Today I had a follow up with my new medical oncologist. I have only been to him once since we moved here a few months ago. It was kind of odd changing medical oncologists and plastic surgeons in the middle of my treatment, but since we moved I had no choice. I kind of miss my old doctors in Michigan right about now!
What I am having a hard time with is the lack of follow up that you get after treatment. I feel like they should be "doing something" when I go there. Ugh!!!
The exams are only physical where they look for obvious lumps or swollen lymph nodes. They check blood pressure and breathing. Then they will ask if I am experiencing any issues or strange symptoms. That is pretty much ALL they do.
After a year of tests, blood draws, medications and multiple doctor appointments it is kind of hard for me to wrap my brain around a simple physical exam. They don't even draw blood! I know I have to accept that this is the norm, but it is hard.
At this point I continue to go back to the medical oncologist every three months for the same type of simple exam. While I am grateful that I only had stage 1 breast cancer, it is hard to just "move on" after treatment. I have talked to other early stage breast cancer patients and their exams seem similar. I guess this is one more thing to accept along this breast cancer journey. It is hard to not worry that there is something deep inside me sprouting and spreading through my body. I hate breast cancer!!!
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