I have three appointments at the Cancer Center in Ann Arbor today. Had to be here at 8:30am and the last one should end around 2:45pm. I'll be here for about six hours today. I never imagined I'd be spending an entire day in a cancer center, yet here I am. The employees here are very nice, and other patients are kind and quick to smile. At least there's that, because it's still a cancer center.
My appointments today are with radiology (to read a mammogram and determine if more images are needed), with my breast surgeon (I believe it's the last time I'll be seeing her before surgery), and with my urologist.
Surgery... it's one month from today. While I'm excited to get it done and greatly reduce my risk of breast cancer, I'm still very anxious about the surgery. It's a scary one.
My urologist visit today... it's my first post-op cystoscopy. It's where I find out if there's any cancer in my bladder right now. I'm hoping, of course, for the all-clear. I know, though, that I won't stop worrying even getting that news. In the six weeks between my two TURBTs last year, a tiny tumor grew, or it was missed the first time and only found with the Cysview. So how do I know that a tiny tumor won't be missed today? Or won't regrow in the three months before my next cystoscopy?
A couple of people have mentioned to me that finding a tumor today would put everything off-track for my surgery in February. I said it won't. Either Dr. H. can take out the tumor at the same time as my mastectomies and reconstruction, or we'll wait until after those surgeries to do another TURBT.
Tomorrow, I have three more appointments, although two of those are at Domino's Farms and the last is at East Ann Arbor. Those appointments consist of a pre-op visit with my plastic surgeon, a CT of my abdomen and aorta, and my usual pre-op visit (vitals, etc.).
And then I believe I'm done with appointments until surgery. Or so I think and hope.
This life... one I never imagined I'd be living. I'm going to live it as long and healthily as I can.
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