This week I had to make an unplanned visit to my gynecologic oncologist. If you are grossed out by medical information, now would be the time to stop reading. I was having increased blood in my bowel movements. I mentioned it to my nurse and she had me come in right away. Apparently it is a symptom which can be caused by Avastin. That is the hardest part about treatments. Each treatment, even a treatments that doesn't make you overtly sick, brings along its own potential side effects.
I saw the nurse practitioner and she hoped since I wasn't exhibiting any other urgent concerns I could move forward with my Avastin treatment, scheduled for next week. They got me scheduled to see a GI specialist, add that to the list of doctors I never thought I'd have to see, for President's Day.
Well, I received a phone call Friday that changed our plans. My gyn-onc wants me to postpone next week's Avastin treatment. The concern is, if the GI doctor were to need to do a procedure I would need to be off Avastin for 28 days before that procedure could take place. You see, Avastin can make it harder for your body to heal, more side effects. So, I will be postponing this week's planned treatment until I can see the GI doctor on February 15th. I don't like it, and I expressed this to the nurse practitioner I was talking to over the phone. She said she understood but they really felt that we needed to hold this treatment so when I see GI I would have been off Avastin for 28 days and if something more serious were happening and they needed to do a procedure I wouldn't have a waiting period. They also mentioned that my kidneys could use a break. Too much rationale and science for me to dispute. That doesn't make it easier though.
It is difficult mentally to have to miss a treatment. The Avastin is suppose to be stopping the cancer from spreading and/or growing. When I have to miss a treatment all I think about is what could be happening inside my body during this missed treatment. What could be happening? It is scary and mentally taxing.
I saw the nurse practitioner and she hoped since I wasn't exhibiting any other urgent concerns I could move forward with my Avastin treatment, scheduled for next week. They got me scheduled to see a GI specialist, add that to the list of doctors I never thought I'd have to see, for President's Day.
Well, I received a phone call Friday that changed our plans. My gyn-onc wants me to postpone next week's Avastin treatment. The concern is, if the GI doctor were to need to do a procedure I would need to be off Avastin for 28 days before that procedure could take place. You see, Avastin can make it harder for your body to heal, more side effects. So, I will be postponing this week's planned treatment until I can see the GI doctor on February 15th. I don't like it, and I expressed this to the nurse practitioner I was talking to over the phone. She said she understood but they really felt that we needed to hold this treatment so when I see GI I would have been off Avastin for 28 days and if something more serious were happening and they needed to do a procedure I wouldn't have a waiting period. They also mentioned that my kidneys could use a break. Too much rationale and science for me to dispute. That doesn't make it easier though.
It is difficult mentally to have to miss a treatment. The Avastin is suppose to be stopping the cancer from spreading and/or growing. When I have to miss a treatment all I think about is what could be happening inside my body during this missed treatment. What could be happening? It is scary and mentally taxing.
RSS Feed