Finally Feel Safe

I found out during my Cancer journey & the years following treatment just how broken the health care system in this Country is. All Americans deserve stellar treatment but especially those facing life threatening situations. Unfortunately stellar, let alone decent health care professionals, are few & far between. What makes this even more of a tragedy for me & those less fortunate is I have one of the best Health Insurance plans out there so what further does that say about our health care system? The cancer battle encompasses more than where the cancer is at but also involves the damage done by the treatment(s) received. My body was ravished by cancer & the subsequent surgery & Chemotherapy. Until I found Dr. Barreto it was a miserable & painful life I was existing in. Notice I say existing & not living in...

Just to name a few things on my lengthy hand-written list of issues I gave Dr. Barreto at our first appointment:
(1) Severe UTI symptoms with pain so bad I could barely walk which I suffered for 1 ½ years – only sent twice to Urologist (same one) & told nothing wrong.
Primary Dr. at the time wrote on the 2nd results (mailed to me) - Sharon, urinalysis is NEGATIVE!!! Yes, with capital letters & 3 exclamation points.
Dr. B. sent me to a new guy & turns out I had a rare UTI that is antibiotic resistant & doesn’t show up on the normal tests they do & I had a
damaged Urethra from Chemo. It took 2 rounds of antibiotics & an as needed medication to control damage symptoms. Being able to mostly walk
upright without crippling pain in the nether regions is all thanks to Dr. B. Most importantly though, I had no additional permanent damage to my kidneys
or other areas in that region!!
(2) A cyst was seen on scan after chemo completed. Since a biopsy was never performed they guessed at the type & what they settled on was a type
that had a slight chance of turning malignant (5%) & with my cancer history should have been flagged at the very least. This cyst did not exist previously.
The Gynecologist I was sent to stated surgery not advised (too much scar tissue) & they would “watch” it. I was supposed to have ultrasounds every 6
months & this did not happen! I had my initial and 1 more (1 ½ years later) in the 2 ½ years I was with her – even after the cyst began growing! Dr. B.
sent me to her Gynecologist & cyst is still there but he is closely monitoring it.
NOTE: During our discussion (Dr. B. and I), & at one point as I was talking, I looked over at Dr. B & she had a look of disbelief in her eyes. I asked her if
she was OK & she said something like, “no wonder you don’t trust doctor’s” as she appeared shocked at the failure points along the way.
(3) Please ask me for more stories & I will tell you in detail how she saved my life as there is too much to write with not enough space.

Suffice it to say that Dr. Barreto cares about me & does all she can to heal me & practices preventative medicine. She is compassionate, competent, innovative, etc. & looks for new ways to help me. We are partners, she listens, & she treats me with respect. She recognizes I know my body & I know when something isn’t right! The other doctors before her wouldn’t listen but she does. I trust her! I'm grateful she is available at any time, even when traveling
internationally.

I met Dr. Barreto when she became my pain management physician. By this point I had zero trust in most of the doctors & specialists in my life (13 at one point) so I conducted my own research & had my primary care doctor at the time refer me to Dr. Barreto. Due to our relationship (Dr. Barreto & I), I made the decision to try MDVIP with Dr. B. & to give it a year & we have been together since 2018!!. It was the best decision I’ve made in this journey so far. In my opinion & what I have endured up to this point, she is the reason I’m still alive today.

Just a few examples:
(1) A previous primary Dr. refused to do a colonoscopy which almost cost me my life.
(2) A different primary Dr. refused to believe there were issues with my urinary functions, etc. which could have been fatal
(3) A previous Oncologist almost cost me my life

My friends & family witnessed everything (good & bad) & when looking for a new Primary care, they knew how incredible Dr. Barreto is & 2 have signed up based on my recommendation & what they witnessed.

So when I say I owe her everything / she saved my life – this is meant literally & I thank God for her every day. She is the Gold Standard all are judged against. My journey has been challenging to say the least but I finally found someone to walk with me & give me the support & concern I need. I apologize if this statement isn't what you were looking for. I thought some explanation as to why I think Dr. Barreto is incredible was warranted. Thank you Dr. Barreto from the bottom of my heart!