Opening Blog Entry
A little over four years ago I started this blog at the suggestion of my daughter, Teresa, and with the tech assistance of her husband Elliott. The blog had a two-fold purpose: to provide a venue for me to express my emotions, fears, concerns, and experiences following the aftermath of being diagnosed with breast cancer and to provide for readers journal entries that might inform or comfort. I know for a fact that the mountain of tears that I cried in the cathartic experience of writing about my experiences provided a much-needed outlet for me. I also know from responses and comments that, along the way, my blog was helpful to other cancer patients or those connected to one. I have a couple of final thoughts for this blog. First, I know that it is beyond difficult to get past the experience of cancer. I think because of the length of my treatment period, it took an extra-long amount of time. Following diagnosis and surgeries I had six months of chemo, a month of radiation and a year of Herceptin treatments via IV. This kept me in patient mode for almost two years as I continued to visit the Infusion Room at the Nevada Cancer Institute every three weeks. Of course, I went through the bald head, no eyebrows/no eyelashes, wigs to hats to white, fluffy, baby hair growing in. Then I waited a very long time before I had any color treatments on my hair. My point is that it took a very long time to get back to a semblance of what or who I once had been. Second, a thought that other cancer survivors might have…Many people that I know or have heard of with cancer experience regular scans to check for cancer cells. My oncologist never ordered any for me. I never wanted to ask him for fear that he would say, ”Oh, you want a scan? Let me order a couple for you.” O.K., I’m a charter member of the Ostrich Club. In other words, I’d rather put my head in the sand and not know. For my latest oncologist visit I did not see Dr. Manno, a big loss to me. Instead I saw the PA-Physician’s Assistant. So, I finally got brave enough to ask why I had never been scheduled for any scans. I wasn’t afraid that she would schedule one for me. What a reasonable answer I received. She reported that some insurance companies don’t want to cover regular scans for survivors. Also, the thought is that going through scans causes undue stress…the stress of preparing for a scan, going through the scan, and awaiting the results of the scan. In my case, she said that as long as I have normal mammograms and no other consistent, alarming symptoms, it is considered unnecessary for me to undergo scans. How simple and poetic. So, I’m afraid to say that I’ve moved on from cancer, but I will say that I think I’m doing so. Therefore, I want to bring this blog chapter in my life to a close (for now) and write about MY life after cancer. Even as I write this, my family and I are preparing to participate in our fourth Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Las Vegas on May 7th. Most of us have just received our t-shirts and are getting excited about the upcoming event. We hope to all meet downtown for team pictures. We will have our second annual post-Race breakfast at Kathi’s house. So this year finds me, so far, cancer-free, looking forward to a wedding and the birth of a new grandchild……But wait, that’s where the new blog will start. With Elliott’s help, a link will be maintained for anyone who might still benefit from my experiences with cancer from my first post in April, 2007 to my last now in May, 2011.
Love to All,
Doctor Dottie, Cancer Survivor
