Preventative Maintenance

Today I have 3 appointments. The first one is my first post-surgery mammogram to establish a new baseline for future tests. The second one is an MRI for the same thing. This will be my new preventative maintenance routine. I will have a mammogram and an MRI every six months to make sure there has been no return of the cancer. Though I have no reason to expect that there is any cancer left, I am still just a little bit nervous. The last time I had a mammogram was in May and the outcome was a breast cancer diagnosis. In addition, I now have quite a bit of scar tissue from both the surgery and the radiation so it makes reading of the mammogram and the MRI just that much more difficult. The good news is that the diagnostic center that I am going to will go over the results with me at the appointment so I won't have to wait and worry about the results.

The 3rd appointment is my first infusion of Zometa. I will have these infusions twice a year for at least 3 years. This drug is currently used for osteoporosis and is also used for people diagnosed with advanced stage cancer that has metastasized to the bone. In my case, it is preventative. It is found to help reduce the risk of a spread to the bone. Though I hope to not have any side effects from this particular drug, some people do have flu like symptoms after the first infusion and sometimes bone and/or joint pain. I can't say I like the idea of going back into the infusion center where I did my chemo, but I will try to remember that I am lucky to be getting Zometa as not everyone has the opportunity. I am happy and thankful to be at the preventative maintenance stage.