Dear fellow Norske--(I come from Olsen families): I agree with Harry about talking more with your onc and getting his/her reasons and plans for checking to see if the cancer is still there or has returned.
I too, had a problem with fear of recurrence. I had DCIS 9 years ago and had lumpectomy, radiation and Tamoxifen for 5 years. One way I eased some of my fear was to be extremely pro-active in my care. When I went for follow up mammograms (a few months apart--6?--at first and then yearly), I INSISTED they be read immediately by the rad doc and results given to me before I left the mammogram office. They can probably do that for you as well. It gave me peace of mind before I left, rather than having to worry several more days for results.
Also, you might want to learn as much as possible about all signs to look for in breast cancer. Knowledge is power! This might make you feel better, too. I knew that breast "dimples" were a bad sign and found the breast cancer I'm being treated for now because I went to my doc 1 day after seeing the dimple. She found a mass I hadn't noticed and scheduled me for a diagnostic mammo and ultrasound 2 days later. I am relieved to say that although I had a bilateral mastectomy, the docs commented how lucky it was that my fast-growing tumor was found quickly so they could get rid of it quickly.
Finally, it's my opinion that breasts are HIGHLY OVERRATED~~what matters here is your health and peace of mind. Whatever steps you can take to be proactive in your treatment will probably make you feel better. Good luck and please keep us posted. :-)
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October 2012
Dear fellow Norske--(I come from Olsen families): I agree with Harry about talking more with your onc and getting his/her reasons and plans for checking to see if the cancer is still there or has returned.
