Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Nose Woes

Ok, this is a little gross.

If you are squeamish and not a fan of blood and gore or questionable blog content, please don't read this post. Just skip it, and check back in a few days.

If you're still reading, consider yourself warned, this isn't really dinner table-stuff.

So, the tumor-starving drug, Avastan, features some neat side effects. One of my faves is bloody noses! Avastan sort of perpetually eats away at the lining of your nose. Now, each morning when I wake up, I feel a strong urge to blow my nose. When I do, it's a blood and gore-fest. Not blood from inside my body, but from the lining of my nose. Occasionally, and with increasing frequency, it'll be the middle of the day and suddenly it feels like my nose is running. I'll get a tissue and find myself shocked to see bright day-glo RED. Out of the blue.

Awesome. Creepy. All in a day's work, with Avastan. (TM!)

I'm starting to get a little paranoid now, and I constantly find myself checking my nose for fear that I am unwittingly dripping red stuff down my face. I worry I'll be in the checkout line at the grocery store and start dripping blood on the conveyor belt. "Cleanup, Check Stand #2." Or I'll be chatting with a new friend, and my nose will start bleeding while they shift awkwardly, trying to figure out how to alert me without embarrassing me.

My doc checks the lining of my nose at each appointment, because apparently, if this gets out of control, it can eat a hole through my nose, at which point, I must discontinue Avastan. But my thoughts are, if Avastan will kill cancer, IT CAN TAKE MY NOSE! I can get a new one. Michael Jackson did, right?

1 comment:

  1. Shelly,

    My nose tends to really dry out, and my nose just goes without notice. (Example, I'll be in the shower, washing my hair when—bam!—oh look, blood all over the shower. Nice. Or, I'll be sitting at my desk and—oops!—it goes.)

    Anywho, it was happening with such great frequency that I went to the ear, nose and throat doc. She had me pick up good old Afrin and give two shots in each of my hooter's nostrils every morning and night. It works because Afrin shrinks the membrane tissue and blood vessels in your nose. The result? No impropmtu bloody noses! ("Plus I breath easily all day ®!")

    So give the Afrin a shot. (Commercial puns? Oh yeah, that's how I roll.)

    Peter F.

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