Oncologist Appointment Today

 I had my 6 month oncologist appointment today. Everything looks good.

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To be honest, after 13 years of living with Follicular Lymphoma, I get a little less worried with every oncologist appointment. I feel like I know my body so well at this point that I have a pretty good sense of when I should be worried. I can tell when something is wrong.

That doesn't mean I'm never worried, of course. Living during a pandemic has had me worried about all kinds of things. This spring, like last spring, I've been dealing with seasonal allergies, and it's easy to think that a cough and an ache might be from Covid, when it's really from a lung full of pollen on a hilly walk. And I've had some new health issues develop in the last year (different from cancer or Covid) that I am very aware of. 

But the cancer symptoms? I feel like I know how they will show up. That doesn't mean I don't worry about them. Just that I don't worry that they'll show up at an oncologist appointment, not the way I would have worried a few years ago.

I got to my appointment early, and was scheduled to get blood work done a half hour before I met Dr. H. The blood work went very quickly, so I was very early to see the doctor. I checked in, and then asked if it would be OK to go to the Peace Garden. The receptionist said that would be fine.

The Peace Garden is a really cool place, and this was the first time I really spent any time there. I see my doctor at a cancer hospital, not a private office. The hospital was built a few years ago with some features that make it nice for cancer patients. One of those is the Peace Garden. It's a small garden on top of a roof at the hospital, with a walking path, some trees, a small stream, and lots of inspirational words painted on rocks and bird houses and other places. Here are a few pictures:

 

As you can maybe see, its; not very big, but it's a nicer place to send a few minutes than in a waiting room.

(Of course, my peace was shattered when the nurse couldn't find me when it was time for my appointment. She seemed a little bit annoyed.)

It took a few minutes for Dr. H to arrive, but I was at peace by that point, so it was OK.

The exam wasn't too long. He said the blood numbers all looked fine. The physical exam didn't turn up any problems with lymph nodes, spleen, or other organs. He was happy about that (and so was I).

We spent some time talking about Covid. He was pleased that I got vaccinated, and that I am doing my best to wear a mask and stay away from people. He says I should keep doing those things, even with  a vaccine ("Covid is going to be with us for a while," he said.) He also told me that, if I am exposed to someone with Covid, I should get tested. And if I test positive, I should call him immediately. He said the hospital had a supply of Covid antibodies that I would probably qualify for. They work best when they are given early.

The lesson I take from that is that, even with a vaccine, it's important to be careful. There are still too many unknowns. And I'm OK with that. My plan has been to continue to be careful, to not take unnecessary risks, and to stay healthy. I'm used to watching and waiting. I can wait a little longer for things to be "normal" again.

I also asked (as I always do) if there was anything exciting happening in the world of Lymphoma. Dr. H is excited about CAR-T being approved for Relapsed and Refractory Follicular Lymphoma. He thinks this will be a major step forward for many patients. 

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So this was a good visit. (It's always a good visit when the oncologist says things look good and there's no progressing cancer.)

I hope all of you get equally good news soon. 

Stay safe and healthy.