my mom has been in hospital 1 week with a blood clot from the port she has for chemo. Now the dr. spotted something suspicious on chest x-ray. my mom's internist sent a pulmonary dr. to check mom out. They also need to decide whether to leave the port in. The surgeon who did the port says leave it but the internist says it slows the dissolution of the clot. The oncologist has only seen mom once in the hospital, Who should be in charge--- when we ask questions, each Dr. says it's the others' decision??? How do we get them to communicate w/ eachother and w/ us--- it takes forever to get them to return calls and then they seem insulted when we ask questions???THANKS!!

Hello,

Welcome to the forum.I'm hoping that a more experienced member of the forum will come along and answer your question but I'll try.To my knowledge the admitting doctor is the one you should go to.They are usually the ones that handle all the issues.As for getting them to talk to each other that is one of the fall backs to having multiple doctors.I've been having the same probelm,but I find that speaking to the staff in their respective offices sometimes helps.Keep asking questions and making phone calls until your satisfied.I hope this helps.

Good Luck
Patty

First off, you have to remember you are a consumer of their care, you need to be assertive and sometimes a pain in the neck. We have dealt with docs who didn`t like each other........and quite honestly, by docs who`s coordinating all this, and I say me. I`ve also had docs, who have been honest and said they didn`t know, and I`ve learned to accept that as their honest answer. Keep asking questions til you feel comfortable with what`s going on........I use Why, and How ? alot........Love and Prayers Dee

I remember on my first wife's battle with cancer the Primary Care Physician we had said "I'm the quarter back on this one, I'll coordinate everything and all the other doctors" - such as oncologist, surgeon, radiologist, PT, etc.

Now this particular doctor has won awards aftrward for being caring and going the extra mile for his patients, he was doing "house calls" to the hospice my wife was in during her stay there. During one visit when it was finally evident the battle was lost, he broke down and almost started crying.

Anyway, the PCP was the one that took looked at all the facts, made a final suggestion/reccomendation after explaining all the options/consequences.

Sometimes when there's multiple doctors involved, it seems you kind of need a "referee"
Bob

thank you all for your support-- we'll keep plugging away. my mom is only in her 3rd week of radiation and I really appreciate the advice you've all given. May you and yours regain health soon. God bless.

o.k........here`s a pcp for ya.......he`s a board certified colo=rectal surgeon ! Yes, folk, Frank `s doc is at the wrong end, and never seen this kind of massive surgery. Frank had a ruptured ulcer 2 yrs ago and bless the doc he discovered the ca, to the extent that his jaw bone was exposed.....yes, we saw lawyers, but by this time she had falsified records and ir was our work against hers..........only option left was the Medical Board, who get this, she did fail to diagnose it, but wasn`t at fault. So, bless his heart our doc had all the plans in gear before he left Maine for Boston.........I yanked Frank of of Lahey for Dana Farber because I was not comfortable with the doc..........call it my nurse`s 6th sense. I`m coming back in my next life as a doc, no dealing with the middle man anymore........Our docs right now are good.......they know if I call and need something, they do it............so bascially, I`m still in charge........Dee