I met with my new doctor, the oncologist, yesterday and learned that in a few weeks I won’t have any hair. The chemotherapy regimen for mesothelioma uses two drugs, cisplatin and pemetrexed (Alimta) that are given by IV one after the other on the same day. First comes cisplatin (which contains platinum) which takes most of the day to inject. Then the pemetrexed that will take about 20 minutes; however, I only get the drugs every 21 days.
Before they can start, however, I have to undergo a couple of procedures. First I need to have another PET scan (see Matter-Antimatter Annihilation in the Meso-Man from July 4) which will provide a baseline against which to measure changes in my tumor(s). They also will install a port which will provide a permanent line into a vein so no more venipunctures will be necessary. The port which is about the diameter of a quarter will be implanted under the skin of my chest and connected to a vein. When blood is needed for lab tests or a puncture is needed for an IV, they will simply numb the skin above the port and put a needle into the port.
The doctor said that patients usually tolerate the drugs well. I will lose my hair, which I find interesting. I’ve always wondered how I would look if I shaved my head like our friend Jonathan; now I’ll know. I’m going to take pictures of my head before treatment so I can compare the hair that grows back in with my current hair. Will it come back gray from the stress? We’ll have to wait and see.
The drugs can also lower my blood counts, so they gave me a B-12 shot and started me on folic acid to counteract those problems. From what I read the two vitamins also reduce some side effects of the therapy.
Nausea and vomiting is what I fear most from the treatment, but the doctor said that drugs will be given along with the chemotherapy agents to greatly reduce that problem. I was glad to hear that I will not vomit because it’s something I try mightily to prevent. I think it has something to do with the loss of control not to mention the grossness of the aftermath.
Other possible side effects are changes to my sense of taste and hearing as the drugs kill healthy, fast-dividing cells along with the cancer.
After two courses of the treatment (six weeks), I’ll have another PET scan to see what impact the drugs had on my cancer. If the cancer has shrunk or at least not spread, then I’ll get another two rounds of treatment and another PET scan. This will continue until the drugs stop working or the side effects become too bad to continue.
That’s pretty much what I learned. I have requested a second opinion from the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, but I’ll drop that request if they cannot get me in before Scott & White is ready to begin treatment.
It has been five weeks since the last surgery, and it feels really good to be taking action again.
Jana continues to tolerate her chemotherapy (Gleevec) extremely well. Apart from an occasional bout of diarrhea, she feels very much better than before--much more energy and a more positive frame of mind.
David
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