I echo Lee's sentiments. I try my best not to worry - I'm only 2 months out from finishing everything. Sometimes I calculate in my head... okay if I could just not have a recurrence until my youngest is out of high school etc. Then I smack myself for just calculating WHEN it will come back - that's no way to be! But 85% of the time I don't think about it :). I find that my new lifestyle - vegan-ism, and exercising more frequently, plus giving up caffeine and alcohol helps me feel in control.
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ddgram started following
User: jewels4julie
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ddgram started following
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ddgram asked a questionBreast Cancer
concerned
6 answers-
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debsweb18
over 8 years agoMy onco does not do scans unless there are symptoms. Here's what can happen if you have scans. Last winter I had 3 colds in a row with a horrible cough. My PCP finally ordered a chest x-ray. A nodule showed up which lead to a ct scan. Thyroid nodules showed up which led to an ultrasound and followup on lung nodule in 3 months. After the thyroid US, it was recommended I followup in 6 months. 3 months later I had a pet scan to followup on the lung nodule. My lung lit up like crazy and I had to have a lung biopsy. It ended up benign, but I felt like I did when I had my breast biopsy all over again! 3 months later had the followup on my thyroid. The larger nodule grew and another appeared. Now I have to follow up again in 6 months. Since I had complained of hoarseness and a cough, and I didn't have lung cancer, I was sent to an ENT. I had to have an endoscopy down to my stomach.
So for 9 months I have been having tests and procedures with nothing wrong so far (except silent acid reflux). I found that most people as they age have these nodules and never know unless they are tested for something else and find out about them by accident. If I hadn't had such a bad cold, I wouldn't have gone through all of these tests and procedures.
So I agree that scans, unless there are symptoms, can lead to a lot of unnecessary anxiety. Do I still worry about it returning? Yeah, sometimes. Of course I'm more worried about the thyroid right now. I don't think you'd be normal if you NEVER worried. However, I wouldn't worry about not having scans.
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ddgram shared an experience
Side Effects (Mood changes): Being on Tamoxifen has made me have mood changes, along with other side effects...they say it is better than having cancer return.