Dr. Krisha Jane Howell, MD

It has been over a year since I saw Dr. Howell for vaginal-cuff brachytherapy in Troy, and I would not recommend her. She seemed awkward, which made me feel awkward as well, especially because this is such a sensitive area of treatment. I also feel that my treatment and its possible side effects, as well as the difference between high-dose-rate and low-dose-rate brachytherapy, should have been explained more thoroughly. As a layperson, I did not know what questions to ask. During treatment, I felt that the facility was not well prepared for this particular form of brachytherapy. I was confused and unsettled by what seemed like a jury-rigged method for keeping the applicator from moving while I was transported from the CT room to the radiation-treatment room since even a few millimeters can potentially affect the treatment area and the dose received by nearby organs. The applicator was inserted while I was on the CT table. After the scan, I was lifted onto a gurney and transported to… the treatment room. I was concerned that the jostling involved in transferring me and transporting me could have caused the applicator to move. It was not secured with a fixed setup; instead, only a marker line and a few straps of gauze were used to keep it in place. Immediately after the third and final treatment fraction, I became incontinent and was unable to hold my urine normally. This has continued for two years. I have not had any urinary infections, blood in my urine, or other known condition that would explain the problem, so I believe it may be related to the treatment. After treatment, I also developed weeping blisters approximately 4–5 inches away from the intended treatment area. When I called Dr. Howell for advice about how to treat them, she said that radiation could not have caused the blisters, despite my having no other issue or disease that could account for them. She would not recommend a cream or other treatment unless I was first seen by her. Because I lived 70 miles away and was caring for my mother, who had chemotherapy that day, I could not leave her for the next several days. As a result, I was unable to have the blisters evaluated until a week later, when I saw my regular gynecologist. My gyne agreed with my observations and could see where the blisters had been based on differences in skin color and remaining pieces of skin. At my follow-up appointment, I spoke with Dr. Howell by phone and asked whether the blisters could have been caused by movement of the applicator. She dismissed the possibility and implied that there was no issue because I had not been able to return for an in-person evaluation. That said, the staff were kind, and the radiation therapist was especially helpful. She kept up a steady stream of conversation, even if it was mostly about unimportant things, and that significantly reduced my anxiety during the treatment. (ran thru AI for grammatical errors)

great to work with.