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New Jersey/NYC/CT/Eastern Pennsylvania ladies

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  • shore1
    shore1 Member Posts: 591
    edited April 2012
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    And I meant to ask if anyone has a recommendation for a medical oncologist in the philly area. Thanks.

  • momoschki
    momoschki Member Posts: 218
    edited April 2012
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    Shore,

    I am in NYC, not PA, but yes, I have divided my treatment between 2 hospitals.  My BS is at NYU, but I chose an integrative oncologist and a PS who are both at Cornell.  From my experience, this is feasible, but sometimes kind of a pain in the ass.  You have to make sure that all parties involved share records, test results, etc.  Also, if I ever needed an MX with reconstruction in the future, I don't think I could use my current BS to team up with my current PS (at a different hospital), since they do not work together-- so I would have to either get a new BS at Cornell or a new PS at NYU. So... I think it is easier if the entire team is based at one facility, but not impossible if they are not.

  • CharB22
    CharB22 Member Posts: 87
    edited April 2012
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    Shore1 - Maybe you just change oncologists that are at Fox Chase? Depending on where in NJ you are, my MO is with Virtua/Fox Chase. Her name is Priya Gor and she's excellent. Her office is in Cherry Hill (on Route 70), but they're opening a new location at the new Virtua Hospital on Rotue 73 in Voorhees.
  • shore1
    shore1 Member Posts: 591
    edited April 2012
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    Thanks momoshki.



    Charb22 - I in-boxed you.

  • reesie
    reesie Member Posts: 413
    edited April 2012
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    I have my MO and BS at Einstein, my RO is with Cooper, and my Orth Onc is at Lankenau/Fox Chase. It's very doable if your docs will work together, which mine definitely do (my RO was recomended by my BS because i needed to go there daily and she was closer to my home). My Orth Onc was recommended by my Orth who is with Einstein - it's a real nitch specialty and my RO said there were only two she would recommend and they were both across the river and he was one of them.



    They all keep my PCP in the loop and he's with Lourdes.



    I love my team :)

  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 3,192
    edited April 2012
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    Hi Ladies... I am from just north of Princeton, NJ...

    I have a shepherd too.

    Orange... My husband grew up in Ridgewood...

    My daughter was born at Overlook ... looks like many go there... she is now a sophomore at Oberlin College in OH. I also have a 16 year old son.

    My first BS: Susan McManus (Somerset, NJ) she did my lumpectomy Dec 2010

    My MO is Robert Fein (same as Joan).. also in Somerset

    My second BS and PS are in New Orleans (Drs. Stolier and Dellacroce)... I chose to travel to NOLA for Hip and DIEP flaps (stacked DIEP).

    I had 6tx of TC last year Jan-May

    I bought FANTASTIC wigs at Wigs Excetera in Livingston, NJ by the Short Hills Mall... the women were amazing!

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited April 2012
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    Hi Betsy, I remember you from some of the other threads... you did the Avon Walk in NYC last year, right? I'm signed up to do it again this October. Though I just found out I got into the NYC Marathon today, which is November 8!

    Both my kids were born in Ridgewood, at Valley Hospital. That's where I had my care, with Dr Laura Klein. It's literally 3.5 miles from my house; I know this because I've run to the track workouts that are at the middle school right next door to it. :) 

  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 3,192
    edited April 2012
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    Yes... that's me... Good memory. I remember now "talking" with you.

  • JoanQuilts
    JoanQuilts Member Posts: 265
    edited April 2012
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    Hi Betsy - I have "spoken" with you privately or on other threads.  I like Dr. Fein very much.  He is very thorough.  I am also doing 6 rounds of TC - February through May.  One more to go!  I came to Dr. Fein through a friend of mine who highly recommended him.  He also recommended Dr. McManus with whom I consulted for a second opinion, but I decided to go with Dr. Gendler at Morristown as I was working there and knew the whole team.  I liked Dr. McManus very much - I have recently seen her on a tv commercial for St. Peter's.

     Shore - I am also dividing my treatment between two hospitals.  My BS and PS are at Morristown; my MO at St. Peter's.  The reason I chose to do this is because I work(ed) at Morristown and did not want to risk sitting next to any of my patients in the infusion room!  Plus, my MO's office is much closer to home.

    I've said this before and I'll say it again - I am SO happy to see how many of us are happy with our medical teams here in NJ/PA/NY.  We are really lucky to have such good choices.

  • Annie62
    Annie62 Member Posts: 92
    edited April 2012
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    HI all,

    My onc is Bonni Guerin at Overlook Hospital. I've been working with her for 7 years now. She's terrific. She specializes in BC now.  The staff at the cancer center and the chemo nurses are great. I get my scans there and my BS operates there. For my lumpectomy I had Dr. Michelle O'Shea from Summit Breast Care. She was fine but had moved further away and so I switched to Dr. Diana Addis from SBC for my BMX. I also had a good experience with her. She recently moved to Summit Medical Group which makes me very happy. Their office staff is more organized that SBC and it is much closer to where I live.

