For those of you with successful/satisfactory outcomes, how did you find your surgeon?
I have a surgeon here in my city at the teaching hospital/cancer center where I've been getting my chemo & chemo/rad. This surgeon is a MSK transplant so comes with a great "pedigree" - as someone put it. Spoke to this surgeon last in May - before my treatment began.
I sought a 2nd opinion with a VERY reputable surgeon in Cleveland (back when all this began in May) but either they're disorganized or they don't like the strategy I chose or something else (maybe I'm too sensitive?) because they haven't been that patient-friendly or responsive (long story - but it's showed itself in several ways) since I left the building. Given my worry about traveling for surgery, dealing with a surgeon from a distance if I have complications, and dealing with a bag (it'd be more seamless if I went with my team in my city), the fact that I'm not getting the best "service" already concerns me. BUT, this surgeon came highly recommended from a local physician who had cancer herself and used this surgeon (and the surgeon came highly recommended through the physician's husband, who is a surgeon too.) This physician also strongly believes her patients get better overall care/results at a major place like Cleveland vs. our local cancer center.
I have learned so much (here! thank you!) since May when I last saw these 2 surgeons and I have many, many questions for them prior to my surgery so I can make a decision about who does my surgery and what to ask them specifically about that surgery. My team here told me that if I want a second/third opinion, I should schedule it NOW for right after my scans in January. So, I am debating - should I try the Cleveland surgeon AGAIN (given his stellar reputation - even though I haven't had the best experience already) or try to find another, which leads me to....
HOW TO FIND THE BEST SURGEON? I have googled and I know to make sure they are board certified, but I don't know how to approach finding the best surgeon for my situation. And I need to get on this soon! I don't see traveling to MSK in NYC when I have one of their recent transplants here - but maybe it's still worthwhile. (And they are more familiar there with the TNT (potential W&W) strategy my team here has used for me.)
But even at major cancer centers, if you call them - you get who you get. You kind of need to know who you want beforehand.
And I am getting increasingly anxious about the entire surgery/surgeon thing - esp since I have a little time now where I can research and find the best one for me. (I am actually losing lots of sleep over it.) But how do I approach getting answers from potential surgeons to all the questions I have in order to make decision? I have so many NOW but I won't see surgeons until after the scan in mid-Jan, when there won't be much time to be agile about finding/changing surgeons before a potential Feb surgery. And I need answers NOW in order to do more research for OTHER questions. Having these back and forth conversations with surgeons is next to impossible!!!
I really admire the people on this forum who KNOW their stuff (however they do it) and move forward definitively. My knowledge and understanding seems to come slowly and organically (in spurts between chemo and then chemo/radiation and the times of anxiety that come before/after both). And my spouse, for whatever reason, has ZERO interest in having this conversation with me. (I assume he's dealing with enough, picking up slack with the kids/pets/etc.)
But I feel like I have NOBODY to bounce this stuff off of - as it does require some knowledge of the situation. So, I greatly appreciate any feedback from you folks here!