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New Oncologist

Well, I met my new oncologist yesterday. He was very nice, but it was still slightly uncomfortable, as it was a new relationship.

He examined me, checking for lymphnodes, and overall health, and then we talked about possible treatments down the road.

He wasn't up on lymphoma's as much as I would have hoped, but he was familiar with the work done at MD Anderson with HyperCVAD and autologous transplants, which I expressed my reservations about, and he was up on the work being done with Velcade.

I also expressed my reservations about the use of Doxorubicin in any chemo protocol we might agree upon, which did surprise him slightly, but I think he understood. I was trying to plant the seeds for initial treatment with rituxan or possibly a splenectomy. I mentioned the results of the use of high dose rituxan, i.e. 750mg/m2, but he was not familiar with that study. I neglected to get his opinion on splenectomy's, which I will discuss with him in about 6 weeks. I have papers on both.

Other than that, I think it went well. As I said before he was very pleasant, young and seemed willing to learn more. The biggest obstacle is in dealing with the new nurse, who was also very nice and young, but I was really used to Jackie, my old oncologist's nurse. She was the most experienced, and always seemed to be in control of the department. She would always get me a flu shot whenever I asked, would call me back with the results of my in between office visit blood work, and always seemed genuinely concerned with my well being. That will be the hardest relationship to get over.
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