The surgeon dilemma continues...

I've gotten alot more information under my belt. I know this is complicated but please try and follow.

Now, first off, I don't care for this guy much. I'm sure he's a lovely guy, tells funny jokes, is kind to animals and all that, but my connection to him is, in my mind, nothing but misery. I had 2 panic attacks in his office with 2 visits. He's a drama queen, goes to ends of the earth, telling you about Stage 4 incurable, terminal cancer before he's even examined you. I just do not feel comfortable.

I have been trying to switch but all I get from the girls at the office is 'once you start with a dr., we'd like you to stay with him'. I, like a FOOL, allowed them to do this to me, shut up, and hung up.

But then my oncologist called and said my tests were negative, and he recommended to this surgeon a lumpectomy and a Axillary Node Dissection. I let it get past me, because I was so happy about the test results. But now, I've done a little research.

There is another procedure called a Sentinel Node Biopsy, which ONLY checks the sentinel node, meaning the main node, or numero uno node, the big cheese. They see if there's cancer there, if not, we move on. If yes, they have to dig some more. Capish so far? OK.

Side effects and later effects of the AND, include extreme pain, seroma (fluid that would have gone through the lymph nodes trapped as it now has nowhere to go) and lymphedema (swelling of your arm to three times it's size, where you have to wear a surgical sleeve, sometimes for 10 years) and this is constant.

So why jump right to the hugely invasive AND and remove tons of nodes when you don't even know if there is cancer there? ALL I've been told by three different doctors is they don't feel anything under my arm, no pain, no swelling, they don't think I have node involvement, but if I do it's very minimal. Wouldn't it make more sense to do a SNB first and find out if there's cancer??

I have called my oncologist office and left a message, wanting to know why he recommended this invasive procedure right off the bat (liken it to your car has a small scratch, so you have the entire car painted for no reason) when a sentinel node biopsy wold tell everyone if the invasive procedure is even necessary.

I also called the surgeon's office AGAIN (I'm sure they think I am certifiably insane by now) and asked - without giving my name - which of their surgeons are trained in sentinel node biopsy. She said, all of them. I said, OK, I would then like to see Dr. Scalia, as I am looking at his medical profile and his specialty is breast disease. THEN we get names etc., maybe they will take me seriously now, as she said we're going to talk to Dr. Scalia and call you back. I told her I am not happy with Dr. Anderson (NO speciality in breast disease besides what I stated above). Now, there is a chance Dr. Scalia won't want to step on Dr. Anderson's toes, and will say no, tell her to see Anderson. THEN, I'm gonna cause a ruckus.

It's probably juvenile and silly that because I had a bad experience with this fellow in his office I don't want him as a surgeon. But I really don't feel comfortable. I am also a little pissy about my oncologist wanting to go the extreme before we even know what we're dealing with He's been GREAT, I think he's a wonderful doctor, have a great relationship with him, feel comfortable etc., but this decision baffles me.

Am I nuts? Expeting too much? Asking for too much? I dunno, but I do know ALL everyone has said is minimal or no node involvement and now they want me to cut my arm off just in case. Makes no sense and I'm gonna fight it, I don't want my arm to blow up like a balloon for no reason for YEARS or have all kinds of drainage problems. I know a woman who had an AND, and her drainage, because of all the missing nodes, was so bad, she dehydrated and had to be hospitalized three times. Why go there when you don't have to?

AND I'm left handed! The side where the cancer is!

Serenity Now.