Help and advice please....................

Pat, the MD Anderson center is a huge resource in Orlando, no mention of bc on their website. The Shands Center does not state any affiliations on their web site.

My insurance company will not pay for treatments out of state, otherwise I would not have hesitated to research the opportunities further afield.

I intend to have a great Thanksgiving, we are having friends for lunch, (and I am determined to keep my emotions in check) my husband is an amazing chef, he certainly spoils me. Problem is with all of this worry I have lost 10lbs during the past few weeks. I eat 3 meals a day and can't put any weight on, I would love to just put those pounds back on, first place I lose weight is my face. I am trying to 'continue as normal' when I meet my clients. With my work I may only see my customers every few months, but I have had a few comments already. I am trying to be creative and think of excuses for when I am not around for several weeks.

Maria that is the U. of Fla Shands in Gainsville that is associated with MD Anderson...but you're right about specialists in bladder cancer...even more so with women and bladder cancer.....you see the word Prostate alot huh?
Heck Maria if you can travel i can suggest at least 4 top surgeons that do this surgery very successfully with women but they're not in your neck of the woods. I had the same problem..not one uro in my city who had ever done anything but an ileal conduit and they probably botched that up too!
Gee i wonder if Laura Bush had to have her tax returns examined when she was treated for skin cancer? Ya suppose?
Try to have a great thanksgiving.....I'm having a BLT i think...i have 3 boys that have to go to their mothers in law houses!.....hugs...Pat

I knew I would get good advice and information here!!
Here we go again on the emotional rollercoaster! At times I just get so stressed I can’t see what is right in front of me :
So tomorrow I will contact all the details listed.
Thanks Karen and Rosie. Pat, you are so resourceful, you are right about the NCCN I think they will be interested in these issues.
I have done a search on the internet and there are few specialists in the area. There is a massive MD Anderson affiliated center , I searched their site and nothing about women and bc, but I will call them. I found the Shands Center, they mention men, not women, I will give them a call.

by the way here is a list of their genitourinary physicians...
www.moffitt.usf.edu/Site.aspx?spid=BF72D4455066450A96F788D72D1E2187&type=PhysSearchByProg&progname=Genitourinary+Oncology&SearchType=Physician

pat

Well thats a new one to me...aside from calling the patients advocate...i would also inform the nccn.org at wwww.nccn.org who would be most interested in how you were treated at one of their centers as their logo is "If you ever have cancer, where you live shouldn't determine whether you live."....
You do have another option at Shands Cancer center of the U. of Florida...there's one in Jacksonville and Gainsville...........jax.shands.org/hs/urology/
They don't have many specialists in the area of blc but give them a look or call
I cannot believe what was said to you.....I never had a response like that at any of the centers i went to...my insurance card was all they wanted.
If you don't want to follow through with this i'd be happy to take them on.
Pat

Way To Go Karen and Rosie!

Yep - that is what I have been looking for tonite I will still grab that brochure from the chemo room just so I have that info here should someone else need it.
I feel better - I am not daft as I thought afterall!Love, Holly