My New Oncologist

As you may have already guessed, we have not been very happy with the care I have been receiving with my current medical group.  Their lack of urgency, their insensitivity to my concerns and all around poor bedside manner has driven us crazy. Honestly, I know that I have had bad luck.  I know that doctors can be wonderful, caring and up to date with current research.  This was all proven on Monday.

I will spare you the details of the countless phone calls made by Junior and myself last week. Phone calls to my insurance company, phone calls to my current medical group and phone calls to the medical group I want to switch to.  We spent hours and hours dealing with so many people, only to find out that no one really knew what they were talking about. To make a long story short, I think we were successful. I say think because my biggest fear is that someone is going to come back and say that they made a mistake and that I have to return to my old medical group or that I get an enormous bill at the end of the month. Yikes!

Samira’s family has a friend who has been treated for breast cancer for several years. When they told her of my situation, she recommended I see her same oncologist, Dr. Barbara Parker, who is now the head of oncology at Moore’s Cancer Center at UCSD. I placed the call to her office over a week ago and they called me back within 30 minutes.  For the next week, they worked with me to try to get me in to see Dr. Parker as quickly as possible. This is exactly what I needed, someone who actually cared.

Yesterday was my first appointment with Dr. Parker. I had already brought in my pathology slides, scans and blood work for her to look over prior to my visit.   Junior, Cindy and I were immediately impressed with her. Her level of expertise, her ability and willingness to answer all of our questions and her positive attitude are just some of her awesome qualities. What has stayed with me most and what I loved most about our visit is that she said that we were going for a CURE. We are going for a CURE! I can’t stop repeating those words in my head. Something that I thought was unattainable is now within reach. I just heart Dr. Parker.

At the end of our consultation, she presented 2 treatment plans:

1. Standard chemotherapy (16 weeks) : This could be started within 2 days

2. Clinical Study: www.ispy2.org: this clinical study involves the standard chemotherapy but also includes additional experimental drugs.  The con to doing the trial is basically the screening process. In order to participate in the trial you must have a high-risk cancer. So, they will conduct a repeat MRI and a research biopsy and those must be sent to UCSF to be screened. UCSF will then let us know if I do in fact have a high-risk cancer and if I can participate in the trial. This takes about 8-10 days.  Through the clinical trial, you will also be monitored closely. A participant will have about 4 MRI’s throughout the chemo process to monitor the tumor and assure that it is shrinking. If it isn’t, they know early on and are able to change your regimen. Also, only 80% of participants will be chosen (its random) to receive the experimental drugs. The other 20% will receive the standard treatment (what I would have been getting anyways) but will be able to be monitored closely as well.  Chemo would be every week for 6 months.

We were leaning toward the clinical trial. We had already done the research and had decided that this was my best chance at beating this.  But just to be absolutely positive, I asked Dr. Parker if she would recommend this trial to her own daughter. She said definitely, without a doubt. That is all I needed to hear.

I signed consent forms for the trial today. I expect the research biopsy and repeat MRI to be tomorrow and then we wait for 8-10 days. We have an estimated start date of Feb 14^th.  Happy Valentine’s Day to us.

This journey has proven to the Rayray family just how wonderful their family and friends are! The outpouring of love has been amazing and they feel truly blessed to have such a strong support system. They have loved having visitors to help take their minds off of the big "C" so keep the visits coming!!! This past weekend their good friends Frank and Marissa Villaplando, Jennefer Porch and her twin daughters Ryenn and Rylee, Stacey and Quinn Morimoto, Gerry Granados, Uncle Gabe, and Felicitas' Nina, Janet Johns were all there to lift the Rayray's spirits.