Cancer Diary – Entry 12
/4 weeks after surgery:
The surgical glue has flaked off the incision. I collected the bigger pieces and did a round of macro photography – commemorating the milestone – before throwing them away. The texture of the glue varied…crinkled, fibrous, crystalline. Blood that became embedded in it provided some color.
I’ve started putting Vitamin E and cocoa butter on the scar to help it fade over time (and am keeping it protected from exposure to sunlight).
The hematoma is mostly gone. The speed of the ‘clean up’ increased over the last week.
On a not-so-positive note – I’ve been celebrating too much with food and my weight has started to creep upward…starting work to reverse that and continue on my plan to reduce 5+ pounds from my weight at the beginning of the year.
This with be the last Cancer Diary post unless something else happens. Right now - the prognosis is good with continued monitoring tests to confirm. All the baseline tests indicate that the cancer was caught early and that my ongoing risk is low.
My experience has prompted me to think about what ‘good medical care’ means….what led to the early diagnosis and treatment. Looking back…it was a 12-year progression from a blood test revealing a risk factor prompting annual monitoring blood tests and ultrasounds. There was a biopsy with a benign result 6 years ago….and lastly a biopsy that revealed the cancer last fall. My primary care doctor coordinated all the monitoring until 2 years ago; I opted to go to a specialist thereafter. The specialist recommended the surgeon. Of the three, the specialist is the best at sharing his rationale of monitoring and treatment….and that is something I have come to appreciate more over the past few months.
Previous cancer diary posts:
