Waiting to meet my new oncologist was very stressful. I had already been away from home for almost 4 hours and was exhausted. Finally I was put in an examination room. Soon after the doctor's nurse came in and reviewed my file with me. By this time I was in tears. She calmed me down, looked at my scar, spoke about diet, energy levels, exercise, and said I was healing well but that as you age the entire process of recovery is not always as fast as we would like. She was very kind.
By the time the oncologist came in, I had gathered myself and was able to speak with confidence. We reviewed iron levels and the suggestion was to take Ferrous Gluconate every second day on an empty stomach with an acidic drink like lemon juice to aid absorption. I mentioned that all foods high in iron seemed to be high in carbs which turns to cholesterol. The recommendation was to eat lots of meat and veggies. Oh well.
The results from my bone density test revealed that my bone density has not significantly changed over the last 20 years, and at this time, there is no need to take any medication. Basically, keep consuming calcium in my diet, and do weight bearing exercises.
The liver cyst is a bit concerning only due to its size so the oncologist ordered a CT scan including dye injection to make sure there is nothing else going on. I was asked to have a blood test for creatin to make sure I was healthy enough to have the scan. Unless the CT scan results go sideways, my next appointment with the oncologist is in January 2020.
I connected with a social worker by phone to discuss breast prosthesis and I was given several suggestions as to how to go about obtaining one. In addition, she also suggested getting a prescription for a prosthesis. Costs start at $450 and can go as high as $3000.
The following day I met with my family doctor to review my bone density. She gave me the website for Osteoporosis.ca where I can locate a calcium calculator to find out how much calcium I have consumed on any given day. We also discussed my liver cyst and I reported that I would have a CT scan within the next month. I asked for a prescription for a breast prosthesis which she gladly gave me. As it turns out, my extended health care plan does not cover this. We also discussed iron and diet.
By the time the oncologist came in, I had gathered myself and was able to speak with confidence. We reviewed iron levels and the suggestion was to take Ferrous Gluconate every second day on an empty stomach with an acidic drink like lemon juice to aid absorption. I mentioned that all foods high in iron seemed to be high in carbs which turns to cholesterol. The recommendation was to eat lots of meat and veggies. Oh well.
The results from my bone density test revealed that my bone density has not significantly changed over the last 20 years, and at this time, there is no need to take any medication. Basically, keep consuming calcium in my diet, and do weight bearing exercises.
The liver cyst is a bit concerning only due to its size so the oncologist ordered a CT scan including dye injection to make sure there is nothing else going on. I was asked to have a blood test for creatin to make sure I was healthy enough to have the scan. Unless the CT scan results go sideways, my next appointment with the oncologist is in January 2020.
I connected with a social worker by phone to discuss breast prosthesis and I was given several suggestions as to how to go about obtaining one. In addition, she also suggested getting a prescription for a prosthesis. Costs start at $450 and can go as high as $3000.
The following day I met with my family doctor to review my bone density. She gave me the website for Osteoporosis.ca where I can locate a calcium calculator to find out how much calcium I have consumed on any given day. We also discussed my liver cyst and I reported that I would have a CT scan within the next month. I asked for a prescription for a breast prosthesis which she gladly gave me. As it turns out, my extended health care plan does not cover this. We also discussed iron and diet.
Comments
Post a Comment