If you're going with the conventional standard of care, the first step after diagnosis is meeting with a surgical oncologist. After that they send you to the medical oncologist (this is the one who prescribes chemotherapy).
I scheduled those meetings just a few days after my diagnosis, though with the holidays it was a while before I could actually have the meetings.
In the meantime I researched integrative and naturopathic clinics all over the world. I listened to podcasts and looked up the experts being interviewed to see if they were practicing and taking patients, and in some cases booked initial consultations with them.
I read a few books and every doctor that was mentioned, I looked them up and tried to assess whether they were a possibility for me.
I learned that I would need several doctors to complete my team.
Here's a quick primer on the types of oncologists out there:
- Medical oncologist - this is the doctor who would prescribe you chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy, etc.
- Surgical oncologist - this is the surgeon who would remove your tumor, perform a mastectomy or other surgery to remove cancer and prevent recurrence, and insert your port.
- Radiation oncologist - this is the doctor who would prescribe radiation therapy for you.
- Naturopathic oncologist - this is a Naturopathic doctor who specializes in natural treatments for cancer, and natural treatments to support you through conventional cancer treatment to get a better response to treatment and fewer side effects.
- Integrative oncologist - this can be a Naturopath, M.D., D.O, or some combo of those who treat cancer using both conventional and natural treatments in concert to create the best outcome with the least side effects.
I wanted an integrative oncologist who was well versed in combining the best of both worlds, and had many years of experience putting it all together to get the best results. I was also very interested in low dose chemotherapy as a more gentle option to traditional dose dense chemo.
Who made the cut
Dr. Sean Devlin - I ended up choosing an integrative oncologist in Reno to be my primary source of guidance. He's a renowned expert and I listened to him on a podcast and liked his approach, had a personal reference from a prior patient, and was very impressed with our phone consultation. I flew down to Reno once to meet him in person and see his clinic, but all other appointments are over the phone. I trust his opinion and rely on him for advice on decisions as this process continues.
Dr. Rhiana Menen - I chose Dr. Menen as my surgeon because she was extremely kind but also very blunt and honest with me. I found her to be sharp and she seemed like a very skilled doctor. Also her office was very helpful when I was having trouble getting scheduled for an MRI and the whole St. Luke's hospital system seemed to be working against me, and the whole team matters!
Dr. Jasmin Patel - My medical oncologist at St. Luke's is Dr. Patel. She is fine, kind and helpful, but so far I have received nothing beyond the standard care that is textbook. As I have run into issues I have not found her office to be able to think outside the box, or offer anything that can really help. Unfortunately this seems to be the best I can do.
The Karlfeldt Center - I get all my 'alternative' treatments at The Karlfeldt Center in Meridian, ID. I feel super lucky that this place is here locally. There are two doctors there who help me. Dr. Karlfeldt is the naturopath and gave me a long list of supplements to support my body as I go through treatment. Dr. Hartford is an N.D. and M.D. and coordinates my infusions, supportive care during chemo, and helps me when I run into side effects and need new ideas to help manage them. They have been incredibly generous with their time and expertise and so helpful to me.
Choices I made and things I learned at this stage |
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1) I chose to meet with many different doctors before deciding who to work with. In the end I met with 3 western doctors and 7 integrative doctors.
2) I pulled together a pretty large team! But even with all these doctors with all the letters after their names, I'm in charge. As much as I'd rather let someone else make the decisions, I am the captain of this ship and they are just my advisory board.
3) I got my MRI at an independent MRI center instead of the hospital because they couldn't get me in fast enough. I did not stop asking for options until I found one that was 2 week sooner.
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With love and gratitude,
Elizabeth
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