Will I ever be appt. free?

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ck55
ck55 Member Posts: 346
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

It will be 7 years for me in November. I currently have onc appt every 6 months.

At what point does it (if ever) go to once a year. And are we Stage 3 peeps ever cut loose completely?

Cyndi

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  • Celtic_Spirit
    Celtic_Spirit Member Posts: 748
    edited July 2012

    My mastectomy bra fitter is a Stage IIIC survivor of eight years. She and I have the same oncologist. She told me last year (year seven for her) that our oncologist "set her free." Basically, she is considered a closed case and would see our oncologist only if something came up. Our oncologist told me I would see her twice a year for five years. Unless something comes up, I expect to see her only a couple more times.

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  • Bugs
    Bugs Member Posts: 1,719
    edited July 2012

    I'm at 6.5 years and have been on yearly visits since my 5 year mark.  Love them, and if you want to go to yearly visits, talk to your onc.  7 years seems a long time to be on 6 month visits.  

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  • diana50
    diana50 Member Posts: 2,134
    edited July 2012

    well, i am at 10 years and i still see the doc every 6 months.  i wanted to be cut free but the doc

    wants to do blood work every 6 months.  i actually don't have a problem with that. have had some complications and feel ok with her watching me.  i think it depends on a lot of things; if you have issues they watch you, doesn't mean anything bad,.

    hang in

    diana

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  • ck55
    ck55 Member Posts: 346
    edited July 2012

    Oops! Actually it will be 6 years in Nov (just wishful thinking I guess)



    My next appt is in Sept. Maybe I will ask her about it then.



    Thanks for the input. I would loved to be considered a closed case!!!!'



    Cyndi

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited July 2012

    I don't know since I am a newbie. But may I just say that I am thrilled to hear that you are 7 years out. :)



    My surgeon, who is my main doc, did say that he hopes to be seeing me until he retires, which would be about ten years.

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  • lostinmo
    lostinmo Member Posts: 922
    edited July 2012

    I too am excited to see that you have reached the six year mark! I'm still in the middle of treatment so the idea of only seeing a DR every six months sounds wonderful. Tired of going every 2 weeks or more.

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  • camillegal
    camillegal Member Posts: 16,882
    edited July 2012

    Well I'm a year out and now I'm seeing my Dr alot for blood work like Diana-My numbers are super low and other problems. And that'ss just my GP I have to start a new onc. this month and have some tests too. I get so tired of seeing Drs but I really shouldn't complain==sometimes I end up in the hospital for days and other times not so I'm at least  walkin away LOL, but I still complain.

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  • faithfulheart
    faithfulheart Member Posts: 544
    edited July 2012

    My onc. told me he will be watching me for a really long time, 10 years for sure..............But, I am a lllC and He wants to keep me on hormonal blockers for 10 years, I will be out 3 years in Nov..and I did just graduate to every 4 months instead of every 3 yea!!!!!

    Blessings

    Steph 

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  • camillegal
    camillegal Member Posts: 16,882
    edited July 2012

    I think we just get used to it, don't like it so much, but it becomes a part of our life and should be happy to be able to----altho I'm not either. LOL

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  • ck55
    ck55 Member Posts: 346
    edited July 2012

    Steph,

    That is interesting that your onc wants to keep you on AI's for 10 years. At my last appt my onc made the off hand comment that I was coming up on  5 years on Femara, giving me the impression that she thought that would be it. I asked her if I shouldn't be staying on it for longer with my Stage 3 diagnosis and she said so far 5 years was the standard, but we could discuss it at the time?

     We then were discussing the problem with vaginal atrophy and UTI's and the possibility of using Vagifem tabs or the Estring. Her comment was that she wasn't too comfortable with using topical estrogens as my tumor was 100% ER/PR+. But perhaps when the 5 years of AI's were up I could switch to Tamoxifin which would block any estrogen that got into my system from these products.

    I have heard of it the other way around (tamoxifin and then AI's) but not tamoxifin after AI's.The logic makes sense to me, but I just had never heard of anti hormonals used in this sequence.

    Just curious. Has anybody ever gone this route? 

    Cyndi

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  • overjoyed4life
    overjoyed4life Member Posts: 239
    edited August 2012

    Had to sneak in here. I am at my every 3 months visit. I just passed my 2 year annaversary. Can hardly wait to get to where you ladies are.

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