MDA Consult

Beardme…..second, third and at times more opinions are warranted. Don’t hesitate from reaching out to other physicians familiar with this cancer.
Hugs,
Marion

Hi, Beardme.

I’m sorry I can’t say how long it takes to get an appointment with MDA, but I did want to share what my treating doctors here at Baylor in Dallas told me about a 2nd opinion at MDA, which was that they would not accept scans, tests or anything from anywhere else and would make me do it all over there and that my insurance would probably not cover that since it has just paid for me to do all of that in Dallas. So, I guess that would be my first question about getting a second opinion there.

Now, my doctors were not resistant to my getting a second opinion and, in fact, to the contrary, encouraged me to do so and said they would help in any way they could, so I didn’t feel that they were trying to steer me away from getting one.

I sent my stuff to Dr. Chapman at Wash U/Barnes Hospital (based on numerous recommendations through this board) and he had it reviewed and back to me within days.

If you are looking to travel for treatment (I’m not sure what is in Atlanta), you might look at Baylor in Dallas. My medical oncologist here is with Texas Oncology and I just found out that he treated one of my close friend’s father (I never knew her dad had cholangiocarcinoma – just that he had cancer). He came highly recommended by every doctor I knew in Dallas (A. David McCollum, MD). My surgeon (if I get lucky enough to shrink mine to where they think it can be resected) is Robert Goldstein, who is head of the living liver donor transplant group.

I was told by more than one person whose opinion I trust that I was in a better place at Baylor than going to MDA. One of those was a friend’s husband who is a former med school prof, former Chief Medical Officer of Children’s Medical Center and now head of the A&M Health Science Schools.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions I can answer for you. I’m new to the Board and to CC. I was diagnosed last month. I’m starting chemo tomorrow.

Lisa