in 2005 and did not like or trust.

Click on the link above, because I am sick of talking about Dr. Psycho.

Anyway, it took me another month to find the time - and the bravery - to try to make another appointment with Dr. My-Guy.
This was preceded by a phone call from the nurse trying to figure out Why, if I was a patient of Dr. Psycho's - was I making an appointment with Dr. My-Guy ?
I had to explain the long long painful story to her so it didn't get screwed up again.

Dr. My-Guy was in Downtown Los Angeles, and I had an afternoon appointment.
I arrive in the waiting room, and I waited.
There were a few patients there, some who were obviously having chemotherapy.
But the place seemed rather homey - and I thought "Gee I'm getting a good vibe from this place".

Soon, I was in the Examination room in one of those little paper outfits that barely covered everything.
And I was sliding of the examination table.

Dr. My-Guy walked in, and he was very nice. Very well-educated. And most of all, open-minded and understanding.
30 years of experience had taught him alot.

He asked me more questions about my health than most doctors ever do. And he seemed interested in everything that affected me - not only the breast cancer, but my hypoglycemia, and recent bladder infection - even my heartburn.
He wrote everything down.

Then we discussed the Chemotherapy.
I made it clear that I had already talked to two doctors about it. And I pretty much understood what it did, and that I really don't want it.
He said "Well, it really is, 100% your decision", with a kind smile.
(I guess he had read the complaint letter I sent to the Medical Group about Dr. Psycho, his associate, who screamed at me that I was going to DIE if I didn't have chemo.)

We talked about my one and only kidney...(one was removed as a child).
I held my hands out like two balancing scales to my side.
I said "On one side is my one and only kidney - on the other side is chemotherapy for cancer."
And I moved my hand up and down, like I was balancing something.
"If you can guarantee nothing will happen to my kidney while I go through chemo" - I moved my hands up and down...
"But you can't - and as I see it, the small percentage of improvement that chemo will make, is not worth the risk of my one and only kidney."

I told him I realized that for what I had, my risk was a 30% chance of getting cancer somewhere in my body again.
But if I got the chemo, it was only reduced to 22%.
And that was at the risk of my one kidney.

He said "Those percentage sound about right."

I moved my hands up and down some more "Now I'm weighing things here, so if you can totally cure me of cancer with the chemo, then I might decide that risking my kidney is worth it."

He shook his head. And wrote it down.

Then he said "You have to realize, you have a 30% chance of getting cancer again. But that means that you have a 70% chance of not getting cancer."
And he started throwing out articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This is basically what he said:
That of the women who got chemo... there was a percentage of them where cancer was never going to comeback no matter what they did, so they didn't need the chemo to begin with.
And there was a percentage of them where the cancer was definitely going to come back in spite of the chemo or whatever they did. So they got a treatment that didn't work.
So taking all that into consideration, only 15% of women who received chemo actually were cured by the chemo.
It was something like that.
So thats 85% of woman who got chemo didn't need it.

I wish I had the actual print out of this medical report. If you know a link, please email it to me.
He was tossing out percentages and figures, and my brain was trying to keep up.

I was really impressed with the fact that he said this to me.
I told my friends "I am sure this was his Pep Talk for the patients who refuse chemo."
And he probably has an entire different Pep Talk planned for patients who decide to go through the chemo, stating the facts and figures as to why it will help them.

But just the fact that he was really supportive of me, made me feel good.
I was feeling so much better, and had alot more Faith in what was going to happen.
And speaking of studies - alot of studies show that your attitude and mental outlook have a big effect on your physical health.
So it was wonderful that this doctor was encouraging me.

He gave me a thorough once-over. Feeling all my lymph nodes. Tapping on my bones and my back. Listening to my lungs. Squeezing my liver.
"Well, your liver feels healthy, its definitely not inflamed" he said.
Ouch.

Then we started to talk out Nutrition, Exercise and Supplements.
On an Oncologists office?
Wow, I am impressed.
Lose weight, Exercise - yeah yeah I know.
He quoted another study from a medical journal. That cancer survivors who exercised a half hour every day, had a 50% less chance of the cancer reoccurring.
And he said "Exercising an half hour a day - will actually do more for you than the chemotherapy."
He actually said that.

Make sure I am getting enough Vitamin D.
Q10 - studies haven't really proved it works for cancer, but its good for your heart. The problem is that the pill form is difficult for the body to absorb. He actually has a Colleague in his office who is working on a clinical trial with a Q10 Cream, that you rub into your skin so it gets absorbed.

I told him about the Antioxidants that I take...Curcumin Extract, Mushroom Extract, Grapeseed Extract, Quercetin.
He said, yes the antioxidants are okay - they haven't really been proven. Just make sure that I am taking a high-grade brand, that states the amount of the product in the pill. And try to take antioxidants where the bottle gives you the ORAC Certification .
This will actually tell you how much antioxidant your are getting in the pill.

The website is Orac Watch , but it is alittle to technical, more for the vitamin manufacturers.
And another link on Wikipedia

I will have to read more about this ORAC Certification. It sounds very interesting, and I am glad there is finally a way that you can tell if the product you are buying is good or nore.

Also, here are some of my favorite websites:
Breast Cancer Choices
Annie Appleseed Project
Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety

Labels: cancer, doctor, health