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  • allydp
    allydp Member Posts: 361
    edited January 2016

    Anniekay - I'm in Hartland but have a Fenton mailing. So not too far from you. :)

  • BlueHeron
    BlueHeron Member Posts: 18
    edited January 2016

    Hi there ladies. I live in Ann Arbor, was diagnosed in December, and am now recovering from unilateral Mx. I am being treated at UM. Currently trying to decide about rads due to a close Mx margin, and getting thoroughly exhausted trying to make ridiculously difficult medical decisions. I really like my treatment team so far (BS and RO) haven't met my MO yet.

    I'm 46 and I have two kids, age 10 and 13. I'm not planning recon. Maybe a cool tattoo at some point, but for now really embracing this badass scar :)

    Nice to connect with other nearby people.

  • HausFrauMi
    HausFrauMi Member Posts: 113
    edited February 2016

    Has anyone had Dr Lisa Newman as their surgeon? Looks like she was one of the Drs from U of M going to head up the new international cancer center at Henry Ford. May go to her for a 3rd opinion since she has an interest in Triple Negative BC.

  • mmtagirl
    mmtagirl Member Posts: 325
    edited February 2016

    Hi BlueHero , I saw Dr Lori Pierce at UM when I was considering rads. She was wonderful

  • BlueHeron
    BlueHeron Member Posts: 18
    edited February 2016

    mmtagirl, Dr. Lori Pierce is my RO also. And I agree, she's phenomenal.

  • allydp
    allydp Member Posts: 361
    edited February 2016

    I also saw Lori Pierce when deciding rads and I can't say enough good things about her! She's the breast cancer rads expert!

  • denise-g
    denise-g Member Posts: 353
    edited February 2016

    When my 80 year old mom was diagnosed with Stage 1 cancer, we had a consult with Dr. Lori Pierce.  She was so helpful to us and helped make my mom's decision not to proceed with any radiation.  Dr. Jagsi also at UM, is also amazing.  My sister just completed rads 2 weeks ago.  I was in on that consult as well as all three of us are patients at U of M.

    A friend of my sister's was recently referred to Dr. Lori Pierce by her MO at Ohio State.  They told her Dr. Pierce was considered to be one of the Top 10  ROs in the world and he wanted his Ohio State patient to go up to U of M to see her. 


  • nesa525
    nesa525 Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2016

    I'm from Michigan and newly diagnoised. How are you doing?

  • nesa525
    nesa525 Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2016

    Has anyone gone to a Cancer Centers of America?

  • allydp
    allydp Member Posts: 361
    edited February 2016

    Denise - I have a good friend who's the head nurse of breast onc at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Dr. Pierce came highly recommended by the oncs at MSK and they all said the same. She one of the top experts in her field!

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,643
    edited February 2016

    Welcome Nesa!

    We're sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but really glad you found us. This is a wonderful space for support, knowledge, advice and even some laughs as you navigate treatment.

    To help others identify with you, you may want to fill out your Profile with the diagnostic information you know so far. Don't forget to update as more is learned and also to add your treatments as you go. This information will help connect you to others with a similar diagnosis!

    We hope this helps and look forward to hearing more from you!

    --The Mods

  • BlueHeron
    BlueHeron Member Posts: 18
    edited February 2016

    OK, so my amazing RO Dr. Pierce is recommending I get a second opinion just to get another set of eyes on my case as I decide about rads.

    She suggested Dr. Inga Grills or Dr. Peter Chen at Beaumont, or Dr. Eleanor walker at Henry ford. Does anyone have experience with any of these people, or have someone else in the area they love?

  • denise-g
    denise-g Member Posts: 353
    edited February 2016

    Allydo - thanks for the info - plus she is such a personable and humble doctor!!

  • treelilac
    treelilac Member Posts: 138
    edited February 2016

    Does anyone have recommendation for a UM oncologist? I'm thinking about getting a different MO. :)

  • BlueHeron
    BlueHeron Member Posts: 18
    edited February 2016

    treelilac, I haven't met my MO yet but I will let you know

  • treelilac
    treelilac Member Posts: 138
    edited February 2016

    Thank you! (I'm in Canton. My 2 kids are 11 and 15.)

  • The1toC
    The1toC Member Posts: 40
    edited February 2016

    Hello all you strong ladies!

    I want to share my happy experience this week.

