In this post I would like to help you start to develop a caring and supportive medical team to help you as you move through this difficult time. It is so important to have the right doctors and support staff that you trust and believe in!
When I started down this path, I was so distraught that I initially thought I had no options but to trust the doctors I was referred to and follow along with what those doctors told me to do. I quickly found out this wasn’t true. I had choices. I had options. I could ask questions and make my own decisions.
You also have options and choices. Do not believe you have to blindly accept and follow along with whatever the doctors say or that you have to stay with any doctor you don’t feel comfortable with.
It is sometimes very important to get second or even third opinions and switch doctors. Do not feel guilty or bad about this. This is your life and your body and your future after all. I had to change more than one doctor during my journey, which was uncomfortable, but it was worth it.
Please don’t ignore this part of your journey back to health. Take the time to develop a good medical team. You really have to be your own advocate in today’s medical system!
WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR MEDICAL SYSTEM THESE DAYS?
Have you ever been to a new doctor and felt awful after leaving? Did you wait months to get in to see the doctor and were then rushed through the appointment without being able to voice your concerns or fears and ask questions? Did you leave without even having a physical exam, but a list of prescriptions? I know I have and it’s very frustrating.
Our medical system is very broken.
1. Doctors don’t have time – did you know the average time a doctor spends in an appointment is 18 minutes and for 1 in 4 doctors it’s less than 12 minutes! Insurance companies are running the show behind the scenes. Doctors now have to spend more time completing medical records and charting than they do with the patients! They are often stressed and rushed and don’t have time to listen. In fact, I’m now surprised when they actually do a physical exam! Insurance companies dictate what tests and treatments patients can receive based on their criteria not based on good medical judgement.
2. Cancer is a money maker – hospitals and sometimes even doctors are offered incentives to promote certain treatments and drugs from the big pharmaceutical companies whether they may be good for us or not! We are in “a pill for every ill” society now. Many of us were brought up thinking that doctors know everything and they have our best interests at heart, but do they? Cancer is BIG business and one of the biggest money makers of the entire medical industry. If they actually came up with a cure for cancer, all that money would be gone. Just something to think about.
3. Doctors don’t have the knowledge – have you ever had a doctor ask you about your diet and lifestyle and make recommendations for preventive care instead of just treating the symptoms? It’s rare. Doctors do not get very much training in nutrition and supplements and prevention of diseases in school. They also don’t have time to research all the important holistic options that are out there. Everything revolves around treating symptoms and administering medications and doing it as fast as possible to get patients in and out.
4. Chronic disease is getting worse – when it comes to acute problems and trauma, the United States is top-notch for medical care. When it comes to chronic diseases (including cancer), which are becoming more and more prevalent with the advent ultra-processed foods, we are one of the worst nations for medical care.
In this study, the USA ranked last when it came to healthcare outcomes with high levels of preventable mortality and the lowest life expectancy!!!
US Health Care System Ranks Distant Last Among 11 High-Income Nations – Report Read More
Here is another report by Harvard Health Publishing, on all the ways the health care system is broken in our country.
With all that being said, this is why it’s so important to be careful with whom you choose to be part of your medical team. I can’t emphasize enough how much you have to stick up for yourself and take your health into your own hands!
I often hear horror stories of people diagnosed with cancer who die from the treatments or suffer terrible and permanent side effects that may have been avoided had they known more and not trustingly followed along with all the doctor’s orders.
WHO SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR MEDICAL TEAM
- A primary doctor
- A gynecologist
- A gynecologic oncologist
- A medical oncologist
- A radiation oncologist
- An oncology patient advocate
- A naturopathic doctor
PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER (PCP)
Your primary care doctor is who you go to for everything. They should know your history, your list of current medications and your medical problems. They are able to refer you to the other specialists who make up your team and others you may need down the road.
For instance, I have been referred to cardiology and endocrinology during my process of recovering from cancer.
It’s crucial to have a good relationship with your PCP and trust them. Your PCP may be an excellent nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant as it is often hard to get in to see an MD (medical doctor) anymore.