    MY RO was Dr. Louis Schwartz at Overlook. I highly recommend him and the Radiation Oncology group there. Overlook Hospital was very convenient to where I live and during rads I was able to leave my car in their parking garage during the day and catch a train to NYC for work at the Summit station after an early morning appointment.

    PS - I also had a shepard mix (see my avatar) who we lost last October. We had him for 10 years and think he was about 2 years old when we got him from the rescue so he was around 12. Great dog and full of energy until the end (we think he had tumors pressing on his lungs etc). He could outrun the younger guys at the dog park.

  • Chris13
    Chris13 Member Posts: 112
    edited April 2012
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    Hi everyone,

     I'm in Delaware County, too....and May 1 is my UMX with Dr. Barrios at the Bryn Mawr Breast Canter Center (Bryn Mawr Hospital) followed immediately by DIEP by Penn's Dr. Serletti. Whole thing is so surreal....no pain or lumps as I have the sneaky ILC found in two places in my breast. Found in a regular mammo (unusual for ILC) then confirmed by two core biopsies. And we just returned from 2 weeks in Tuscany, celebrating our 40th anniversary, as if nothing has happened! (not counting the Arimidex pains I've from taking it for almost 2 months now.)

     Wish me luck; I'll eventually post on the DIEP thread there. BTW, what would we do without all the support and wonderful info from everyone here? 

  • Bonseye
    Bonseye Member Posts: 124
    edited April 2012
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    annie62-my breast surgeon is Dr Cunningham at SMG.  My plastic surgeon is Dr Hyans and my MO is Dr Wax...all at SMG.  I work at SMG as an MRI Technologist (out of work while I go through all this right now) Am going to Memorial Sloan Kettering in Basking Ridge for radiation therapy as I live around the corner from there.  Dr Wax is a consulting MD at MSK.  Just have to get through my TRAM flap May 8th and I am really looking at the end of the tunnel.....so excited!
  • Karmil710
    Karmil710 Member Posts: 19
    edited April 2012
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    Joan: Congrats on completing your interniship!  I'm sure it was more challenging than you envisioned it, w/becoming an onc pt yourself!  Enjoy your vacation, you certainly deserve it!  Have a great time in the sun!

    Annie62:  My MO is Dr. Bonni Guerin also.  I really like her.  I love how she can think of a study to back up all of her recommendations! 

    Orangemat:  I'm leaving tomorrow for UofMd.  Doing BC fun-run Sunday!  Have a great time at your race on Saturday!

    Take care all, 

    Karmil

  • patoo
    patoo Member Posts: 5,243
    edited April 2012
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    orangemat, just found out one of the ladies in my Feb DisneyWorld running group also made it into the NYC Marathon.  It's a Sunday but I'm expecting to make an exception and go in to cheer her on and now I can add you!   I'm still only doing 5K's and registered for one 5/19 in Bridgewater and another 6/23 in Mendham.

    Small world, my MO is Marcus Porcelli who practices with Dr Fein in Somerset.  I'm not expecting to ever need her, but would switch over to Susan McManus, BS, who I've only heard excellent reports about.  Dr. LanFranchi, now at Somerset Medical, was good but Dr McManus is highly recommended and lots closer to home.

    bonseye, I can walk to MSK in Basking Ridge from where I work..

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited April 2012
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    Small world indeed! Or rather, large races... Wink

    Karmil, enjoy the fun run at UMD! And good for you, patoo, for signing up for those races. Actually, I wanted to mention that on the BCO 2012 Running Thread, we've just started keeping track of everyone's upcoming races and running events. So please feel free to come over and share your events on our calendar, so we can all cheer each other on. Any organized event, whether walking or running, no matter how small, is welcome to be put on the list. The more the merrier!

  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 4,671
    edited April 2012
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    Hi there, I did my lumpies (all 3 of them) at St Peters in New Brunswich with Susan McManus. But decided on Hackensack for my rads and my oncologist.

    Reason was I needed to keep working (nut ball that I am) and my office is 1 mile from Hackensack Hos.  I was referred to Donna McNamara at Hackensack and it turned out that McManus and McNamara know each other from, well just being in Central Jersey.  I do a lot of carrying around of my films and reports but the docs seem to have worked well with each other.  Both were great, McManus just released me (yeah after 4 years) and I am following up with McNamara on 6 month visits.

     Great to meet you all and yeap, I live in Sayreville AKA the birthplace of Bonjovi and lots of rocker wanna bees!

  • s3k5
    s3k5 Member Posts: 411
    edited April 2012
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    Hello everyone,

    I just found this thread. I was diagnosed in April2008 (4 years ago).

    My treatments were done at Overlook hospital (Dr.Guerin). Dr M.O'Shea was my BS.

    We'll keep in touch.

    Sandy.

  • sandik
    sandik Member Posts: 12
    edited April 2012
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    Im looking to go for a second opinion for my treatment. Those at Sloak Kettering, please tell me what Dr you like.

  • Bonseye
    Bonseye Member Posts: 124
    edited April 2012
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    Patoo-I live 6 mins from MSK...you must work in the plaza at the end of the road or one of the corporations on that road. There are great business's in that area. I saw you are doing a run in Bridgewater--I live in Bridgewater on the Pluckemin/Basking Ridge side.  Where is the run in Bridgewater?

