First radiation oncologist's visit

After a much-too-lengthy delay, I was able to see a radiation oncologist last Tuesday. I had started a blog post about the ordeal to get to that point, but it was too long and turned into a rant about unreturned calls and other problems experienced during the process of finding a doctor and getting an appointment.

I first saw a resident, Dr. Hansen, who went through my history and performed a general exam. She used notes, but she undoubtedly was familiar with my history. After finishing, she left for a few minutes and came back with Dr. Mark Langer. He seems a bit quirky. He didn’t offer to shake my hand. Just after he came in, he said he knew who I was, but wanted me to say my name to him. It’s not a strange name, so that seemed weird. He also went through some of my history and seemed familiar with it. I then had to get into a gown so he could feel my lymph nodes and perform a rectal exam. In the last two months I have had a colonoscopy and CT scan of my entire colon and a sigmoidoscopy of my rectum – records of which he had. Dr. Langer had also stated prior to this that he wanted an endoscopic ultrasound to get a better look at the tumor and to better map it for the radiation treatment. With all of that, why would an old-fashioned digital exam be necessary?

Another thing that bothered me was Dr. Langer’s negative attitude. He heavily stressed the side effects of the chemo and radiation. I know he has an obligation to be sure I am aware of them, but he provided little hope of getting through treatment with minimal problems, unlike Dr. Geiger at Vanderbilt. He prefaced his comments with the fact that everyone reacts differently and he didn’t know the type of chemo or amount of radiation I would receive. However, when going through the side effects told me I would likely not be able to work a full day by the third week of treatment. He also asked if Dr. Geiger had told me his plan for the surgery. I told him the plan and said I had been given the option of leaving a portion of the colon in place or removing it completely. Dr. Langer said he was surprised Dr. Geiger would be able to offer that option. Again, the majority of his comments were negative.

Dr. Langer also said I would have to see a medical oncologist to supervise my treatment. Since Dr. Geiger specifically told me to see a radiation oncologist, I thought he could also oversee the chemo or could consult with Dr. Geiger and his associates on their treatment plan. Obviously I was wrong. So, today I see a medical oncologist. Hopefully I am getting closer to beginning treatment.