    I went to a PS here in FL where I have moved to see if there is any touch up, more fat graft or something I should consider before tattoos. I am very happy with my DIEP just don't want to have tats then wish I'd waited. So chose a PS who does DIEP, although I don't know how much experience he has with it. In any case he said it was really excellent job, really nothing more to do unless want to be Uber picky & get a tiny lift on one side (which I don't think would be worth risk of surgery). Made me very happy.

    So I thought I would share that for anyone considering DIEP recon. I was so pleased with my whole experience with Dr Jeff Kozlow at UofM. And now have even more validation that it is a terrific outcome

    Off to the tatts! (I am going to explore Renee Mashinot here in Fl. Who was trained by Vinnie Myers.)

    Be well!

  • homeschool4us
    homeschool4us Member Posts: 74
    edited February 2016

    My MO is Dr. Schott and her NP Joan Armstromg at U of M. I really love them both.

  • denise-g
    denise-g Member Posts: 353
    edited February 2016

    My Onc at U of M, Dr. Hayes, is not taking new patients. However, he told me he would send his wife to

    any of the Oncs at U of M if she needed treatment. I've heard nothing but good things about all of them.

    And their Nurse Practitioners are the best!

  • HausFrauMi
    HausFrauMi Member Posts: 113
    edited February 2016

    Treelilac,

    Have your kids ever attended Camp Kesem? Mine are going in August thru U of M. They are younger than yours but they also have counselors in training as they get older. It's free which is even better!

  • treelilac
    treelilac Member Posts: 138
    edited February 2016

    Thank you for the info! :D It looks like a good resource for kids. The camp seems far though. Do campers arrive on weekend?

  • jlstacey
    jlstacey Member Posts: 117
    edited February 2016

    My kids went to MSU Camp Kesem at Camp Pinewood last year. They loved it. That one is a quite a drive from Metro Detroit. Unfortunately, the U of M ones are waitlisted now. My kids are going to the Notre Dame one near Jackson instead. It is like a traditional sleep away camp- they have color wars, camp names, arts and crafts, sports, swimming etc. Most are embedded in a YMCA camp location.

    MSU's is near Grand Rapids

    U of M's is in Fenton

    Notre Dame's is in Jackson


  • KateB79
    KateB79 Member Posts: 555
    edited February 2016

    Hi All!

    I've been on this site for a while, but just found this board. I'm in Lansing, being treated at McLaren (finished everything but rads, which started today, and Tamoxifen, which I'll start taking in March), and wanted to say hi. Hi!


  • bella_16
    bella_16 Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2016

    Hello....

    ....I was diagnosed in December, and I'm 3 weeks post surgery. Just met with the MO and RO, and will be starting rads in a few weeks. I'm being treated at Beaumont.

  • BlueHeron
    BlueHeron Member Posts: 18
    edited February 2016

    Bella_16, who is your RO at Beaumont

  • bella_16
    bella_16 Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2016

    I'm seeing Dr Laura Nadeau for MO, and Dr Joshua Dilworth for rads. I met with both of them the past 2 days. I had a small microinvasion, and my ER is only 10% which is weakly positive.. That has me a bit concerned, but so far no chemo. They are sending me to genetics next week, and will proceed with rads after the simulation next week. So far Ive been pleased with both.

  • BlueHeron
    BlueHeron Member Posts: 18
    edited February 2016

    thanks Bella. I'm scheduled for a second opinion (recommended by my RO at UM) with Peter Chen at Beaumont in royal oak.

  • bella_16
    bella_16 Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2016

    Dr Chen is very good from what I hear. What kind of second opinion could you get about radiation? I thought it was pretty standard and routine as to what is recommended...

  • BlueHeron
    BlueHeron Member Posts: 18
    edited February 2016

    Oh bella_16, how I wish that was true!!!

    I had a mastectomy. Margins were clear for the invasive part of my disease, but <1 mm in one area of DCIS. The close margin was superior/skin. Research is clear that close margin for invasive disease requires rads. Close margin for low grade DCIS after mastectomy still has very low recurrence rate. But my low grade DCIS was associated with invasive tumor, so in my case what to do is just not clear, because nobody can tell me what my current risk of recurrence is.

  • Anniekay80
    Anniekay80 Member Posts: 92
    edited February 2016

    KateB79

    Which McLaren site? The main hospital in Flint? I live literally 2 minutes from there. But I was treated at Beaumont Troy for surgery. Don't need anything else but follow up with plastic surgeon in Birmingham then TE exchange when the time comes.

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