Should I be offended?
StacyGleaso
Member Posts: 1,233 Member
Ok, so I'm not sure if I should be offended or not, but here's the story.....
I went for my usual 6 month check up (recap: stage 4 with liver mets, diagnosed Oct 2001, all clear since my surgery in Jan. 2002) with my oncologist. My original oncologist just retired, and this was my first appt with her replacement. She looked me square in the eye and asked me why I'm still coming to see them. Puzzled, I replied, "Uh, well, I figured that's just the plan and didn't know any different." She then said it won't be necessary to see her every 6 months, that we should decrease it to once a year. She was simply amazed at my progress and said my current status is achieved by 20% of people who were where I was in regards to the stage of cancer I had. (but we all know how I feel about statistics....They're for Vegas!)
What happened next REALLY floored me.....she called me the "C" word................................CURED! (tee hee) Now, honestly, I always felt "cured" but nobody ever said it out loud to me! Strangest feeling there is!
So the moral of the story: It's a good thing when some people don't want to see you that often!
Happy Friday,
Stacy
I went for my usual 6 month check up (recap: stage 4 with liver mets, diagnosed Oct 2001, all clear since my surgery in Jan. 2002) with my oncologist. My original oncologist just retired, and this was my first appt with her replacement. She looked me square in the eye and asked me why I'm still coming to see them. Puzzled, I replied, "Uh, well, I figured that's just the plan and didn't know any different." She then said it won't be necessary to see her every 6 months, that we should decrease it to once a year. She was simply amazed at my progress and said my current status is achieved by 20% of people who were where I was in regards to the stage of cancer I had. (but we all know how I feel about statistics....They're for Vegas!)
What happened next REALLY floored me.....she called me the "C" word................................CURED! (tee hee) Now, honestly, I always felt "cured" but nobody ever said it out loud to me! Strangest feeling there is!
So the moral of the story: It's a good thing when some people don't want to see you that often!
Happy Friday,
Stacy
0
Comments
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Hi Stacy,
Offended-No, Elated-Yes!!! Boy, to be so Lucky!! I love your interpretation of the "C" word and can only hope to someday experience it. Your response to Ron was wonderful and from reading your post regularly, I'm not surprised since you always are so quick to respond to others problems on this board. Your CURE couldn't have happened to someone more deserving. Happy Friday to you too!!!.
Kandy0 -
I had this happen to me, too. And, when it recently happened to a patient partner, I attempted to explain:
We 'long-term survivors' are looked at differently. As time passes, we really DO go back to being 'just another face'. And this is a VERY, VERY good thing!!! The medical community knows that we will be our own best advocate, if something changes, we will be on the phone.
I think the other thing is a bit more important. Remember back when you were first diagnosed. How grateful and relieved you were to be 'taken in' right away...and the intense attention you were paid. Can you imagine being told "We're sorry, but we are booked for 3 months" (?!?!?!). In truth, an oncologist only has so many hours in their day. So, I feel, that unless there IS something to talk about, my appointments, when they happen, are short and sweet. I now, once again, start with my G.P. when I have questions. He knows about my cancers...heck, he FOUND them!!!! So, he is quite up to speed with me. That 'first touch' SHOULD be with a G.P....for me, with an HMO, it has to be...lol!
So, yes, you should be very, very pleased!!! With each day, you are becoming more and more 'normal'!!!!
Hugs, Kathi0 -
This is absolutely wonderful news. And it could not happen to a more deserving person. You have been an inspiration to me since the beginning of my battle. Monica0
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I'm kind of in the same boat...
Just moved to the Houston area... figured MD Anderson would be an awesome place to follow-up. Even got a name from my follow-up oncologist.
Finally contacted them in June... as my CT and blood should have been done in may... (yeah, I know, busy living)... told, "we only treat those with, "active cancer". I was floored. And then, I realized, I'm lucky that I don't have, "active cancer". Now, I need to find another doc to follow up with.0 -
Just wonderful news! Don't go away from here! We need youMonicaemilia said:This is absolutely wonderful news. And it could not happen to a more deserving person. You have been an inspiration to me since the beginning of my battle. Monica
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