Is this normal?

radgal

Today is the one-year anniversary of being breast-cancer free as my surgery was one year ago today--lumpectomy and intraoperative radiotherapy.

As I was about to do my morning meditation, I got a call from my breast cancer surgeon.

I didn't pick up the call as I wanted to finish my meditation. I let it go to voicemail.

Funny though, I though, "wow, how sweet, they remembered that my surgery was one year ago today!! How cool is that that they're calling to congratulate me that I'm one-year cancer free!!"

Instead, it was a tape-recorded reminder that I have appointments this Monday for my one-year follow-up with my breast cancer surgeon for bilateral mammogram follow-up and another appointment with my radiation oncologist.

I don't want to go. I would really rather never have to see them again. Don't get me wrong -- they're both fantastic and I got excellent care. I just want to put breast cancer way behind me and forget about it.

Granted, my breast cancer was detected from a routine mammogram. It was only the second mammogram I ever had.

Do you ever want to not show up for follow-up appointments, mammograms and such??

Have any of you actually done that--say, "I'm done with breast cancer" and ignore all follow-up appointments, mammograms and such?

I know it is a stupid thing to do but my mind doesn't think like that, it just thinks in terms of pain versus no pain and has convinced me that "no pain" and denial (no follow-up appointments) are synonymous.

Would you have your follow-up bilateral mammogram Monday?