New Jersey/NYC/CT/Eastern Pennsylvania ladies
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I'm in West Orange, NJ, and I've done everything with the Summit Medical Group in Berkeley Heights. They have everything in one location, from MRI to chemo to group therapy. My BS, PS, and MO are all there, and are considered "top docs" in NJ. Everyone, include all the support staff, knows my name and are very caring. The surgeries (three times now) are done at Overlook Hospital, which is definitely the best hospital experience I've known. Right mastectomy the day before Thanksgiving, left mastectomy 12/21. I guess I'll be back there once more for my exchange surgery. I also have experience with Mountainside and St. Barnabas hospitals for other reasons, and both are awful in my opinion. My insurance plan doesn't cover MSKCC breast group, but my SMG MO is a consultant for them. Glad to "meet" all of you.
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Hi Joan, nice to see you and yeap, good to bump the thread!
Me, did Rads at Hackensack but my BS was Susan MacManus at St Peters.Great surgeon, needed 3 lumpies for clear margins but the mamo techs always remark how small my scar is (yeap, only one scar and small!)
Had an interesting conversation with my sister last week, she had recently done a breast reduction and asked me why I did not do one to even me out and reduce the things. Guess I did not want another surgery. Problem now is I have lymphedemia and not sure if I could do one.
Any one know?
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Joan,
good idea. Hope you are doing well. This thread has been quiet for a long time.
thanks,
CR
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Hi ladies. Just surfing the threads and happened to find this thread. I am from northern nj. I am done with active treatment. Just trying to get thru the days now. Right now it's a little hard since it was a year ago that this all started with my very first mammo.
My BS is Dr Tobi Greene MO is Dr Donna McNamara and PS is Dr Stephanie Cohen all out of Hackensack.
Proudtospin I see that Mcnamara is your MO too. I love her. She was great they my chemo. I see her for my first 3 month followup in feb. I am getting a little anxious of the unknown of what to expect at the appt. anyway hope all you ladies are keeping warm in this crazy cold weather we r having!
Melissa0 -
active treatment at Crozer Keystone in Chester, PA
Sandy
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Hi all - thanks for bumping! Missed my jersey girls!
Karen0 -
Welcome to the new ladies. If you need recos for resources such as wig stores, support groups, Look Better Feel Better, I'm sure someone will chime in.
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My BS is Rachel Dultz in East Windsor, and rads are at the new Princeton/Plainsboro hospital (Princeton Radiation Oncology - they have other locations as well). Very happy so far with both, especially the rads staff (RO is Andrew Greenberg - such a nice man). Love that they offer prone rads, too.
Only met my MO (Dr. Sokol - also at the hospital) once to discuss Tamoxifen since I won't need chemo, but he seems fine as well.
Just thought I'd throw this out there for any Central NJ peeps.
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Thanks for bumping! I live on the Jersey Shore but am originally from North Jersey. When I was diagnosed in Dec 2012 my first instinct was to go north to the docs and hospitals I know. I grew up in Passaic County and worked as a Medical Assistant in Essex County. But after a lot of thought about all that traveling (1 1/2 hrs each way) I decided to stick closer to home. My surgery and treatment are going to be at Jacqueline Wilentz Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center. I went through most of the posts on this thread and was surprised that it wasn't mentioned. I hope I'm in good hands "/ I've had all my testing there, my bs & onc are there and my ps is in Colts Neck. It's about a 40 minute drive but I like the fact that everything is in one place and they deal exclusively with breast cancer. Anybody else use them or know of them? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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Melissa, I adore Donna McNamara and have only good things to say about her. I am coming up on the end of my 4th year and so hoping she feels it is safe to come off of the aromasin. McNamara was very understanding in the crazy time at the beginning. Loren Godfrey was my RO and they worked well together. Only complaint was when she went out on maternity leave! Her boss was crankie but sort of think she is not planning on any more babies!
Everyday, I know one woman who went to Monmouth and she is very happy (she actually had bad time at several dif places so for her to be happy, it has to be good. It is easier I think if all is in one place. Mine was not but my BS & MO knew each other and worked well with each other even though at dif hospitals.
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Hey Sandy! We are almost neighbors. I work for Penn so it made sense for me to go to HUP for all of my treatments. Crozer is a 5 minute drive from where I live, but it is out of network for me.
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I live in the Lehigh Valley and have a great oncologist who talks with Dr Fox from Penn. Dr Fox agrees with my treatment for triple negative breast cancer that I will start in 2 weeks. Anyone on this thread go to Dr Fox?
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Hi Annette, we are almost neighbors! I too went to Princeton Rad Onc but in Monroe. Love them. Did a couple of visits to the hosp too. It's a great hosp. My surgeon who put my port in is there.
Karen0 -
Imcclure - Dr Fox is director of the Rina Rowan Breast Center at Penn. My MO is part of this hematology/oncology practice at HUP. I've heard great things about him. He has a very good reputation.
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Everyday Sparkle, Jacqueline Wilentz is great, everyone who works there are so helpful, you are in good hands.
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I live in Delaware County as well. Being treated at Penn. Dr. Fox is my MO. He not only has a great reputation, his bedside manner is awesome.
