Called the gynecologist

I made a gynecology apt. for April, right before I'm supposed to see Dr. G. I've given myself enough time to get the mammo/ultrasound done before leaving for Asia...

I didn't talk to her but I did explain it to her very smart secretary who has sorted me out before. She suggested that it might be possible to get my gyn to follow me, instead of my surgeon. I don't see why not. I'll just wait till April and take it from there. I'm not in a hurry because the MRI was done only in November and April doesn't even make 6 months. I'm zen with the idea of just the mammo/ultrasound first. I need the three months to book the MRI.

I took Talia to the pediatrician this week for a naughty reason. She is too tired on Tuesdays to do two hours of swimming, followed by two hours of gymnastics. They will not grant any exceptions to P.E. even though she does 11 hours a week. There is the sports program for those who qualify but Talia doesn't have the right body type for international competition (most girls don't).

Her ped isn't thrilled with that amount of gymnastics already so he was more than happy to write a note getting Talia out of just swimming. He was happy to write a note for the rest but I assured him, it was just swimming and he confirmed that the offer still stands.

I did mention my situation to him. Boy, what a face when I told him! Once a year?!? I told her that I made an apt. with the gyn, who is also his wife's, and he thought for sure she'll support me. I told her how wonderful she had been through all this and he laughed. "We didn't pick her just by chance!"

Oh yeah, that's right. He's a doctor so he knows who's good. We pions out in public don't, here in France. We just have to guess...

Got the GP in my corner

I wish I didn't have to deal with this. I was hoping to be all giddy about finishing treatment.

The Tamoxifen is sitting in my cabinet, waiting for me to start it... I just got it today. I can only get it one month at a time but I don't have to pay for it! Thank you French gov't.

Meanwhile, I had to go to the GP's because of my paperwork. Sorry but I'm not long on this system and haven't figured it all out yet, especially with a Big Event like this.

When I went to pay for my rads, after the last session, oh you haven't filled out the X paper... your GP is supposed to blah, blah...

I called her and she said brightly "I did that ages ago and I was wondering when you'd come by to pick the form up!" Ugh! Perhaps, you noticed, I have an accent and was born abroad? Maybe I hadn't figured it out yet??

I called the rads center and the secretary was legitimately surprised that I called her. "Just wanted to let you know that I have it. Do you want me to come by or can I wait till my apt. on the 6th?" She thanked me in a stunned voice, and assured me that I could wait till the 6th.

I also like to apologize to French people (when merited). That kind of shocks them. I'm sure they go home and tell their spouses but leave that for now...

I sat down and talked to her. She was surprised. "Once a year? No MRI's??" But then she had to tow the line. He's a specialist, I'm a generalist. Dr. N. is a specialist too but NOT in Breast Cancer. Only Dr. G. has the authority. Perhaps this is the protocol for your specific kind of cancer. I can't know it.

My sister who had never had breast cancer is being followed with MRI's. Can't I, who have actually had the disease, at least get as much??

She had to agree. She was between a rock and a hard place. She urged me to talk to Dr. G., make my case. Plead mental sanity or whatever. "Everyone comes to me and explains everything and they don't bother to talk to their specialists! They're the experts on their conditions..."

Fair enough BUT Dr. G. is not exactly question-friendly. He considering questions, questioning HIM, I told her. Some of my questions, he finds outright odd, like asking him what the percentages were on my two hormone receptors. They were both 100% and as an example, that's obvious that I'm a good Tamoxifen candidate.

She did go off about that. There can be side effects but please don't go off of the meds because of this. I told her, very seriously, that I know this drug is definitely the way for me to go. I've been reading up on it. Success with antidepressants. I'd try that first before going off of Tamoxifen. In desperation, I can be switched to an AI since I'm close to menopause (the drug that they give post-menopausal women).

I also heard that taking vitamin D helps with side effects. "But I didn't confirm it..." I added, as she wrote out the Rx as we were still speaking. "Can't hurt! Everyone seems to need Vitamin D..."

I'm calling my gyn. Fine but again, she's not a breast cancer specialist. I promised to not talk to Dr. N. under any circumstances! I'm not out to pit him against Dr. G. I have to play this right...

I honestly didn't know that Dr. G. would be the one doing my after-care. I assumed that it would be my gynecologist. No oncologist was ever involved, except for one I never met on the tumor board so no one else to consult.

My case was so straightforward that there was never a debate. I clearly didn't need chemo, and for that I'm very, very grateful but it did kind of put me in a Second-Class cancer patient category, taken off the shelf and dusted once a year, with only mammos and ultrasounds, nary an MRI in sight.

Can I change? Dumb to even ask that...

Yes, if worse comes to worse and I absolutely can't get the MRI done any other way, she can order it. She stressed that it was a last-ditch measure, only to keep me from going MRI-less crazy. She really wants me to talk to Dr. G.

I still love Dr. G. He took good care of me. He's nice. I think he really thinks he's doing his best for me. I just want my MRI's!!!!

