Anyone just stop oncology appointments?

stacey2930

I am almost 4 years from my diagnosis. I am scheduled for my yearly mammo tomorrow which scares me to death. I wont to stop seeing my oncologist. I love him but it's so stressful! I will have my scheduled mammograms but I HATE going to my oncologist! Stacey

Bren-2007

HI Stacey,

I'm about 2 1/2 years out for Stage I bc, and a little over two years out from lumpectomy and rads.

I never returned to see my rad onco after my last treatment.  Didn't see any reason to.  Besides, I hated going to the cancer center.

I did see my surgeon in f/u every six months at his office (separate from cancer center).  Now, I see him once a year for checkup and mammo. 

I do see my PCP, who is fantastic twice a year for everything!  She is the coordinator of my care and does all my exams, blood work, etc.

I saw a medical oncologist once ... but because my cancer was Stage I and I didn't have chemo, I never saw him again.

I can understand not wanting to go back to the cancer center.  I'm grateful my PCP is on top of everything!

Let us know what you decide to do.  Sending good thoughts your way for an unremarkable mammo!

Bren

Anonymous

I too get extremely stressed for several weeks before and after these oncology appts....Im just a bit over 2 yrs out and am on the every 6 months plan......I never saw my rad onco again after I finished treatment....

My last appt with med onco in May I asked if I could go to yearly appts and he said it is up to me but he would prefer 6 months until I hit the 5 yr mark....having been stage II Im scared not to see him for this first 5 yrs. I guess I understand his concern as I am taking tamox that is prescribed by him.

Such hard decisions!!!!!

Best wishes to all

Jule

stacey2930

thanks everyone for your input. I never took tamoxifen instead I chose to have my ovaries out. I just could not stand the side effects. I am going for my mamogram but I may not see my oncologist. I dont know yet. I guess it depends on how the Xanax is working tomorrow. Maybe I will take an extra one and I might not give a damn one way or another. That is one fine drug:)

informated1

No way my oncologist was steering my ship in 2004 and is my pcp at this point my md knows jack about taking care of my medical and phyical long term side effects of that year.

Shrek4

I love seeing the oncologist. He's a wonderful man and wonderful doctor and every time I see him he manages to calm down any anxiety I might have. I very much doubt I will stop seeing him.

ma111

You would be less likely to end up in the stage IV forum if you go.

It's not easy, but go.

apple

what ma said.. just go. While you are there seek references for maybe a female oncologist or just another one.    Fearing medical care will not really help.   I really love my onc.  SHe is awesome, a bit of a crybaby but I can overlook that.  You really want to stay on top of things.

Be strong

GramE

I am off to "interview" a new med onco today.   My other one moved to California.   I am 3 years past lumpectomy and feel an onco is the best "specialist" to handle the after effects and ongoing monitoring.  My pcp is a woman, but not really knowledgeable about BC.    My former onco suggested seeing her once  a year and pcp once a year, but 6 months apart - or see a doctor twice a year.  BTW, by the way, I am on once a year mammos.    

dogeyed

I am in my first year after cancer treatments, and I was just so fed up with the whole routine that I made up my mind ahead of time that I would NOT let this spring and summer get away from me like it was stolen last year in an effort to kill my cancer.  So, I went to see my doc as my usual three-month followup, and told them I wasn't coming back until September.  And after September, I'll go every six months since I see my regular docs then, too.  The mammogram is indeed an important item to have done, but do you know it's been practically impossible for me to get my cancer clinic to do a simple ordinary CT scan, which I had one done at the outset, and I'm having to demand it now.  So, I'm a little upset with my cancer clinic, ain't nowhere else for me to go, and if they don't set it up in September, I'll set one up for myself at the local ER and PAY for it out of pocket.  And the ONLY reason I'm seeing a doc for this forever is becuz I have other specialists I must see regular who take care of my other health stuff that is actually far worse than the cancer treatments ever were.  But I KNOW I KNOW it's important to go, our cancers are life and death, and I AM going.  But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

ladyboss1997

I have my first post treatment mammo tomorrow morning, and I am quite nervous. I have labs on 3/13, and meet with my MO on 3/20.  I will go every 6 months faithfully. And I am having my ovaries out in the next couple of months. Anything I can do to keep this BC from coming back, or to catch a recurrence early.

Gai

Hi

I am 12 years out from treatment now, so thought I would let you know what i do..

I found that as time moves on so does the fear of recurrence.  But there are things you can do lessen the fear earlier.  Try these couple of exercises

+ Address the cause not the symptom - Find some space where you won be interupted and take a pen and paper and write down the answer to this question "why don't I like going to the oncologist?" or "why am I scared to go to the oncologist?" - then each time you get an answer keep asking why and let yourself go deeper into the question that will take you to the cause.  

When I did this exercise my deepest fear was that the kids would forget me if I died.  So I set out to be the best Aunty they could find and make sure they would never forget me as I did that the fear slipped away because I took action to address it.  

+ Focus on what you can control - You can control what you do to live a healthy lifestye - what you eat, what you drink, the exercise you do and what you do to minimise stress in your life.  

What actions can you take towards living the healthiest lifestyle that you aren't taking now? 

+ Find evidence to prove yourself wrong - I was scared of recurrence for a while because I didn't think I would survive it.  But then I volunteered at the Cancer Council and meet so many people who had survived recurrence two or three time.  If they could do it so could I it was evidence that proved me wrong......

Do something positive and try these exercises 

Take care

Gai