8 month follow-up after BMX

Luna52

I have follow-up appointments with my MO (Friday) and my BS (2 weeks). I think this will begin the "forever" monitoring process but I have no idea what to expect. Obviously no more mammograms, so what did your team do to monitor for mets or recurrance?

Thanks for any input - I'm starting to get nervous.

hummingbirdlover

Hello. This has been a source of frustration for me. As you can see from my signature, I'm 2 1/2 years out from diagnosis and have religiously showed up for the "forever" monitoring appointments and in my opinion have not been monitored at all. The BS just checked how I was healing and checked range of motion and so far the follow up visits with the MO have just been a battery of questions about how I'm feeling and how I'm tolerating the tamoxifen but zero actual monitoring. I just had my six month "check up" with my MO last week and he said that because I was still having periods, at my next appointment (in six months) he wants to do some lab work to see if my ovaries are starting to respond and/or shut down completely but those labs will be the first I've had. I am resigned that at this point, no news is good news. I'm learning to live with it and it does get easier everyday but it still hard to simply be "done with treatment" and off you go. So, in my experience, you don't have anything to be nervous about.

Emily2008

Disclaimer: I had a recurrence/new primary diagnosed 8 1/2 years after my first breast cancer, so what I'm telling you is what I experienced after Round 1:

Appointments with my MO every 3 months for the first year. Then every 4 months for the next 5 years. Then every 6 months for the next 2 years until I was re-diagnosed. My blood work was scheduled in the same way. At my MO appointments, he asked me how I was feeling and gave me a physical exam (breasts, underarms, liver, then listened to my lungs).

Chest X-rays every 6 months for the first few years, then once a year for a couple of years, then no more.

No other imaging besides the X-rays because I had a bilateral mx.

I only saw my BS if I had a problem or some weird little lump appeared.

Msjackiefan

Hi...I'm 4 years cancer free: your stats are close to mine, except I was 0/2 on nodes and Grade 2. I also had negligible Onco DX results. Our category success rate is so high-100% 5 years, I don't think our docs spend much time worrying about us!

I go back annually for CT scan of chest. Initially I had an Abs-Chest scan. I have palp of the breasts by my oncologist when I get checked for my panels each 6 mos-1 year. She also has sent me twice for bone density. I am on Anastrozole as post-menopause, which I take faithfully-and aspirin 81 mg and Vit D 5,000 units daily. My Vit Dlevels were very low when diagnosed and I was pre-osteo. My breast surgeon saw me a few months after surgery, then I I think 1 year after. Haven't heard from her since, other than to talk to me about tattoos. Oncologist does the check ups. My implants supposed to last up to 20 years (mentor gel). I was told I would not likely need a mammogram, but might have an MRI if anything doesn't pass muster at a doctor visit; or if I have any new symptoms. You know what's been the most unexpected? the darn nerve endings at the site of the sentinel node biopsy. I've heard this before...they just occasionally are sensitive. I suspect they never quite get used to two of the nodes missing. I occasionally have 'I need to adjust' sensations when I move a certain way; but mostly the new boobs feel like mine as if they had a slightly tight bra fit in the front. No real problems, other than some minor wrinkling. I am not one to go back to get something like that fixed, but that's me. I will tell you when had the surgery and the breast surgeon-not the reconstruction surgeon-talked to me about findings, he said what they found increased my chance of cross-occurrence by 30 % statistically, so he said the BMX was the best move and he actually said,' I think you are probably cured of this, based on what I saw.' As close as he came to actually declaring it. It had a great effect on my psychologically, and although I know he can't know that, it still felt good to have someone who's done this for 35 years say that. I wish you the best.