So, I never wrote this gem in my blog, but B&I required a very specifically worded fax for me to get my actual tissue slides to Cleveland Clinic. I did that and followed it up with a phone call to the managers of both B&I and ACM. All of this after my favorite nurse at my gyno office worked very hard to make all the phone calls to them prior to putting it all back in my hands. ........and we got to Cleveland and B&I and their sweet side-kick, ACM, never got those slides to them. They LIED to me!
Fast forward to prepping for today's consult with Dr. Vega's office. I called B&I and asked for JUST MY REPORTS (not even CDs with images, just the written reports) to be sent to Dr. Vega. Usually they have no problem sending this directly to the doctors, they just do not want them released to me. On the phone, B&I told me the exact same thing that they always say "Oh, yes, you'll have to call ACM to get your reports". I lost it. I'm not even embarrassed to say it. I started YELLING and RANTING on the phone to B&I telling them that I was NOT going to call ACM because we've already played this game several times and they will not release them to me and that someone better figure it out so that I have my reports at Dr. Vega's by November 15th. She promised she would look into it.
......and.......you guessed it. Nothing was sent to Dr. Vega's from B&I. I. GIVE. UP.
Dave scheduled a flight home from California last night so he could be with me at today's consult. He got stuck in Chicago overnight with just the clothes on his back. Then his flight got delayed and he arrived 45 minutes late to our appointment today. Dr. Vega's staff were very accommodating and delayed starting my consult until he arrived. But, turns out that the first consult with Dr. Vega is NOT with Dr. Vega. That was very off-putting. Especially for Dave who had just scrambled through hell and high water to get there.
At Cleveland we talked with the plastic surgeon who recommended the best practice of doing the mastectomy with expander in one surgery. Then, see if you need radiation and go through that, if needed. Then, a second surgery would be for reconstructing the breast. This is best practice because radiation can destroy the breast reconstruction. I won't know if I need radiation until the tumor size and lymph node involvement is known. Pathology from surgery takes about a week. They 100% recommend this procedure for best results. It is called "Delayed-Immediate Reconstruction". If no radiation is needed, the reconstruction can be done a week later.
Turns out the people at Dr. Vega's office do not do things that way. It would tie up a surgery date that could end up getting cancelled - if radiation is needed. Dave really spent a good amount of time trying to hash this out with the girl who did our consult. Super frustrating and I cannot handle these discussions anymore. Beyond stressful. I am quickly getting to the point where I don't care anymore and just want this over. Dave still has fight left in him.
Sooooooo.......Now I have to schedule ANOTHER DAMN appointment with Dr. Vega for tomorrow. Another sick day! This time so I can see the doctor, who I THOUGHT we were seeing today. This office is near Eastview Mall and takes almost 50 minutes to get there. And Dave is flying out again tomorrow, so he is going to be "there" by phone. If Dr. Vega cannot commit to the "delayed-immediate" procedure, we have had some beginning talks about doing my surgeries in Cleveland....which brings upon us a million more hurdles.
So tired. Just want this over with.
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