Dr. Fenster in Vancouver

[alana rose]

Alexa-
Hi! Quite a few months ago I asked you about specialists in Vancouver-you had mentioned Dr. Fenster. Well, my uro in Kamloops, is referring me to him.
I have been asking my uro about bladder removal as I am in pain 24 hrs/day for the last 3 1/2 years and he suggested Dr. Fenster. I am just waiting to hear from his office for my appointment date. I'm looking foward to talking with him about the surgery and also to someone who truly specializes in it. Is he a nice man, how is his bedside manner?
thanks for your input!
alana:dogrun:

[Lou]

Hi Alana:
I've been to Dr. Fenster, and it was he who finally diagnosed me with ic, so I was very grateful to have found a doctor who was able to diagnose my symptoms. He is a top specialist in his field and he knows his stuff. I have had at least half a dozen subsequent cystoscopies by him, and he does a good job.

As far as his "beside manner, I didn't find him particularly empathetic, and he could use improvement in that area. But don't get put off by this, because you have to look past it and get the treatment he has to offer. Much later, I realized that he was quite distressed by the pain I was going through and frustrated when his treatments didn't bring relief. Gradually we found a way towards improvement . Just be happy that you have been referred to him, he really is one of the best.:thumbsup:
Chin up,
Lou

[alana rose]

Lou-
Thanks for your reply-I still don't have an appointment set up with him as of yet. He still has to review my file first-I guess to see if he will take me on as a patient.
I just am unsure what to do-my gp has put me on transdermal patches for the pain. She is great and believes that it is not living when you are in constant pain (my pharmacist agrees as well). Then my uro in Kamloops, cringes when I tell him that I had to go to the ER for a shot of demerol (this was before I was on the patch). My uro will only give me a prescription for empracet and told me if I was terminally ill and dying he would give me something stronger (eventhough being in pain 24/7 isn't living!) So my gp is a godsend-needless to say, I haven't told my uro about the patch. When he asked if I needed a refill, I told him that my gp is looking after it. So, what I am trying to get to is: should I call Dr. Fenster's office and tell them that I am on the patches to deal with the pain and tell them that my gp can write a letter to verify? I just don't want Dr. Fenster to dismiss my file for any reason.
Take care!:dogrun: :dogrun:
alana

[Lou]

Hi Alana:
I didn't realize that Dr. Fenster had to review your file to see if he will take you on as a patient....I was simply referred to him by my gp, and that was it. I would certainly phone his office and find out if he has reviewed your file and tell them that you are desperate to be seen by him. Ask if you can do anything to speed up the process, etc. If you are not getting satisfaction from your present urologist, then get your gp to refer you to Dr. Fenster for treatment. I had several urologists before I settled on Dr. Fenster, who has a special interest in IC, after all.
Take care,
Lou:thumbsup:

[alana rose]

Hi all!
I do have an appointment with Dr. Fenster on June 16th-when Dr. Fenster did your cystoscopies did he do them in his office or at the hospital when you were put under? I have heard of doctors doing them while the patient is awake-I would die from the pain if that was the case. I have always had them done while I was put under.
I have gone off the duragesic patch. The 25mg wasn't strong enough and the 50 mg made me so tired and lethargic-so my gp tried a time-release pill (ms-contin). I was very leary to try it since it is a low dose of morphine, but I did anyway. I had a bad reaction to it-I was getting hot/cold flushing. I was so cold with goosebumps, but yet I was just so hot. So, now my gp has left me on what has worked the best-empracet and demerol. You see before I was extremely paranoid of how many pills I would take each day-counting them, dividing the number of days when I got the pills, figuring out what my 'average' usuage was. I was so scared of becoming addicted. I had a real break down about two weeks ago-just after I went off of the patch and started ms-contin-I was also having an excrtiating flare and I had my period. I was so depressed and couldn't stop crying. I haven't cried since I have been diagnosed nearly four years ago. A couple of days later I had a real serious talk with myself about taking my pain meds-what my gp told me a long time ago: "If you had to take insulin or heart meds you would. So, take your pain meds when you need them." I decided that if I wanted to have my life back again I would have to take the pain meds. So, that is exactly what I am doing. If I need to take something at work, I do. It is so nice to not be in pain when I am at work and I'm actually thinking why didn't I do this sooner? Believe me work can be very crazy at times-I am a manager at a Starbucks-and we all know how busy it is! My gp was going to try me on different combination of pain meds, but since empracet/demerol are working we are going to stick to that.
I will let you all know how my appointment with Dr. Fenster goes and Lou thank you for telling me about his 'bedside manner' it will really help me look past it.
Hope all is well with everyone.
alana:dogrun:

[lotsofgirls]

Hi Alana,
I'm glad to hear your gp is treating your pain, I think when the pain is under control it is so much easier to cope mentally with work etc. I am learning to take my pain meds all the time too, I have the same kind of hang ups. However, I function just fine on pain meds, so I am starting to understand how they work now. I hope Dr. Fenster works out for you, I see Dr. Carlson in Calgary and he is very very good too.
Cath

[Lou]

:thumbsup: Yay, Alana!
Glad to hear about your appointment with Dr. Fenster. Hope all goes well. Its a long road to feeling like a human being again, but you'll do it, I'm sure. Dr. Fenster will have options you can consider, at least you'll be exposed to the latest treatments, etc. Make sure you start making a list of all the questions you want to ask him (I always get flustered when I'm in an office setting, and it helps to refer to notes) And, try to have a pen handy so that you can jot down answers. (sounds silly, but sometimes I can't quite remember what was said exactly) Get as prepared as possible for your big date

Lou

[alana rose]

Hi Cath!
It actually feels so good not to be worrying about how many pills I've taken a day. I'm actually enjoying life again-not to the extent I use to, but I am a lot more social. I'm really enjoying work again. I suppose that I shouldn't have been so hard on myself about the pain med thing-I would have been feeling a lot better sooner. Another reason that I was so strict with my pain meds, is that my uro in Kamloops told me if you take pain med regularly, your body will 'create' pain and you think that you need it. Whatever...I take pain med when I need it. Sometimes demerol last four hours, sometimes six hour-and if I take it shortly before I go to bed-I can sleep 9 hours get up have a shower/breakfast and then I need some more. I usually get up take 2 empracet before I head to work and then take one more in two hours (my gp said it was fine to take empracet that way) Then I switch to demerol four hours later. I find that I need demerol as the day progresses-after being on my feet. I am happy to hear that you are feeling better about taking pain meds too. It sure makes a huge difference in your life. You can actually enjoy it again. My friend and I took her 18 month old niece to the park for a picnic yesterday and I took 2 demerol before I left-my friend said that I totally had my wits about and was surprised that I had taken some pain med.
I will let you know what Dr. Fenster says.
take care:dogrun:

[iwant2help2]

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