So, the second year cancerversary tests are in full swing. So far, so good. I’ve got two appointments this week, the final one with the oncologist next.
I dislike May. Thinking about cancer, reliving gory details, watching newbie practitioners gawk at my crazy scar… it’s not what I’d like to do. Then I have the big C hanging over my head, something I’d rather not think about.
Truth is, my stats aren’t that bad. There’s a 20 percent chance cancer will come back within five years. These next two years are when, statistically, it’ll happen.
So, imagine my surprise when, after my oncologist left, the temporary doc changed our treatment plan. “You don’t need CT scans anymore.”
“Why not? That was the plan. ‘Vigilant monitoring’ they called it. Just for the first five years. I was supposed to do blood tests every six months and a CT scan once a year to catch anything the blood test missed.”
“Nah. I’m cancelling it.”
“Why?”
No answer.
And that was that. My original oncologist is gone. The treatment plan we set was gone. Temporary doc changed everything. Even my family doc retired.
So, I’m starting fresh this year. I like my new family doc. Still no permanent oncologist, though. No treatment plan concerning the cancer. Sometimes I feel like I should just skip all the oncology appointments. After all, I could probably find someone to give me a CEA tumor marker test and if it’s in the normal range, I’m good to go. But my dear husband would likely object.
Life would sure be easier, though.
Enough complaining. On to my next appointment. Yippee.
