Just got a little healing to do still. The wound looks as good as it can. But it's clean and dry and she removed some of the steri-strips and said I could take off the rest in a week.
She had other plans for me that would go on, she said, "...until she retires" ...but no. I'm done. I found the initial lump and will keep a watchful eye. She wants another mammo in less than six months. I reminded her that this lump didn't show on any of three mammos and ultrasounds. Didn't faze her.
I will follow up with and stay in touch with the PCP I now have. And, of course, if another lump forms, I'll have it seen to (or not). Other docs had warned me not to use local docs because they would "butcher" my breast. Well, it's pretty much ruined now, so oh well!
The surgeon, said that I could get breast reduction surgery so the breasts match again, "after radiation and once I'm on the recommended medications..." Medicare will cover that, she said, hinting that the order would need to come from her. She is a lovely young woman, really, so I'm not blaming anyone. Just saying "NO" to the system. Well, and to follow up treatments including reduction surgery, which at one point I would have welcomed (in fact, in a Twilight Zone moment, I put images of breast reduction in my image book back when I was 28 years old...) But OMG, I'm already 65+. The boobs are what they are!
So now, onto the next phase of my life which doesn't include having a lump in my breast or any other cancerous growths. The women in my family don't have breast cancer...they die young of heart disease or they die old of...meanness... I guess. I can still qualify for either of those.
No comments:
Post a Comment