I got a call today from one of the nurses at Northwestern.
She let me know that my oncologist was sick - and going onto indefinite medical leave - and given that she is going to specialize in breast cancer treatment moving forward anyway, they want to transition me to a new oncologist.
Their recommendation is Dr Mulcahey, who runs the GI cancer department there and is supposed to be very good. However, when I first started to look for an oncologist, I steered away from her in part because a bunch of her online reviews seemed to suggest that while Stage 1-3 patients loved her, Stage 4 patients were not as happy with her care.
Which is a little concerning, except for a few things:
1) Dr Kemeny at MSK is really running the show - the nurse assured me that Dr M would be a "team player" who would be willing to work with her closely.
2) Dr Stein was never a colon cancer specialist, something that didn't matter when I started treatment, but I am sensing is becoming more important as I move through stages of treatment
3) Part of me is hoping that I have a reputation as a good/popular patient at NW and that might ensure Dr M doesn't see me as just another hopeless Stage 4 patient. The nurse who called (whom I trust) said Dr M is "truly the best," and I have a feeling they pushed to ensure I would get restacked with her.
4) They are going to allow me to keep doing treatment with my current nursing team at Arkes rather than pushing me to Galter
I am telling myself that I already fired one oncologist who wasn't a right fit. So maybe I try this doctor and can always make another call if need be?
(I hope Dr Stein doesn't have Covid. She's been treating cancer patients on a Covid floor, so I'm worried that might be it.)