It's terrible. The staffing shortages and forced "social distancing" means that less patients can be seen, diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion. Waiting on test results in some areas is absolutely maddening. I'm sure this is the case for all serious illnesses these days. I have only seen the SO one time, for about 5 minutes when I met my "team." She seemed nice but YOUNG; I like that she's a woman because hopefully she will understand the absolute angst that goes along with mutilation of the body. I don't like that she's YOUNG and doesn't have many years of experience. I suppose I will meet with her when Taxol treatment ends, and see how she measures up one-on-one. I intend to make it plain that if she doesn't feel that she can provide the result I want, there will be a change or she can have a plastic surgeon lined up to do the "close" on my surgery. Did I mention that she's SO YOUNG???
Yeh, that juxtaposition of "Must be up on the latest advancements" versus "Years of experience" thing. Keep in mind that if we were not the age that we are, she might not seem SO YOUNG.
Susie X. Sun, M.D., M.S. Assistant Professor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 2011-2018 Clinical Residency, General Surgery, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA Member, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Houston, TX, 2020 - Present Board Certifications 2019 American Board of Medical Quality 2018 American Board of Surgery
Have you spoken to her about your concerns? Is she working with someone else (an experienced mentor?) How about the other doctors...what do they have to say? She DOES have 7 years of residency.
No; I don't meet with her until early May. I want the guy that has 20+ years as a breast surgical oncologist!! I asked the nurse today if she would be candid with me and say which of the three IBC surgical specialists SHE would choose, and it wasn't Susie. I will need to study up on this as the date for surgery draws closer, and perhaps get a second opinion from the surgeon the nurse would choose. As for Susie, that's GENERAL surgery residency; not specializing in breast surgery. I don't care if she's a whiz at a tonsillectomy.
There you go. Always ask the nurses!!! I see no reason why you don't get to choose your own surgeon. Of course, since Suzie is new, she might be fine but just lacks a track record, so the nurse is gonna pick the decades-long relationship.
This is probably TMI, but hey. I am not planning to have any reconstruction or implants or any of that crap, so I want an aesthetic flat closure. Just a tidy, flat scar. You wouldn't believe how mutilated some poor women end up, with 5 or 6 "surgical revisions" necessary for botched work. And a mastectomy is supposedly a simple procedure since the body isn't opened up... the breast is just removed along with suspect lymph nodes, then a closure. Hospital time is usually overnight and out you go. I don't want to spend the next 3 or 4 years trying to get an acceptable surgical scar that isn't all lumpy or "dog-eared" (and yes, that is a thing) and painful because too much tissue was scooped out leaving a divot and Franken-boob.
@Beth Gallagher You are facing this personal situation as strongly and bravely as anyone could, and are to be envied for your strength of character. I don't know what else to say....... Frank
Frank, that is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. Truly. Just don't ask my husband about the hysterical display I put on in the den yesterday.
@Beth Gallagher I understand about her being young and that bothers you. To me the main thing would be... The person who operates on you their expertise should be BC not general whatever. If she is to be overseen by doctor who specializes in BC then might not be bad. Bottom line..your money, your call your body....your way or the highway. Go with your gut feeling.
The electrophysiologist who has done my heart procedures and put in the pacemaker looks like a happy teenager, but the man is an awesome doctor, and really knows what he is doing. He has a great bedside manner, and always takes the time to reassure me when I am in panic mode about having a procedure. So, being young is not always a bad thing, as long as your SO has the experience and ability to do what needs to be done properly.
I am with Gloria. Go with your gut feeling. Research the other two and pick the one you feel most confident with. Young hands and eyes may be an asset in surgery. The long experience guy may have shaky hands and poor eyesight. I had rather he just advise. Generally, the assistants do the final closing and this is where scars are caused. I would want to know about the experience of the chosen surgeons team also.
I remember you talking about him in your thread about the pacemaker, Yvonne. He does look very young, so I would definitely have been checking out his credentials. Glad he did a good job for you.
I'm going to grill Susie and ask for pictures of her previous breast cancer surgeries. I intend to make it plain that if she cannot provide an aesthetic flat closure that I insist on a plastic surgeon to close the wound. With breast surgery, it is almost impossible to get every single breast tissue cell removed so there is always a chance of recurrence even in the smallest cell left behind. So naturally I want someone with the most experience and the best outcomes for their patients. My oncologist (who leads the entire IBC clinic) has confidence in Susie or she would not be on the IBC team. I'm not writing her off... yet. But I'm going to be very vocal about this since I have not had many choices in my care so far. There is an entire movement among breast cancer survivors, dedicated to the "flat closure" procedure. https://e330d6ca-4ab4-4c5e-af0d-13c...d/dda214_143bff4a8dce407885b77150c564fd3f.pdf
He is actually the head of the electrophysiology department for Huntsville Hospital. He also did my two ablation procedures. My regular cardiologist is just the greatest, too ! When we first moved here, and I was not quite old enough for Medicare, and had no insurance, I went to the Community Free Clinic, and this doctor volunteered there after his normal work day. We had to be at the clinic before 3 PM and then just sit and wait for the volunteer doctors to come in when they had a chance. It was often after 7 before Dr. Vasquez arrived to check out the heart patients. After I was on Medicare/medicaid, then he became my regular cardiologist. When he knew that my heart was going downhill fast, he sent me to “Dr.Tabby” (what the nurses said they call him) for the ablation procedure. https://www.al.com/breaking/2013/12/huntsville_hospital_first_in_s.html