I’m not yet sure how I feel about it, but today’s appointment with my oncologist was kind of weird. He did examine me and validated that it is “just a stitch“. I have no outward signs of breast cancer, and as such, this means I officially remain in remission or NED (no evidence of disease). So, today my oncologist said see you in a few months and then put on the report to book a follow up in six months. So, I’ve officially graduated from monthly follow ups to six month follow ups (as long as I remain symptom free). This can only be a good thing!

It does, however, mean a transition. It means that my oncologist is no longer my first point of contact for medical issues. It means that I go back to seeing my primary care physician (PCP – or in Canada we use the term family medicine doctor). I am mostly OK with it, in part because I’m still seeing my plastic surgeon on a weekly basis, and will remain seeing her until I’ve recovered from my next surgery (currently scheduled for March 17th). I’m also still seeing other specialists, who are helping with my recovery. So, I don’t feel like I’ve been abandoned just yet.

At my weekly follow-up with my plastic surgeon we went through the pre-op and consent signing process for my upcoming plastic surgery. Mostly she will be cleaning up scar tissue and doing some abdominal and breast liposuction to make for a more contoured abdominal area. She will remove fat from my sides, where there is more than there should be, so that my breasts and my torso look well proportioned. She won’t be doing any lipo on my thighs. If I decide later that I want larger breasts, she can move fat from a different donor site (thighs), but that isn’t warranted at this time (any enhancement I want can come from the fat that is removed from my abdomen and sides/hips). Mostly, I’ll be happy with just getting this surgery done. My open abdominal wound is healing well and has shown significant decrease in size. Now that the infection has cleared, we have re-installed a SNaP device. As long as my skin doesn’t reject it, it will stay on for the next week (with a dressing change on Monday), at which time we will re-assess.

And so, today I graduated from the care of my oncologist – it is bitter sweet.