Why Do I Have a Rash on My Breast?

DELTRA JAMES: Hi, I'm Deltra.

And I've been living

with metastatic breast cancer

since 2019.

I'm here to share some tips

on what to do when your breast

cancer has progressed

to the metastatic stage.

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Some ways to select a doctor

that's best

for your metastatic treatment

is word of mouth.

You can ask friends and family

who have experience with cancer

and live in your area, who they

were treated by,

and get recommendations.

You can also get a referral

from your primary physician

because they may know

some wonderful doctors.

You may also want to look

into doctors who specialize

in your specific subtype

of cancer.

When you're introducing yourself

to a new doctor,

you'll want to start by sharing

a bit about who you are,

because you're much more

than just your diagnosis.

You'll know if you're having

good communication

with your doctor

when you feel heard, when you

feel that your doctor is never

rushed, and they listen to you,

when they consider your input,

and when they take the time

to answer your questions.

Before starting your treatment,

you'll want to seek out

a second opinion.

Don't worry about offending

your current doctor.

A good doctor will totally

support you as you begin

your health journey.

Ultimately, it's your health

journey and you need to feel

total peace of mind

with how you start it.

When it comes to honesty,

you'll want to be very

upfront with your doctor.

Your doctor is not there

to judge you, they're there

to listen.

Before going

into your first

doctor's appointment,

try to avoid doing

your own research.

That may feel counterintuitive,

but your doctor will be

able to give you the most

up-to-date and realistic,

factual information.

Googling can just create anxiety

and overwhelm.

And you don't need that

right now.

Either avoid researching

yourself, or ask a loved one

to do a bit of researching

for you.

And also remember

that your story is your own.

Someone else's story

of their metastatic diagnosis

is not yours.

When discussing early treatment,

it's vital that you bring up

any questions you have regarding

how your treatments are going

to impact you financially.

Your doctor may not be the one

to answer those questions,

but they can certainly direct

you towards the person

on your team, maybe

a social worker or a

nurse navigator

who can help you figure out

and break down exactly what

your treatments are going

to cost you.

If you're having a hard time

understanding something

that your doctor has explained

to you, don't let it go.

It's OK to ask them to

repeat themselves.

It's OK to ask them to break it

down for you because they may

have explained it in terms

that you're not familiar with.

It's also OK to ask for

more information

so that you can take it home

with you, perhaps a pamphlet,

and digest it later.

You can also ask to speak

with a nurse navigator who may

explain things to you better,

or have a bit more time to have

an in-depth conversation.

It can be very

intimidating to be in a room

full of doctors who have spent

years studying a disease that

is new to you.

But just remember that you are

the expert in your body.

You're the only one living

in it.

Who knows what symptoms and side

effects you may experience.

So always bring up what you're

feeling, whether physically

or emotionally, to your team,

and push until you get peace

and the answers that you need.

Some helpful ways to remember

what was discussed

during a visit

are to bring a loved one.

It's always nice to have

a second set of ears

and another brain

to help remember what

was discussed.

You may also want to take notes.

You can do that

with old-fashioned pen and paper

or in a notes app.

You may also ask permission

to record so that you can play

back and really remember what

went on in your visit.

I highly recommend connecting

the doctors on your care team.

You may think

that your oncologists

and your therapists

don't need to know each other,

But all of these people

are caring for you

as a whole person.

So it's important

that your primary care physician

is in touch

with your oncologist,

and that they both are in touch

with any mental health

specialist you see.

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