GYNECOLOGIST
The gynecologist is very important. This is usually the doctor who first diagnoses you and can also recheck you for any recurrences with routine pelvic exams. My gynecologist was excellent. Through this doctor I had a pelvic exam, transvaginal ultrasound, hysteroscopy with biopsies and finally a referral to the gynecologic oncologist. I was also followed every 3 months with pelvic exams for the first year and less frequently thereafter.
Make sure this is someone you are comfortable with and can share any new symptoms you may be experiencing.
GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGIST
This doctor should be who performs your surgery. A gynecologic oncologist is first trained in obstetrics and gynecology and then goes on to specialize in cancers of the reproductive organs of women (uterine, cervical, ovarian, vaginal and vulvar). They will be the one to help diagnose and treat you with surgery.
In several studies, a gynecologic oncologist performing surgery for ovarian cancer patients versus a general less experienced surgeon actually improved survival rates and outcome by as much as 50%! This is who you want to be doing your surgery.
Once the diagnosis is clear with the grade and stage, this doctor will make recommendations as to follow-up treatments and refer you to the appropriate doctors if you need chemotherapy or radiation therapy. They are very knowledgeable in all the statistics, treatment protocols and other things you need to know after surgery.
This doctor will also recheck you to make sure you are healing up and not suffering any major side effects after surgery.
MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST
The medical oncologist is who you will see for cancer treatment and follow-up once the surgery is done. These doctors specialize in chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy and other treatments related to endometrial cancer.
They discuss options with you and come up with a plan for adjuvant therapy if it’s necessary. You will be scheduled for other tests and possibly getting an intravenous port placement. This doctor is also the one who will be following you with tests and scans (CT, PetScan, MRI) to check for recurrences.
I would have to say your medical oncologist is one of the most important members of your team and you want to choose wisely. I had to switch oncologists early in my journey as I was not comfortable with the first one and I am so glad I did.
RADIATION ONCOLOGIST
If you need radiation, your medical oncologist will refer you to this specialist. They will discuss all the options and statistics for radiation therapy, whether it is vaginal brachytherapy or external beam radiation. Please see my blog post about the pros and cons of radiation therapy HERE.
The medical oncologist and radiation oncologist will often collaborate and coordinate care for you as it can become very involved if you are doing both.
ONCOLOGY PATIENT ADVOCATE
This person is extremely important and I wish I would have used this service much more than I did. At the cancer centers they have patient advocates to walk you through the major life changes that will occur after a cancer diagnosis.
The advocate can help you figure out financial aid, social security disability, transportation, lodging, coordinating appointments and even link you with support groups. They provide a great resource. I was given many handouts and information packets. The advocate even showed me the various wigs available should I lose my hair to chemo and gave me free gas cards to help me pay for gas to get to my appointments.
Make sure to really let the patient advocate help you. They are trained especially for this and a great help to ease some of the worries of having to go through so much all at once. They provide a listening ear and compassionate shoulder to cry on.
NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR
Last, but not least, the most important doctor aside from the medical oncologist will be your naturopathic doctor! These are doctors who decided to leave traditional medicine and specialize in treating people using alternative holistic medicine.
Holistic medicine involves more advanced testing, supplements, nutritional coaching and often alternative forms of treatment. These treatments may include mistletoe injections, intravenous high-dose vitamin C, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, photodynamic light therapy, intravenous ozone therapy, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy and much more!
I will go into these alternative treatments in another post, but a naturopathic doctor is a must when you have cancer!
Not only can they help your body heal, they can help you get through treatments without all the severe side effects or at least mitigate the damage it does to your body. They can find things that traditional doctors would never think to test for.
In fact, many naturopathic doctors will even help you address the emotional and psychological issues of going through a cancer diagnosis and help you process the grief, anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder that can occur.
