Milestones

Milestones are goals achieved as a cancer survivor gets farther and farther away from when the journey all began.

I remember thinking at the outset that it seemed all I was doing was adding doctors, having tests, and traveling to appointments.  There was the ob-gyn lady, the mammo lady, the ultrasound lady, the MRI guy, surgeon, the oncologist, the chemo people, the radiation people . . . you get the drift.  Week after week after week, that was all part of my life, starting the end of November 2011 and ending about the middle of October 2012.  The completion of radiation therapy was my first major milestone.  Aside from hormonal therapy (pills), I was done with my vigorous battle with this disease.  I had recovered from my surgery.  I had made it through chemo.  I had finished radiation.

So, what milestones have I reached?

By the end of 2012, I was seeing my surgeon only twice a year.  Getting my port out was the last "invasive" thing he did.  By 2013, I was switched to once a year.  Not sure if I will go back this year or just figure I am done.  My NP at the oncologist's office says that surgeons like to keep tabs on people like me for five years.  To me, it seems that all Dr. Bang checks for is lymphedema and how much I weigh.  Anything else he does, the NP does at the oncologist's office.

January 2013 I was told that if things were good January 2014, then I was done at the radiation oncologist's, since I had other medical people watching out for me.  Dr. Fallon was good.  I never felt hurried when he met with me.  I will always remember what a great waiting area there was:  Keurig machine, electric fireplace, tv, jigsaw puzzle, lots of space.  This office gave its patients $25 gas cards to help with travel expenses.

In the fall of 2014, I changed from every three months' appointments with my oncologist to every six.  My next goal is the yearly plan.  I know that as long as I am taking HT, then I will have to see my oncologist.  The "sad" thing, though is that this month, the Homer office closed.  To keep with Dr. Benjamin, I will have to travel to Syracuse.  Because I think he is very good AND because I like the NP (Patricia), I will travel up there.

Here's looking to the time when I will reach that last milestone -- no more oncologist appointments.