Day 21 A Month of Teal : Your Treatment Team

In the past few posts I have discussed different treatments that women diagnosed with ovarian cancer may undergo . You might think the only members on your health care team are a gynecologic oncologist or surgeon, oncologist and oncology nurses. That is what I thought too initially. But I was wrong.

I learned in a very short period of time that there were other very valuable members of my team.

On my team was my pharmacist who helped me create a schedule for taking my medications to prevent nausea, constipation and pain without interfering with other prescriptions I was taking.

On my team was my social worker who was there when I needed a shoulder to cry on or a technique to keeping me calm while waiting for test results or when my treatment was delayed due to low white blood counts.

On my team was my nutritionist  who gave me tips on what to eat to try to get my hemoglobin higher and how to eat smaller meals through the day.

On my team was my genetic counselor who I spoke to before ( we put together a pedigree/ family tree) and after having genetic testing ( we discussed the results).

On my team was my pathologist who even thought I never meeting him/her in person provided me with information that impacted the treatments I had.

On my team was my radiologist who let me know when my tumors were shrinking and when I was disease free. I was lucky enough to meet one radiologist in person.

On my team was my clinical trial nurse who gave me her cell phone so I could reach out to her at any time with questions and concerns.

On my team were the oncology treatment nurses who made sure I was administered the correct chemotherapy.

On my team was the cancer center staff who greeted me warmly as I signed in for chemo and scheduled port flush and  follow-up appointments.

All of these people played a role in my life for months at a time.

You may read more about your treatment team on the Patient Resource Page
http://www.patientresource.com/Ovarian_Cancer_Team.aspx 
and
Cancer Care
https://www.cancercare.org/publications/59-your_health_care_team_your_doctor_is_only_the_beginning


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!  

A Special Member of My Team

This post first appeared on July 11, 2013 in the blog section of the Society of Gynecologic Cancer website.  

A Special Member of My Team

The first day I went for chemotherapy I really didn’t know what to expect. Two weeks earlier I had surgery and learned I had ovarian cancer. I hadn’t had time for a tour of the treatment area so I was a bit nervous.

I was led to my seat in the bright sunny treatment area of my cancer center. My oncology nurse instantly made me feel at ease. She explained step by step what would happen that day, patiently answering my questions, bringing me a glass of water, a pillow and a blanket. She told me how long the infusions would take and which premeds I would be given. Then she accessed my port, drawing blood for some tests. When the results of my blood work came back normal, she explained that she was sending the chemotherapy orders my doctor wrote to the pharmacy. That is when I learned that my chemotherapy drugs were not sitting on a shelf premade but were made just for me right down the hall in the pharmacy.

As the infusion continued I wondered how I would keep straight the daily medications I took along with the medications I would need to take after chemotherapy such as anti-nausea pills. When I mentioned this to my nurse she told me she would have a pharmacist stop by to answer my questions. That is the first time I met Mike. He answered my questions and provided me a chart listing all the medications I was taking and the time of day I should take them. He explained which drugs could be taken together and which must be taken alone or with food.

When I recurred a few years later Mike once again stopped by on my first day of chemo with a new sheet listing the medications I was prescribed and when to take them. Three weeks later when I had an allergic reaction to my chemotherapy Mike was the pharmacist they called. It was calming to see a familiar face ready to get me through a tough time.

Mike is not just a licensed pharmacist but he has gone the next step and become a board certified oncology pharmacist. I didn’t know a certification of that type was given but I am happy that Mike and his experience as an oncology pharmacist is a member of my health care team.

Watch this SGO video “On Your Side: The Gynecologic Cancer Care Team” to learn more about other members of a gynecologic cancer survivor’s health care team.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!