My chemo explained

Chemo week is in full swing.  I meant to blog yesterday but after sitting for my infusion all day Todd assured me that all of you would forgive me for missing a day.

I don’t remember if I ever explained to all of you my current chemo regime.  I am doing the FOLFIRI plus Avastin colon cancer regime.  My first round of chemo back in 2011 I did FOLFOX.  Basically both FOLFOX and FOLFIRI lead to similar results.  The reason I am doing FOLFIRI this time is because I’ve already done FOLFOX and my cancer has returned, so hopefully my cancer cells will respond better to the FOLFIRI regime.  If you’re interested to learn a little more about the differences in the two this link is a short description about the two therapies - http://news.cancerconnect.com/chemotherapy-regimens-folfox-and-folfiri-produce-similar-survival-in-advanced-colorectal-cancer/

In addition to FOLFIRI I also receive an antibody call Avastin.  With my type of tumor I have the option to take 2 different types of antibodies.  I can either take Avastin or Eurbitux.  When my oncologist went over my options he mentioned that Eurbitux almost always causes facial rashes.  Since I had the option to do either, my vanity won out and I chose the Avastin.  It’s pretty cool how these antibodies work along with the chemo drugs.  If you’d like to learn more about how the Avastin works check out this link - http://www.avastin.com/patient/crc/about/index.html

So, every other Monday I go in and have my blood taken and urine sample, quick doctor visit, and then start my day of chemo.  I usually get to Georgia Cancer around 8:45 and don’t leave until 4:00 or a little earlier.  It’s not a bad day because everyone is very nice.  They have a “fancy” coffee maker which I use to drink hot chocolate – yum!  They hook me up with a warm blanket and pillow and I relax in my recliner.  Though the person sitting beside me doesn’t know it, they are about to become my talking buddy for a while. 

We start out with my premeds which are just some saline and 3 different antinausea meds.  We then start my chemo drugs.  In the beginning I believed I would be able to work, type, or read during my treatment.  I quickly learned that no matter how hard I fight it I get very tired.  I hang in there through lunch time and then I pull out my eye mask and take a nice snooze.  Sleeping around others is a little weird, but most of them are doing the exact same thing.  I’ve never been much of a napper and I’ve always been grouchy when I wake up so when I wake up at the cancer center I try to be really quiet and not talk to anyone for at least 10 – 15 minutes.

When my chemo drugs are done I usually am starting to feel nauseous again.  I sometimes ask for a little Ativan to make through the ride home – good ol’ vitamin A!  After that it is time for my push of 5-FU.  The 5­-FU is what I take home with my pump.  They give me a push first to get me started and then disconnect my leads from the hanging chemo drugs and hook it up to a pump of the 5-FU that slowly pumps the final chemo drug through my port for 2 more days.  I have to receive the 5-FU slower because it can cause mouth sores if given too quickly.  The 5-FU is the stuff that I really HATE!

So, that is where I am now.  I had my infusion yesterday and right now I’m just tired and feeling nauseous and not hungry.  The 5-FU is pumping through my body and I am slowly starting to feel the side effects from that.  Just like the last time I keep my pump in a little messenatger bag that goes everywhere with me.  It makes this little “swoosh” noise each   time it pumps the drugs through my lead.  In the beginning the “swoosh” is kind of like a nice white noise but by the end of day 1 and definitely day 2 that “swoosh” is not nice white noise to me.  It is more like a “slurp!” draining all the life out of me.  The 5-FU really affects my throat.  (Thus the not wanting to eat and nausea)

Have you heard the saying “no pain, no gain”?  That is my life.  I’m not in physical pain but it’s not comfortable and I’m completely drained – so maybe for me it should be “no drain, go gain”.  Not gonna lie, I am dreading tonight and tomorrow but I know that I’m doing this for a reason and hopefully this regime is working for me.

I mentioned earlier in the blog that because of my tumor type I was able to choose between 2 different antibodies.  After my scan in January if surgery is not an option for me the other antibody type would be an option – It wouldn’t be a glamorous one, but if it works, it works.

Don’t worry about me.   I may not feel 100% but my personality is still 100%.  I may not be hungry or want to talk too much but I’m happy.  I’m still the same Shea.  That is one thing that cancer will never change!