Medical Oncologist results

The main take-away from this morning's appointment is that all is well.  All my blood work is normal.  I was hoping to be released from seeing her every six months to seeing her annually, but that didn't happen.  The reason is one more test and my oral medication, the generic version of Arimidex. She put me on the Arimidex as of Feb. 14, 2011, so I am coming up on the five year mark in just a few months.  When I started it, five years was the goal.  During that time, there has beensome new evidence that suggests that in some cases, ten years is better.  Since my cancer was estrogen positive and Stage Two, I might be in that situation.  She is having another test done on the tumor, which is apparently hanging around somewhere.  Who knew?  This test is called a breast cancer index and is similar to gene testing.  Now I have an appointment for March 1 to discuss the results of that test.  At that point she will tell me if I should stop the Arimidex or continue for another five years.

I don't mind continuing because it's a cheap generic, and I have no bad side effects from it.  The main side effect was hot flashes.  Those were horrible and unrelenting for the first six months to a year, but at this point they are so occasional that when I get one now, every few weeks, it takes me by surprise. They are no big deal.  The other possible big side effect is bone loss.  For that I had a baseline DEXA scan in 2011 as i started the drug.  It showed my bones were so dense that they were off the chart!  Thanks, Mother and Dad, for that good gene.   Two years later my scan showed that I had lost 10% of my bone density, bringing me down into the upper levels of normal.  The doctor was not concerned.  The next scan showed no more loss, which she said meant there probably would be no more loss.  I am due for another one next year, especially if I stay on the Arimidex.  Some women experience severe joint pain or aches all over from the drug, but I never had any of that.  So if another five years on the drug is in my future, I am fine with that.

Last night was the big Cove Singers Holiday Concert at Lakeside Restaurant.  It went very well.  We had a packed house and the choir did a wonderful job.  The sound system SUCKED, so not everyone could hear what we were doing.  With a full house, eating dinner, waiters serving and taking orders, and people talking....no wonder half the house complained they couldn't hear anything.  Whatever....

Last year there were only 7 singers in the group.  This year there were 15!  All the singers seemed to enjoy me directing them.  I've been asked to do it next year, too, so I will. And they have asked me to continue in January with rehearsals that perhaps lead to a spring concert in April.  We'll see.