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Health Care
Choosing a Physician
Selecting a surgeon is one of the most important aspects of coping with breast cancer. At a time when you are most vulnerable, you are asked to choose a doctor in whose hands you may be placing your life. Ask people in the know -- a family physician you trust, a friend who has had breast cancer, a breast cancer support group -- whom they recommend.
Questions to ask...
- Is your surgeon board certified?
- Does (s)he specialize in breast cancer surgery?
- What is the reputation of the hospital with which (s)he is associated?
- Has (s)he published?
- Is (s)he readily available?
- Does (s)he respond in a timely manner to your calls?
- Does (s)he make you feel comfortable?
- Does (s)he encourage a second opinion?
My surgeon came at the recommendation of my ob-gyn. He was well-known, respected; he had appeared as an expert on television and had contributed to a book. More important to me, however, was his patience in describing to me his suspicions as he first examined the results of my mammogram and ultrasound. He outlined in detail the possibilities of treatments. He answered my questions. He understood that with the diagnosis came a multitude of emotions so powerful that they sometimes blocked out everything except the fact that I was facing a life-threatening disease.
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