Mom just diagnosed IIIc no oncologist yet?

Hi Everyone, I am new here. My Mom had a hysterectomy on 6/18/2007. Her OB/GYN surgeon said that he found ovarian cancer throughout her abdomen. When he told us he had tears in his eyes, he seemed defeated and it scared me. But he said that he got all that he could see. He told us that she would need chemo in about 6 weeks. He did not stage her until 4 days later after we asked him about the staging. The next day he visited her and said that her cancer was far more advanced than he predicted and he teared up again. Her blood pressure skyrocketed during and after surgery and she gained over 25 pounds, has since lost most of it. She is very weak still and pale. We know that her body needs time to heal before she starts the chemo. The hospital released her without any intructions and no oncologist??? Her next appointment is 7/11/2007 with her OB/GYN surgeon. Is this standard to release someone with advanced stage cancer without an oncologist and no immediate follow-up? Her appointment seems far away, almost a month after surgery. We are absolutely floored and need direction... thank you so much!!

[rmarie]

You do not wait for the appointment, call the office and demand that your mother be referred to a
Gyn/Onc immediately.  Tell him that the treatment is unacceptable.  If there was any question of cancer he should have stopped and called in the Gyn/Onc if he was available.  My chemo started 6 weeks after the surgery, I had my chemo port put in on a Tuesday and chemo started on Wed.  Even if it was advanced the chemo can still kill cells.  Call the answering service and demand to talk to him, your mother needs and advocate, this is a tough thing to fight alone.  

[dian07]

Hello....I can certainly relate to the shock your family is experiencing....I would think your mom's next appt would be with an oncologist.....it's been nearly 10 days since her surgery.....hmm.....I was told the day of my surgery that I would be getting chemo.....my surgery was on a Wednesday and the following Monday I got a call from the oncologist who was taking over......I think it was about 4 weeks later that my chemo began.....I am trying to be nice here....that's not always possible.....start kicking some cans and let the first one be your ob/gyn for not referring your mom to a gyn/oncologist for surgery ....no way should your mom wait that long to see the gyn again....she needs to be seen by an oncologist to decide what goes on from here and let that person establish the timeline.....it is important you get copies of your mom's medical records.....records of surgery...biopsies....all the pathology....get the surgical procedure......get the doctor's reports....get all of it......take it with you to your appt .....get copies of her blood work every time she gets it done.....always ask for a copy before you leave the office or clinic.....keep all your stuff together just in case you need it in the future.  Don't be nice anymore.....don't automatically trust them to do the right thing...make them answer your questions until you know exactly what is going on and why.....your mom needs to take control here....most of the people in the medical profession are great but some need to be prodded........if I was in your mom's spot ....I think I would make an appt with a gyn/oncologist....have all my records sent to him and see what they think...then I would plan my treatments with him......she should not wait either...she would be smart to get in as soon as possible to see a gyn/oncologist....they are the specialists with this scenario.........please do keep us posted.....there are many here who were also diagnosed IIIC so hang in there.....
Peace.
dian

[SimplyStar]

she might like to drink ensure   good taste  and very nurishing

[tealgirl]

Thanks to you both for responding so quickly. I am hearing loud and clear from my gut, and what you both have said that her tx is not at par. She is a Kaiser patient and it is very hard to get through to doctors. I think that we may call the advocate line in member services. We are upset that she would have to wait for so long to get her answers. Dad and her have always had complete trust in medicine and feel that you do not question doctors. For them, it's always no news is good news.

She is an incredibly strong woman with faith deeper than any ocean. We are all trying our best to give her as much love, support and reassurance as we can. I am a little concerned that we are missing something. She seemed to be getting stronger over the weekend and then just crashed over the last two days. She is very tired, very pale, and her appitite is not good - says that everything tastes like chalk. It just seems that the oncology department would arm someone with as much info as possible to gear up for chemo?

I'll keep you posted - thank you so much for your help!

[CaydensMommy]

I had my first surgery done by an OBGYN and he called in an oncologist to help him when they suspected cancer. There are no GYN/ONCs in the area that I live, but an oncologist met with me in the hospital as I was recovering from surgery. I then had my OBGYN refer me to a few differebt GYN/ONC's, even though the closest one was over an hour and a half away. I suggest that your mother get at least one opinion from a GYN/ONC. If she asks for a referral, I'm sure that her OBGYN will not have a problem referring her. Most doctors expect you to get a second opinion with a cancer diagnosis. A GYN/ONC is going to have much more experience in dealing with cancer, and will be better able to advise your mother. Even different GYN/ONCs may differ in how they treat the cancer. You may end up seeing a GYN/ONC that has more experience with that specific type of OVCA, and may advise something a little different from a GYN/ONC that doesn't have as much experience with that specific type. If her OBGYN does have a problem with giving her a referral, then he's trying to cover something up and she definitely needs another doctor. I know this is a difficult time no matter what, but having your mother in the care of an experienced GYN/ONC may put your whole family's minds a little more at ease. Best of luck to you!
Glenda

[rmarie]

When talking with Dr and Kaiser use the term Standard of Care for OC, let them know that is what you want for your mother and let them know that to date she has not received it.