So today I had my follow up appointment with Dr. Purkert. I really like him. He's so nice and takes his time with me everytime I see him. I just hate the location of his office and the last time I had an appointment I was in his waiting room for 1 hour. So I was a bit annoyed. Today I came prepared. I brought my 50 shades of Grey book with me. I really want to finish this book so I can return it to my friend.
My appointment was at 9:30am. I left my office at 9:00 am and to my surprise I got there in 10 min. In northern VA, you just can't predict traffic. When you think it's going to be bad, it's good and when you would expect it to be good, it's bad. Go figure? This morning, I thought it would be average and of course, it was better than average. So I get there about 9:15 and sign in. The receptionist for some reason never acknowledges me. I don't get it. But so far, it's been like this twice. I might have gotten angry but I thought, let me just sit and wait and read. By the time I actually got to see Dr. Purkert I actually read about 30 pages. I'm not really a fast reader but this is the most pages I've read in one sitting.
Dr. Purkert's assistant Arsi, is so nice. She asked about Cody and how I was feeling. What's been going on the last few months since they've seen me last and if there any questions/concerns I have. I just mentioned to her that I started physical therapy because I wasn't using my left arm and that my stupid office made me come back to work full time. She raised her eyebrow at that one and slightly shook her head back and forth in a disapproving manner. I know....idiots. Anyway, I need to move on before I get angry on that topic. She told me to undress top up and that the Dr. would be in shortly.
Dr. Purkert walked in and smiled asking me how I'm doing. Good I said. Tired also but that's normal for me. He looked at me and smiled again. I gave him my mammo film and he put the up lighted area where x-rays are viewed. He pointed out the left breast, right breast, the markers they stuck to me and what's normal and not. I was amazed and of course thrilled when he said everything looked absolutely normal and very good.
He called Arsi back in for the actual exam. I lowered my plastic cover up. He layed me down on the table and examined my chest. He felt nothing. He sat me up and looked at each of my scars. He was very pleased with the scar on my left breast, my left underarm, and my port scar. He saw bruises on my upper arm near underarm scar. He asked about them and I said it was from physical therapy. He told me to tell my therapist to ease off the deep tissue massage. He said that will take about a week to heal. Surprisingly it really hurts. I never left Andrew feeling pain a day later and now the doc is saying it will hurt for a week? YIKES! Anway, I told him my underarm and breast was still tender and he again told me it was normal. Eventually it will go away in time. Ok? I guess. He aksed about my port scar and I told him it's so itchy. He told me he could recommend a plastic surgeon. But to wait for a year. I agreed with him. I'm in no hurry to go back under the knife and although it's itchy, it's a part of me. Unfortunately a constant reminder of my port and cancer but it is a part of me.
So Dr. Purkert was happy with my results and said, I'll see you in a year. A year? Wow, that's a long time from now but since time goes by so quick I'll be talking about my followup before I know it. Before I left, Arsi wrote a script for my mammo next September. I figured I'd have one before that but what do I know? I have to see the oncologist in December so I'm sure she'll fill me in a little more about followup appointments.
All in all, I'm one happy girl.
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