Every 3 or 4 months, my wife Joyce and I made a 90 minute trip to the Mayo Clinic for a “day of cancer.” First stop: blood tests — a 20-minute wait alongside at least 50 other people. Three more crowded waiting rooms awaited us through the day, and then finally an appointment with our oncologist. As all of you know, this is an extremely stressful day. With the advent of the virus, the prospect seemed overwhelming.
The post-COVID dilemma: Should we go to the scans as scheduled, or delay them for a couple months to reduce the risk? What if this meant missing early detection of progression?
Our solution was to keep our scheduled scans, but do them at a local small hospital, avoiding the crowds at the Mayo. Then, we scheduled a video appointment with a doctor there. We can still contact our Mayo doctor if we need his opinion on any findings.
I found this experience safe and easy, and it points to the importance of problem-solving, as well as the benefits of finding health care providers who will work with you to keep you safe.