Alyson Bossuyt receives regular maintenance therapy as part of her treatment for ovarian cancer. She was diagnosed last year.
“I started having symptoms like shortness of breath, weight gain, bloating, things that I was putting off on not getting enough exercise, being menopausal, all sorts of things my age,” Bossuyt said. “They say with ovarian cancer, it sometimes isn’t easily found and isn’t found until it’s late stage so unfortunately that was the result for me when it happened after multiple symptoms after a couple years.”
After receiving her diagnosis, it was recommended that she do chemotherapy and surgery.
Keeping Treatment Close to Home
Thanks to collaboration between the Avera Cancer Institute in Sioux Falls and Marshall, she has had a good balance of keeping most of her treatment close to home.
“Sioux Falls for my first treatments, follow up treatments here in Marshall, then my surgery in Sioux Falls,” said Bossuyt. “I was able to do most of those chemo sessions here in Marshall, which was wonderful, I live close to town, and I work in town, so I didn’t have to take a lot of time off from work, which was a bonus.”
Her gynecologic oncologist is David Starks, MD in Sioux Falls, and she also sees certified nurse practitioner Jess Moriarty in Marshall.
“Dr. Starks and I have worked together for a long time. But when I also know the patient, if something comes up mid cycle or mid treatment, say a patient is struggling with some of the side effects or even if they get sick with something else, I can see them because I already know them, and it’s not trying to figure out who are you or what’s going on. There’s already a relationship built there and a confidence level which is nice,” Moriarty said.
Benefits of Telemedicine
Even though Dr. Starks is almost two hours away, Alyson can meet with him via telemedicine during her appointments.
“It’s just like he’s right here in the room, you can tell he cares, he knows all the little details just from the pre-scan they do here, the evaluation, the blood work, he knows everything, and I think that comes with a good partnership between Jess and Dr. Starks, and just between both facilities, it makes it feel like he’s right here in the room with us,” said Bossuyt.
And Moriarty can be there to answer any questions she might have even after the call has ended.
“What we try to do is also have myself be a part of that visit,” said Moriarty. “Because sometimes you sit there for a little bit and realize ‘I forgot to ask that,’ and that allows me to come in and answer some of those questions, so it’s a really good combination.”
A combination that’s allowed Alyson to feel confident in the care she’s received right in her own community.
“They’re just right on top of it, if it’s not Marshall, it’s Sioux Falls, there’s always somebody taking care of me,” said Bossuyt.
“They trust that what is happening in Marshall is the exact same thing that’s happening in Sioux Falls. We utilize all the same protocols with our treatments, so it’s not that patients are getting a different treatment plan they are getting the same treatment in Marshall that they do in Sioux Falls,” said Moriarty.
Alyson will continue this maintenance therapy for at least a year.
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