I am newly diagnosed, live in rural Washington state, and have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Nicholas Burwick at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) in one week.
Does anyone on this forum go to SCCA and care to recommend which doctors to see or avoid?
Thanks
Forums
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1
-
pamallyn - Name: Pam Allyn
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Dec. 2016
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Doctor recommendation at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance?
Hello Pamallyn,
I've got quite a bit of experience with SCCA, and will tell you that I have had good experiences with just about every doctor and nurse I've ever seen. That being said ...
I met Dr. Burwick when he was a fellow of Dr. Bensinger, and thought he did a great job, at least in how I interacted with him. He is pleasant, straightforward, and was very helpful to me back in 2010 when I was going through my first auto transplant.
I've dealt with Dr. Bensinger since day one, and could not think higher of him.
I've had two rather lengthy "stage of disease" discussions with Dr. Leona Holmberg, and think quite highly of her as well. When I was figuring out what doctor I was most interested in being treated by, she was the second doctor I wished to interview then, but I was so impressed by Dr. Bensinger, I stayed with him.
I don't think you could go wrong with any of the three, personally. If you would like other insights, feel free to private message me, and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Dr. Becker is someone I have never been personally treated by, but can tell you that some of the patients I have talked with (quite a few) have sang her praises as well.
Best of luck in your search for a specialist. My experience has been to find someone you feel comfortable with, who you trust, and then find a way to allow them to treat you, regardless of the distance (I know Walla Walla is a significant road trip).
Eric
I've got quite a bit of experience with SCCA, and will tell you that I have had good experiences with just about every doctor and nurse I've ever seen. That being said ...
I met Dr. Burwick when he was a fellow of Dr. Bensinger, and thought he did a great job, at least in how I interacted with him. He is pleasant, straightforward, and was very helpful to me back in 2010 when I was going through my first auto transplant.
I've dealt with Dr. Bensinger since day one, and could not think higher of him.
I've had two rather lengthy "stage of disease" discussions with Dr. Leona Holmberg, and think quite highly of her as well. When I was figuring out what doctor I was most interested in being treated by, she was the second doctor I wished to interview then, but I was so impressed by Dr. Bensinger, I stayed with him.
I don't think you could go wrong with any of the three, personally. If you would like other insights, feel free to private message me, and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Dr. Becker is someone I have never been personally treated by, but can tell you that some of the patients I have talked with (quite a few) have sang her praises as well.
Best of luck in your search for a specialist. My experience has been to find someone you feel comfortable with, who you trust, and then find a way to allow them to treat you, regardless of the distance (I know Walla Walla is a significant road trip).
Eric
-
Eric T - Name: Eric T
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: June, 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 46
Re: Doctor recommendation at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance?
Thank you Eric!
-
pamallyn - Name: Pam Allyn
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Dec. 2016
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Doctor recommendation at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance?
I was diagnosed in April, 2012 by an oncologist in Bellevue, Washington, but after some quick research I chose to be seen at SCCA by Dr. Burwick. He's knowledgable, kind, and always willing to answer my millions of questions. If I have a question between appointments, he's fast to respond to emails, and is very up to date about what's going on regarding trials and research. He's a great choice for me. His scheduler is also very efficient.
I have also seen Drs. Holmberg and Bensinger when doing the workup for an auto transplant, which I chose not to do, but rather only harvested the stem cells at that time. They are very opposite personalities, but passionate about their work and caring as well.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Kimm
I have also seen Drs. Holmberg and Bensinger when doing the workup for an auto transplant, which I chose not to do, but rather only harvested the stem cells at that time. They are very opposite personalities, but passionate about their work and caring as well.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Kimm
-
Kimm
Re: Doctor recommendation at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance?
I see Dr. Bensinger and Dr. Libby; Dr. Holmberg is on the transplant rotation right now. I cannot say enough good things about them! I do not know Dr. Burwick. I have not met anyone at SCCA who I was not impressed with! Good luck!
PS - I am at SCCA every day and would love to meet you when you are there!
PS - I am at SCCA every day and would love to meet you when you are there!
-
CindyBrown - Name: Cindy Brown
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 4/26/14
- Age at diagnosis: 48
Re: Doctor recommendation at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance?
Thanks to all who replied. It sounds like I will be in very good hands at SCCA.
-
pamallyn - Name: Pam Allyn
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Dec. 2016
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Doctor recommendation at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance?
I'm responding to this post late, so you probably won't see my answer, but I found this thread looking for others about SCCA.
I was diagnosed April 2015 and have been seeing Dr. Libby at SCCA since then. I'm blown away by the care everyone at SCCA provides. I'm looking at an auto stem cell transplant mid June and, of all the things I'm worried about, the treatment I'll receive at SCCA is not one of them.
I was diagnosed April 2015 and have been seeing Dr. Libby at SCCA since then. I'm blown away by the care everyone at SCCA provides. I'm looking at an auto stem cell transplant mid June and, of all the things I'm worried about, the treatment I'll receive at SCCA is not one of them.
-
Mark Pouley - Name: Mark
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: April 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Doctor recommendation at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance?
I liked each doctor and nurse I met when I was there. The care is first rate and I feel like they care and are willing to listen to me. I initially consulted with Dr. Bensinger and followed his recommendations for my induction treatment in Alaska. My transplant had 3 different doctors, as the doctors do rotations. I have learned Dr. Bensinger has taken a job at a different facility now, but I plan to go back to SCCA when I relapse. I will need to choose a new doctor when the time comes, but I am confident I have several highly experienced doctors to choose from.
Good luck everyone in our continued fight.
Good luck everyone in our continued fight.
-
kjpoppit - Name: Kim Nelson
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Sept. 19th, 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 47
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1