Genetic testing

This was the FB post I wrote awhile back;

Gotta love the French. I fill out this lengthy questionnaire for the genetics counselor. I've been approved for testing. I have to go through pretty much every detail of my family's medical history.

They don't ask my ethnic origins. Not one single question about this. Yes, what they'd look for is more common in people of my background. Wouldn't you think this would be a no-brainer for a *genetic* testing form?

So I block letter a message on the bottom saying "I am of Ashkenazi, Eastern-Eruopean Jewish descent. BRCA 1 & 2 (the genes they will test for) 1/40, general population 1/800."

Was I subtle enough??

I drove my busted car to the store and I get a "blocked" call. That usually means a doctor and since I just had seen Dr. G. that morning, I picked it up. 

I left my shopping basket and headed outside. One thing I've learned that with my accent, I can't "compete" with any other noise. Luckily, it's a small local store and I think the lady behind the counter figured it out, that it was important. 

It wasn't the geneticist but probably an intern, since it's Strauss. The earliest apt. they could give me was June. I wasn't concerned. June is fine! I asked what they'd test for and it'll only be the BRCA 1 & 2 gene mutations. Okay. There are others but even more rare and not specific to my background. 

I did have to mention, what is this about not asking ethnic origins on a GENETIC questionnaire?? He agreed that it was stupid but it's actually illegal to ask about ethnic origins on any sort of official form here in France. He also said that I had done the right thing by writing the note at the bottom of my form (since it's obvious I'm volunteering that info) but that with my familys' last names, they would have figured it out. 

Out with a Whimper

My last session was uneventful. They don't do bells or certificates or anything like that here in France. It was a sincere wish for good health and off I went-to pay!

I get to the counter and the lady starts in about how my GP was supposed to submit this and that form ahead of time, yada, yada... I told her I'd take care of it and get back to them after talking to my GP. I called her when I got home and she laughed. "I did those papers ages ago. I was wondering when you'd come by to pick them up!" so I'll go on Friday.

The secretary seemed shocked that I did call her back. She even thanked me and assured me that I can wait for the follow-up apt. with nice rads-onc lady in early March.

So this morning, I was off to see Dr. G. He was very happy with the results. Once a year. They're only going to check me yearly. Um, that's not what Dr. N. said. Oh well. I'll sort that out later. Dr. G. wants to see me, in June. I'll get a mammo and ultrasound once he gives me the Rx. No MRI's??

I'm not going to panic. I'll contact Dr. K. and get her opinion on this. I certainly don't want to pit doctors against each other. It just makes me nervous. "Oh but you can contact me anytime with question..." Yeah, nice of you, but...

I can research it but most BC info out there is geared to post-chemo patients. I'm not in that category! I'm also not happy with getting a check right before our big trip to Asia and California. Makes me nervous!

Then he unceremoniously hands me a Rx for Tamoxifen. Sigh.

I saw one woman walking out with a completely bald head. Good for her! You never see that in France. At radiation, they were all in wigs and head gear of some sort. It is winter though... I never talked to anyone at radiation, ever. I was completely anti-social. I was grumbling about not getting a cab like the others did but frankly, it would have been more fuss than help for me. The drive wasn't bad and I simply tacked it on to the morning school run.

So I'm pulling out of my parking place. There's a tree on one side, a pole on the other. I was being more careful with the tree, since it's uneven, trying to watch out for the traffic. Nasty ripping noise but not that loud. The homeless guy made a face. Oh boy. Red light, and it's long so I got out. Ouch! Side of bumper pulled out. Ugly on my not-even-a-year-old car. So I headed off to two garages, since the first can't do it. The second, Toyota, said that I'd need parts ordered and to book a replacement car. Daniel wants the name changed first...

I walked in and lamented the state of my new car. The guy turned to me and seriously said "If you weren't hurt, than it's nothing serious. As long as you're okay..." and I thought, too bad he doesn't realize he's talking to a cancer patient who just had her last visit for treatment??

The cleaning lady was funny. She said it's a good sign. She said the car now took all my bad luck. Now, nothing bad would happen to me. I can't even "get" the logic but it sounded good to me! 

Coming in for landing...

32 rad sessions done. Three more to do. I finish Wednesday and Thursday morning, I see Dr. G.

Once I land, I still have to hit the ground running with the Tamoxifen.

I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop! No tiredness. Switching the treatments did help but it didn't hurt anyway. Now it really doesn't hurt. No nausea. Lost some weight...

I'm usually taken early. I drop the kids off at 8 and 8:10am (different schools) and then swing up to Robertsau. I don't have enough time to go home and I'm not going to do the morning traffic. Once in town, I'm looking at the crowds going the other way. I'm there by 8:30.

I never talk to anyone. They're mostly speaking Alsatian anyway.

I did the last onc-rad lady appointment. Nothing special to recount.

I'm wondering if the fact that I didn't go through chemo had something to do with it. Perhaps since my body wasn't put through that, it resisted the radiation better? Who knows.

I'll keep the radiation card as a souvenir, like some ticket to an amusement park. An amusement park I never want to visit again...