Thursday, November 13, 2014

Follow Up Snow

On my way to the cancer center today it started to snow in Eugene.  Not big flakes, just this little
misty snow that looked like someone took a giant glitter shaker and went crazy.  It didn’t last long, but I love snow and it always makes me think of fresh starts and of God.  I am so grateful to be done with trying to kill all the cancer cells.  Today the meeting with the Oncologist was for my post treatment follow-up.  It took a while but it was a good appointment and I appreciate that Dr. Cho takes his time to answer all of our questions and I never feel like he is in a hurry to get us out of there.

We talked a lot about my fatigue, it’s like pregnancy tired x10.  He is hopeful that in about a month
I will start feeling better and will not be nauseous all the time.  My skin should start healing in about a week or two.  I start physical therapy next week to help with my rib pain and lymphedema (it’s a kind of painful swelling in my left arm and chest from the surgeries and radiation that will need to be
treated the rest of my life).  Basically we talked about how breast cancer treatment is a long road; the most active part of my treatment is over, but they physical effects of the treatment will take months and years to heal. 

My blood work looked good for where I am as just finishing treatment.  There is no magic test to
determine if it has spread or if it will spread.  I will go back in to Dr. Cho in a month and then every four months for 5 years.  We are just going to watch my blood-work and I will call Dr. Cho if I have any physical ailment that lasts over 2 weeks.  Pain in your shoulder for two weeks – visit the oncologist.  Get a cold for two weeks –go see if it’s cancer. 

The lingo in the cancer world is finding your “new normal”.  There’s no going back to life Before Cancer (BC); we are now living in the age of After Diagnosis (AD).  I see life so differently now.  My whole perspective has changed because I have viewed mortality up close and personal. 

No comments:

Post a Comment