My Onc Thought I Moved Too Far!

Anonymous

Got a phone call today --- my onc's assistant called saying that I had forgotten them.  I was scheduled  to be seen in July and somehow missed the appointment.  I think I never made it. I think I was supposed to make it and forgot.  July would have been a 3 month follow-up.  So, it's definitely more than 6 months!!  I didn't realize it had been that long. 

I am supposed to see my onc every 6 months and my BS every 6 months ... but staggered so that I see one every 3 months.  But my BS is so far, my onc is doing the every 3 months for me.  

I did have a mammo in July, so I felt ok, now just feeling nervous until the 12th.  I have to get my blood work ahead of time and tumor markers ....... ughhhhhhh  ... 

Harley44

Rock,

It is just TOO easy to forget these appts!  My MIL forgot  her Mammogram, and since I am now the poster child for bc, I am the one who is SUPPOSED to REMIND her about these appts...  well, I figured that she is an adult, (she'll be 80 in March!) so I wouldn't remind her...   So she forgot.  She went to play Mah Jongg, with her friends from her retirement community.  She told her dr. that she forgot, and she was playing Mah Jong, and her dr. laughed, and asked her if she won.  YES, she said!!!   LOL

I now have a new electronic organizer, to keep not only friends' phone numbers, and addresses, and birthdays, but also dr. appts.   It was really hard for me, when I was getting all these drs. appts. for 2009,  but it was only July 2008...  I didn't have a new 2009 calendar, so I just kept the little written card that they gave me, and I hope I didn't forget any of them.  Heck, in April, my BS gave me my first appt. for 2009, on April 17!!  I hope I don't forget that one... I really LOVE my Surgeon!!

Good Luck!!  Please let me know how your onc appt. goes!!

Harley

Anonymous

I will be fine .... it is just nerve wracking .. I can see how it was easy to forget! I really didn't think it had been that long.  I need to start using my PDA better to keep track of things.   Maybe start playing Mah Jongg, too!

Harley44

Rocktobermom,

LOL  When my MIL told me that SHE forgot her mammo. appt., I seriously started to worry that maybe she was starting to lose it, and I might have to start reminding her about all her appts.  I sure hope not... 

That is the word I was looking for.... PDA!!  I keep getting them, but the LCD display goes away after 3 to 5 years, so I keep having to buy a new one!  They are really helpful, though, and it would be good for me, too, since I can put info. in there for NEXT year, if I get a dr. appt. for 2010!!

Happy New Year!!
Harley

NancyD

I make myself schedule the next appointment before I leave the office, otherwise I know I will "forget" to call and make the next one in three months. That's the only thing that seems to work for me, I'm such a procrastinator and avoider.

ijl

I have to schedule my second followup mammo at the end of this month and I hate the thought of it. But what can we do , we can't get off this threadmill for awhile

Anonymous

My onc and primary docs are made for every six months before I leave their office.  I have them in my little calendar in my purse.  Plus I get a card.  I think my onc's appointment is in March.  Oh, and I also get my six month dental cleaning appointment scheduled after my cleaning before I leave the office.  I canceled my gyn appointment cuz I just didn't want to go.  Now I've got to make that again.  How in the world are we supposed to remember all these things. 

Nancy, I'm the WORST procrastinator.  That's why I canceled my gyn's appointment.

Rocky, you're gonna be JUST fine.  You are one tough cookie!  Time flies when you're having fun!

Shirley

car

I make my next appt. w/my onc before I walk out the door. That's where the bowl of candy is. He really has the best candy!

Anonymous

I go to Kaiser --- only can schedule appts 2 months out ... which is why you have to remember to call!

yellowrose

My hospital has some kind of computerized system that remembers when you are due for a mammo and sends a reminder to you if you don't make an appt within a certain time period.  It was a lifesaver for me as I had forgotten to schedule my annual mammo and when I received the reminder at 15 months, the mammo I received resulted in my diagnosis.

I wrote the hospital and thanked them for this system.

roseg

Kaiser has an automated reminder system. I get an email from them when it's time to schedule my mammogram.

When you go in ask if they can set you up to get one of those. 

RIV54

I try to schedule my appts before I leave the office, then I put my scheluled appt on a spread sheet with all my other appts and give a copy to my boss so that she also knows ahead of time where I'm at if I'm not at work. It took me a while to get it down, but it works for me now and I can keep a printed copy with me and make whatever changes I need to and reprint or check on my computer. I know I can't keep all those dates in my head any more thanks to old age and chemo brain. LOL.

lvtwoqlt

My surgeons office scheduled my mammos after my first abnormal mammo needing a biopsy every 6 months. Last year the breast clinic I had my mammos done sent me a letter reminding me it was time for my mammo 12 months after my bilat mast. I called them to let them know that my doctor removed both my breasts in 2007 and I would not be needing mammos anymore. The records girl appologized for the letter and put that information in my file so I wouldn't be getting the letters anymore.

My mom keeps a calendar hanging on the wall next to her phone and as soon as she comes home from any appointments (hers or my father's) she updates her calendar with the appropriate info on who has an appointment, where and when.

dreamwriter

Since we used to be the busiest family with both daughters playing baseball and me being the convenor (person other parents yell at), we got used to putting our dates on the "white board" calendar in the kitchen.  Green was sports events, Red was medical appts and Blue was other.  Special dates required artist endeavors (Christmas trees, wine glasses, heart, etc).  Beside that was a place to put dates that were outside of the current month.  And surprisingly we kept really good records on this board.  And still do today.  However, I have a small calendar in my purse and a decorative calendar in my room with duplicate information. 

Harley44

They make me schedule my appts., even my primary care dr. appts., while I'm in the office, so I can't escape! 

The problem I had was that MOST of my appts. were for 2009, and I didn't have a 2009 calendar or datebook yet.  I have collected these little notes with my appts and dates and times, and they are sitting on the kitchen counter, waiting for me to put them on the calendar.

.....I seem to have WAY too many dr. appts. lately.  I guess I'm a popular gal, at least to my drs! 

.....sigh

Harley 

Anonymous

Rose, they don't do it for my onc .. I've asked and asked .. Mammos yes ... I get a notice as well.

I will just have to use my PDA and 2 months ahead of time, ping myself and call to make the appointment.