In a comment in the below post, Amy asked if I was considering a PET scan even though the nodes came out negative, because there is a chance it could have spread via my bloodstream.
About getting scans: I am agonizing over that (see this post). I will talk about it again when I see the surgeon next Friday, but he strongly advocates not scanning, even if it was in the nodes. I want scans, particularly since my friend’s husband had negative nodes, then came up stage 4 two years later–it spread via his blood to his lungs, then moved on from there. It’s rare, but it can happen. When it happens to someone you know, the fear is even greater.
So, I’m not too comfortable with “watchful waiting” and three-month derm checks.
Plus, I have the feeling that I’ll turn into the world’s biggest hypochondriac and think every sneeze means it’s back. Already a sore knee got me thinking about bone mets.
If he stays adamant about no scans, I may have to switch to another doc, even though I really, really like this guy. I just think it’d make me crazy not to at least have a baseline and yearly check of some kind other than a regular physical and derm checks. Or maybe my regular physician can order these? I’m not sure how this all works.
