I think there really is such a thing as Post Cancer Stress Disorder (PCSD) it just hasn't been given a name yet. Can someone create a new diagnosis for us survivors? Sometimes, it hits me hard. October can be dicey with Breast Cancer Awareness Month combined with my own cancerversaries. Compound that with my doctor appointments to keep me in check and make sure I am still in remission with nothing new occurring, it’s been a busy month!
I was definitely anxious about having a physical two weeks ago. I know that my particular course of treatments can have cardiotoxicity that can rear its ugly head in later years, so I was on edge for that as well as leukemia.
Then there's the issue of bloodwork. After the amount of needles I've had as well as having had my port poked quite a bit, the feel of needles doesn't bother me at all but the waiting for the results is killer! Holy crap! Longest 24 hours in a while until the results pinged into my inbox. Guess what, I'm remarkably healthy for someone who went through one of the more aggressive protocols! The logical part of me knows that I should be ok but the part who is still a bit befuddled over the whole cancer thing walks around a little shell shocked when it comes to more tests. Adriamycin has been linked to an increased incidence of acute myelogenous leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome, normally within the first few years after treatment.
Scanxiety is real, but what the word for when it's bloodwork that sends you over the edge? For real guys, it's a living hell for a few days.
Last on the list of tests last week was the DEXA scan for my bones. In 2016, I was diagnosed with Osteopenia, the precursor to Osteoporosis. I buckled down and changed my diet. I also started to train differently, using more weight bearing exercises to try and keep it from progressing. In 2018, I had another scan and it showed I had not only kept it from progressing, but I had reversed it. Oddly, that was the same day that my cancer was discovered so that little victory got lost in the cancer shuffle.
Some chemotherapy regimens can cause bone loss. Those were my regimens. After chemo is over, we can experience osteoporosis resulting from a faster rate of bone mineral density (BMD) loss caused by treatment. This increases our risk of fractures. My physician wants to stay on top of things to keep me around, as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. Funny, that's my goal too!
Treatment may be over and long gone but the drama and trauma of it lingers in the corners and like to cause a ruckus anytime I go for tests of any sort. Cancer is the gift that keeps on scaring but you can’t refuse it, exchange it or ask for a refund. Given my history and my treatment, my physician wants to be proactive and not have any surprises
. I know what the DEXA scan is for and how it works, but it still freaked me out pretty badly. I'm hoping for good news with good healthy dense AF bones…but for now, the waiting is the hardest part...
Comentarios