    Sandik I went to Dr Capko for a second opinion and Loved her!  I stayed at Summit Medical Group as all my doctors are there and my doctor-Dr Wax actually is a consulting doctor for MSK.  For Radiation Therapy I have met and will be treated by Dr Schupak.  She is awesome as well.  I am very happy with my choices and I can say those two doctors are incredible.  

  • JoanQuilts
    JoanQuilts Member Posts: 265
    edited April 2012
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    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/34/topic/785721?page=3#idx_75

    Here's information (see above) about a New Jersey BCO get-together taking place this upcoming Sunday May 6 at 1:30 p.m. at a restaurant in Westfield.  All are invited!

  • shore1
    shore1 Member Posts: 591
    edited April 2012
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    Those of you in the mercer county/east windsor/Trenton/Princeton area -in does anyone go to a support group?

  • JoanQuilts
    JoanQuilts Member Posts: 265
    edited April 2012
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    Shore 1:  here are some breast cancer resources at the Princeton Y:  http://www.ywcaprinceton.org/About_BCRC.cfm

  • orangemat
    orangemat Member Posts: 368
    edited April 2012
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    Thanks for the link to the NJ get together, Joan!

  • bucky317
    bucky317 Member Posts: 178
    edited April 2012
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    Hi Joan and ALL  I just saw this today and I am disappointed I hadn't seen it sooner..I live in Washington NJ just north of Clinton. I did live in Metuchen for a couple of years and then 9/11 happened ( husband worked in World Trade Center) he made it out...THANK GOD...and then we got him out of the city and into the suburbs workingSmile!!! My BS is Dr Diehl and PS is Dr. Rafizadeh.  I have heard them called the "Dream Team" by a few nurses. LOL !!They are both at Morristown Memorial as well as Dr.Papish my MO. I love them all and recommend them highly. An infusion "buddy" has Dr. Geller and loves her too. Joan maybe I have seen you in the infusion room there...I am always talking....lol  I will be having my LAST Herceptin this Thursday... bittersweet.... Do any of you know of a good support group?  I know Morristown has a group. Have any of you attended it?

  • JoanQuilts
    JoanQuilts Member Posts: 265
    edited April 2012
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    Hey Bucky: 

     I interned at Morristown this past year in preparation for my social work degree in addition to having my surgery there and I ran the breast cancer support group.  It's the third Tuesday evening of every month, from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Radiation Oncology waiting room.  It's run by a wonderful social worker named Diane Haley.  You don't have to sign up - just show up!

    I chose not to have my chemo at Morristown because I didn't want to run into my patients!  I am having it in Somerset, at a group affiliated with St. Peter's.

    So glad you are almost done with Hercpetin - yeah!  I live in Edison, right next to where you used to live.

  • bucky317
    bucky317 Member Posts: 178
    edited April 2012
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    Joan Quilts---I saw that you lived in EdisonSmile I miss the shopping in that area, but not the traffic!!! lol   I think that is the program that my friend (who is also triple neg. btw ) will try to attend. We have seen it on the calender at the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center.

    Can't believe you had a recurrance 19 years later.... geez, are we ever in the clear?

  • JoanQuilts
    JoanQuilts Member Posts: 265
    edited April 2012
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    Bucky - I almost hesitate to tell women - particularly here - that I had a recurrence 19 years later.  I hate women to think that this is destined to happen to them.  In fact, it is very unusual.  What it means is this:  I had a small breast cancer in 1992 which was cured - it did not reoccur locally and did not metastasize.  What happened to me this time is a new primary breast cancer.  It was even smaller than the first one so hopefully I will have the same positive outcome.  Even though I am BRCA negative, there is something about my body genetically that causes it to create breast cancers.  Hopefully, this is the last as I had a BMX.
  • bucky317
    bucky317 Member Posts: 178
    edited April 2012
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    Joan--thanks for explainingSmile I had a bilateral mastectomy for that reason....although I know that there is no guarantee that there will not be another local recurrance in the breast, it is less likely with a bilateral mastectomy.

    I hate breast cancer!!! and all others too!!!

    Gina

  • Karmil710
    Karmil710 Member Posts: 19
    edited May 2012
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    Joan:  Thanks for posting the link to the NJ get-together thread!  It sounds like so much fun!

  • dlm217
    dlm217 Member Posts: 3
    edited May 2012
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    Hi Ladies,

    I am Northern NJ. I was diagnosed 9/27/11 at 39.  I had a dmx on 11/14/11, chem started 12/28/11 and finished on 4/4/12.  I am scheduled for my exchange surgery next week on the 10th and should start rads on 6/11/12.  My BS was Dr. Mary Gemignani and my PS is Dr. Joseph Disa both are at MSK in NYC.  I decided to go to MSK in Basking Ridge for Chemo and Rads.  My MO is Dr. Mila Grosky and my RO is Dr. Karen Borofsky.  I have been happy with all of them so far.

    I met with 3 BS and another MO between diagnosis and deciding on going with MSK.

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