Lack of face to face with medics

HI Greatjunesby 

Apologies that you haven't received a reply for a little while.  I think your post must have dropped from the front page as this is such a busy group!

Do you have a breast care nurse?  I was diagnosed nearly 6 years ago, so I am dredging my memory!  I recall only seeing my oncologist mid way through my radiotherapy treatment when I was put on Anastrozole.  I didn't see my registrar after being told that that my sentinel nodes were clear a couple of weeks following surgery.  I then saw my BCN, I think it was a year from diagnosis for her 'sign off'.  This was my last appointment with her, but I was advised that they are available for contact for the next 5 years.

I think they only see you if you have any issues!  A DEXA scan wasn't mentioned to me at all, but I, like you, had read about it on here and I had specifically asked my oncologist for one before my radiotherapy, so I knew that was coming and I recently had a follow up on that one. I had been put on ADCal/D3 because I was osteopeinic and when I was called for another DEXA scan recently, I asked if I should still be on these.  (When they stopped my anastrozole, they had stopped these too).  I should have still been taking them, so she contacted my doctors and got these reinstated.  

I'm in Dorset, SW.  So, it does seem that unless you ask to be seen then they think you're doing ok and leave you to it, maybe?

Best Wishes, Lesley

Hi

Not sure if it's any help but I started Letrozole about 5 weeks before having a DEXTA scan. I think you should have one before starting it as it's to see if your bones are ok due to the side effects of Letrozole?!? Anyway, I only usually had telephone consultations with my oncologist and after being taking it for several months and again mentioned that I was experiencing bone ache that he checked my scan results. It turned out I had osteoporosis and was then put on a bone tablet that's taken once a week alongside  ADcal.

It's a straight forward scan and you can stay dressed! But if you are having issues with Letrozole I'd make sure that you get the results back within a couple of weeks (Which is what I was told the length of time it would take).

Good Luck

Thanks for your reply. Fortunately Letrozole is not causing me any problems and as some one mentioned , you generally only hear of the horror stories online whilst thousands of others are having no side effects. I am assuming as you say it’s a baseline for comparison later on down the line.

Thanks Lesley. You definitely have to read up on things and be proactive to be sure everything is as it should be, as far as possible!