6/24/25: Cardiology Appointment

Not too much to report for this appointment. 

I've been abbreviating "electrocardiogram" as "EKG", but "ECG" is equally common.

So, the cardiologist said my EKG still shows the same "non-specific" abnormalities as before, but she has no idea why. Her online notes say, "Compared with ECG 6/25/2024, STT changes less prominent." Given the results of my most recent stress test and echocardiogram, and the fact that I don't report any cardiovascular symptoms (like shortness of breath, dizziness, or fatigue), the doctor didn't seem worried at all. But she did say I should continue to get a yearly EKG for monitoring purposes. 

She also said my next echocardiogram can be in 5 years from my last one, so in 2029. 

We actually spent more time talking about non-cancer-related issues, like cardiovascular health in general. My blood pressure and cholesterol are both a little high, so we covered the usual instructions of exercising regularly and minimizing sodium intake. 

She used a cardiac risk calculator, which put my risk of having a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years to be 1%, well below the 7.5% threshold for concern. 

She also talked about a CT scan for calcium deposits in arteries as something we might do at some point, as a precursor to considering statin medication. Not really sure why she mentioned this now, since she said my cholesterol numbers aren't high enough yet to be really worried (and if they were, I'd probably want to try diet and exercise first), plus she said this test isn't covered by insurance.

6/5/25: Medical Oncology NP Appointment

Today's appointment was a full year after my last oncology appointment, and I have to say, it felt different. Cancer somehow seemed less close, like I can now imagine being in a mental place where cancer might feel like something "in the past". It's not something I can ever really forget - my missing breasts are a constant reminder - but maybe it could be more like "something I went through" rather than "something I'm going through".

Anyway, my NP greeted me with a big hug. She asked all about how my kids are doing, and what our summer plans are. It felt almost like catching up with an old friend, except it was all one-sided about me, though she does sometimes drop bits and pieces of information about herself in the course of our conversations. (For example, I know our families enjoy the same types of board games.) I expect to be cut loose from oncology appointments once I'm finished with 10 years of hormone therapy, and I anticipate feeling kind of sad about "losing" this semi-personal relationship. 

Of course we did get around to actual medical stuff. She brought up my last bone density test results. Yes, the numbers are getting worse, but she spoke positively about how they haven't crossed the osteoporosis threshold yet. She recommended I increase my weight-bearing exercise by wearing a weighted vest (like 8-12 pounds) when walking, which her own doctor recommended for her as well.

Other than that, I basically reported no change in my hormone therapy / menopause side effects, as described in my post for last year's appointment. 

My next appointment is in another year, and it will be with my oncologist. It's typical to alternate appointments between the doctor and NP, and I have no idea why they kept scheduling me with the NP in recent years, but I didn't mind since I like and trust her just fine. I haven't seen my oncologist since 2022, so it'll be almost 4 years by the time I do see her! I wonder if I'll be able to tell if she really remembers me personally, or if she'll just be going off my medical file.