Sue
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nesw-I too have been a patient of Summit Medical Group...for over 20 years and my doctors are all "Top Docs" My MO is the one who consults at MSK. My RO at MSK told me that my reconstruction was one of the best she ever saw.
Love all my Summit Medical Group doctors so much! The level of care for you has a whole person is amazing! They have a Breast Center--Summit Medical Group Breast Care Center is one of few breast centers in the United States and one of only two centers in New Jersey designated a National Consortium of Breast Centers Certified Quality Breast Center of Excellence.
I highly recommend SMG to anyone in Central Jersey. Hope the New Year is finding everyone well
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My sister works at Penn and she have me Dr Fox's name because she wanted me to drive down to get a 2nd opinion because I am Triple Negative. I am Stage 1A and all five nodes removed were negative. I had a bilateral masectomy. I really like my oncologist up here in the valley and he is using the same chemo treatment that Dr Fox uses. At this point I don't feel I need to drive down because it would be the same treatment. I would go see him if I have a recurrence in the future.
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Hey, well that is cool, glad to meet you all, my friends want me to leave Crozer and go to Penn, but the parking and the distance.....so tell me about Penn, plz...
Sandy
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Bonseye - You have a bit more hair now, but I still recognize your avatar. We were at the support group meeting together a couple weeks ago. I was the one (sitting next to Carol) who's been having meltdowns lately. Your PS is my PS, so I'm hoping these crooked odd-shaped expanding lumps I have right now are going to turn out as good as yours!
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Nesw-small world! Feel free to message me any time. I am going to survivorship meeting tomorrow night....hang in. Dr Hyans is amazing-call his nurse any time with questions
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Welcome to all the new NJ gals - and thanks, Joan, for bumping this.
Annette and Karen - I'm around the corner from you in E Windsor, though I did everything at T Jefferson in Philly.
So... when do we start planning a get-together?
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Sandy - I've had really good experiences at Penn so far. I have all my drs there since I work for the health system and it is virtually free for me to see someone within the system. I feel that all of my drs are top notch and good to work with. Of course it is an inner-city teaching hospital so you do have to deal with what that brings. The traffic can be annoying - so I take the train in whenever I can. For all of my cancer treatments, I've been seen in the Perlman Center, which is new and has good parking availability. So that helps. Also, they just opened a new facility out in Berwyn(Valley Forge) that has a new chemo infusion suite and radiation department.
The drs often have interns with them so you become part of a 'teaching experience'. I never mind this since more eyes means less missed. It also means that you might be asked to be part of ongoing studies. I participated in three so far, each from different departments, radiology, genetics and physical therapy. HUP doesn't have the atmosphere of a quiet suburban hospital either. I needed to go to the ER twice, in the middle of the night, while doing chemo. That was an interesting event! I shared the waiting room with some questional characters.
All in all, I think it is a great place and I would recommend it to anyone. However, I also know of a few people who would disagree with me and have taken their business elsewhere. One of my co-workers couldn't deal with the 'innercityness' of Penn and went to Bryn Marw for her surgery.
PM me if you want to talk over the phone. Maybe we can compare notes.
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I'm in Northern NJ and happy to have found this group!
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Sandy-I started out at Crozer as well. Not that I had a problem there ,my husband insisted I go to Penn. When I first called Penn, I was told it would take 3 months to get an appt with Dr Fox. The next day my sister came to visit, and was telling me about her night our with her high school friends. Turns out, on of her friends just happened to be Dr Fox's SIL, small world. Needless to say, I had an appt the very next week. I take the train down. The train leaves you off steps from the cancer center. The cancer center down there is amazing. The people are amazing. I had my radiation treatments at Crozer. Dr. Fox felt there was no reason for me to travel down there every day, and he knew a very good RO at Crozer. I loved the people there as well.
I hope that helps. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Sue
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Hi all! I am from Media too, and also did my treatments at Penn. my DH works there. Dr. Tweed was my MO all through active treatment, but she moved to Annapolis, so I am now with Dr. Fox. I've only seen him once for my six month check up. I really miss Dr. Tweed though. Sandy, I agree, it's a great train ride. The parking lot is not bad though, and if you're getting chemo or radiation, parking is free. You do have to pay if you're going for tests, or office visits or anything else though. I could not speak any better about my experience at Penn. would recommend all my doctors and everything else there. If there is anything specific I can answer, ask away or pm me.
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Rachel - let's do it! Mornings are good for me. We can hit Americana!
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I had my surgery at thomas Jefferson as well. Up for a get together. I'm pretty flexible (work at home).
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thanks so much for responding....I am comfortable at Crozer but others want me to go somewhere else, lol....
Sandy
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nesw.....I, had just moved to the shore when I was diagnosed....so you know the thinking people up North know BETTER.....a bad choice for me went to a Surgeon at St. Barnabas....HATED that hospital....use to always go to Overlook......well she messed up big time....so we fired her and my Breast Doctor is Dr. Mark Schwartz he does go to Monmouth Med but I had my Surgery at Ocean Medical Center......and I am very confident in him.....My onc is Dr Lerner......Liz
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