HERE ARE 10 SIGNS YOU HAVE A GOOD DOCTOR
1. Really listens to you
2. Compassionate and offers hope
3. Takes an interest in you and asks how you are doing emotionally and physically
4. Open to alternative treatments and testing
5. Not offended that you have a naturopathic doctor you consult with
6. Willing to order other tests for you at your request
7. Willing to cooperate with the rest of your medical team or at least not interfere
8. Respects and honors your decisions with regard to your treatment plan
9. Allows you to explore different dietary approaches and supplements without criticism
10. Takes the time to do a physical exam and address your concerns
HERE ARE 10 RED FLAGS AND YOU SHOULD RUN THE OTHER WAY!
1. Uses scare tactics to get you to agree with the treatment plan
2. Paints a very dismal picture and tells you you will die soon if you don’t start treatments right away (I had a doctor tell me I was going to die a horrible death if I didn’t start the treatments he recommended immediately!)
3. Insists you follow their directives with no exceptions
4. Tells you not to take supplements or that it’s ok to eat whatever you want
5. Doesn’t listen to you
6. Insists on following the standard of care protocols regardless of your concerns or other health challenges
7. Rushes you through your appointments and doesn’t do an exam
8. Refuses to run any other tests even if they are important
9. Does not acknowledge or cooperate with other people on your team
10. Doesn’t respect or honor your decisions regarding the treatment plan
As someone who has had experience with many different doctors, it’s also important that you find someone you feel confident and comfortable with. Each of us has our own unique personality and ways we see and do things. Sometimes it’s just not a good fit and it’s ok to walk away and look for someone else.
I was fortunate to have found some great doctors early in my journey, who were willing to listen to me. I knew in my heart I would not be able to withstand the chemo and radiation and everything they wanted me to do. I had to get my body and mind healthier first. With the help of my PCP, medical oncologist, naturopathic doctors and a great support group, I was able to do this.
With a healthy body you will be able to withstand treatments and have a better outcome. When I finally started immunotherapy, I didn’t suffer any side effects and the treatment worked perfectly. It has taken me a lot of trial and error and I am still a work in progress, but I feel good about my program and my doctors, which makes all the difference.
Our minds are very powerful.
Placebo – believing that your treatments will work often leads to a positive outcome without side effects.
Nocebo– not believing in your treatments, fearing the side effects and dreading it often leads to a poor outcome and side effects.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO TODAY ON YOUR HEALING JOURNEY
Today I want you to start practicing VISUALIZATION. This may sound woo-woo, but believe me, it works.
Visualization is using your imagination. So many of us have lost this ability, but we need to get it back. It has amazing healing power and we can use it to rid ourselves of cancer cells and tumors.
There is an old book, but it is a classic. I read it during the start of my journey into holistic healing and it got me started on visualizing. It’s called Getting Well Again by Carl Simonton, Stephanie Matthews-Simonton and James L. Creighton. They talk about the link between stress and illness and how emotions can cause illness. They also explain how to vividly imagine yourself healing from cancer.
In the book, they had patients draw pictures of their body’s cells attacking the cancer cells and then they interpreted the drawings. It’s really fascinating stuff!
After I read this book, I would visualize the tumor in my body being attacked by my white blood cells and shrinking and shrinking and eventually disappearing. I also visualized the immunotherapy working without side effects and shrinking the tumor until it was gone.
I drew pictures and even put dates by the pictures of when the tumor would be completely gone. It really worked and my tumor shrank and disappeared almost on the date I had written by my drawing!
TIPS FOR VISUALIZATION
- You first need to relax your whole body and be in a quiet comfortable place without interruptions, distractions and noise. Soft music is ok.
- Simply close your eyes, take deep breaths, relax and start to practice. It can be hard at first, but stick with it. You can visualize anything you want.
- It is important to be consistent with this. I suggest doing this every day twice a day if possible until you are in remission and beyond. Just 10-20 minutes at a time can be beneficial.
- Don’t get frustrated if you can’t get the hang of it right away. It takes time to get good at it.
- Really add strong, positive emotions and feelings to the experience. Imagine what it would FEEL like if you knew you were free from cancer forever! Feel the joy, excitement, relief and gratitude and let those emotions flood your body as you are visualizing.
- Imagine what your life would look like without cancer anymore!
“All that I desire, I receive. Life just keeps getting better and better and I am so grateful”! ~Louise Hay affirmation