Just last Friday (February 7th) I had my sixth infusion of Doxil. All went well and so far the weariness after a treatment has been minimal. In my last post I mentioned that the doctor thought perhaps that I could stop after the 6th infusion and take a rest but would not have Doxil again. This was not my regular doctor but someone filling in for that particular appointment. I mentioned all this to my regular doctor and she wants to keep me on this regiment since it is doing the job and keeping cancer at bay. I am all for it but understand that this drug can be harmful over the long run to my heart even though the drug formulation they are using is less harmful. We have to remember that cancer treatment and diagnostics are always a balancing act between benefits vs. damage.
On Monday she sent me for a echo cardiogram for baseline pictures in order that she can monitor my heart health. She may send me every 2 months to keep an eye on this.
During our last visit last week we also had a conversation regarding my future treatment plans. Like most cancer patients I scour the internet for clinical trials, experimental drugs and new treatments. I feel I have to keep up with what is out there in case something gets missed. It is also difficult and complicated to ensure a treatment might be suitable for me given that everyone's particular cancer can be slightly different and my BRCA2 situation is also a factor. So I brought up the subject of whether the time was right to refer me to a larger cancer centre which specializes in gynecologic cancers such as mine. This was difficult to do in that my doctor is great. She is truly on my side and empathetic in her manner. I did not want her to feel that she was not doing her job but I made her understand that I need to feel that I am taking advantage of all our health care options in Ontario. Our relationship has been one of partners where I make the final decision in the direction we go and she encourages and respects this.
I am glad we had this discussion because she reassured me that my treatment was not in a vacuum. We are fortunate in southwestern Ontario to have several cancer centres within a 2 hour drive. She told me that much information is shared within Ontario regarding new treatments and new drugs. In fact she likes to deal with a particular doctor out of London who specializes in Ovarian Cancer and was trained at Princess Margaret in Toronto.
She has reached out to him since our meeting and is arranging an appointment for me to meet him. This is good news for me in that I feel that I will have another member on my team.
