Here is a quickie:
Check out this article.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071031/hl_nm/cancer_obesity_dc
Looks like there is a stronger link to diet than first thought...
PS: I am overall doing fine and will be soon starting my 6th treatement. (The half-way mark)
Greetings,
Well I didnt post anything after my Fourth round and now we are almost done with the 5th round.
Between the two, my brother got married and I was the Best Man. In order to make sure the weekend was great, I postphoned my chemo treatment till the following Monday. Yes, this can be done.
It was a somewhat busy week leading up to the wedding, although that was a "recovery week" and my energy grew. The wedding was really 3 days if you count the Rehearsal Dinner, wedding day with pictures, and Sunday brunch and recouping.
Then Monday I had treatment. That has been a test of strength so far. I went to work on Wednesday, and half of Thursday. Tomorrow I get the Erbutix. I havent really started bouncing back from the Folfox yet. This should be interesting. In the meantime a blood test came back showing that my liver enzymes are elevated due to the chemo. Not dangerously high, but enough to warrant further monitoring. (AST 63) (ALT 152).
On the upside, I have been gaining weight. A few pounds here and there. Been eating a lot actually but it adds up to only a couple of pounds over a 2 week period. Small but good news.
In general, everything is upbeat and optimistic. Im a little more tired for a day or two longer. After the 6th round, things will probably stay the same thru the end. That will be 12-14 weeks from now.
I also am working on a new project for a CD. More on that later. But it is something that I cant wait to tell you about - it will be very good.
This is me and my good friend Jennifer at our high school reunion last weekend.
If you have seen me lately you must have noticed that my face is broken out like a teenage boy with acne. That is due to one of the drugs that I'm on called Erbitux.
Erbitux is one drug in a new class of Chemo drugs, called monoclonal antibodies, These drugs are much more targeted therapies than conventional chemo. Erbitux recognizes a certain receptor on cancer cells called EGRF (Epidermal Growth Receptor Factor) and attaches to it. The receptor is responsible for cell growth. The drug clogs the receptor and causes the cells to die. Unfortunately, EGRF is also found in the Epidermis, or the very top layer of skin cells, especially the ones on the head and shoulders because this area of the skin takes a lot of daily wear and tear, and therefore grows / replenishes itself at a faster rate.
Erbitux also gets to the cuticles of the fingernails because these contain skin cells that grow quick too. Therefore if you ever bit or picked at your cuticles, you can imagine the possible results.
This is all a small price to pay, and after treatment ends everything goes back to normal. Its not perfect, but it is an advancement in chemo.
Because it is so new, Erbitux is available to me only by participating in a clinical trial. I was assigned a special Chemo-dermatologist at Northwestern who only sees patients on Erbitux, to monitor what is happening. There are some more drugs to take to help make the rash go away.. somewhat. They say that since I have a healthy rash, that means I am a good responder to Erbitux and it should be working well.
More info on Erbitux
Finally here is a claim to fame, and another reason to feel good being on Erbitux. If you have been following the news lately regarding the world-famous 33-year old Chicago Chef, Grant Achatz, who has tongue cancer. He refused to have surgery because it would end his career. He is currently undergoing chemo and is on Erbitux, and has shown a lot of improvement.
Check these links out:
Grant Achatz
Despite Setback, Achatz Upbeat
Update: More good news on Grant Achatz
Round Three was a slight bit more intense- well really it just seemed to hang around for a day longer than before. The "mono-like" fatigue was more apparent, and there were moments where I was in a bad mood, but I just followed the light at the end of the tunnel and it eventually all went away after a few days. Nausea has not been a significant problem at all thanks to Kytril, but my earlier noted digestive problems came back right on schedule. I pretty much know the routine now.
Friday I had my treatment and on Sunday I was lifting weights - and made some gains in weight but went down in reps. Endurance and fatigue are the main issues and I took more naps this week as needed. Went for walks around the neighborhood and by Thursday I was on the mountain bike doing 12 miles again.
As far as the Neuropathy, the tingling and cold sensitivity were present, and I was alarmed on two occasions when I also experienced motor neuropathy in my right hand when I would handle keys. I'd go to pick up a set of keys and put a key into the door, and just holding my fingers that way was painful. Like a cramp in the hand or like my hand had jaundice, my hand would not follow my commands. I dropped the keys and slapped my hand flat to relieve the pain. These two instances lasted only a few minutes. I took some potassium and it seemed to help. My oncology nurse Shannon suggested I add 1000 mg of calcium to my daily supplements and this has helped a lot. I have not had a recurrence since. I guess it could just be a loss of these minerals due to the chemo in general.
Friday, I was back at the Oncologists office for my quick session of Erbitux. Erbitux I get weekly, the big chemo I get only every other week. The Erbitux treatment really has no side-effects, aside from the "Erbitux rash" the acne-like breakout on my face. But the Benedryl that I get with it really knocked me out.
Acupuncture on Saturday morning went well. I really feel it is helping. Not only with neuropathy, but Dr Lee, my acupuncturist, is also targeting my immune system in different ways too. She gave me some Milk Thistle to help detox the liver, since there are so many different drugs getting metabolized in me now. She also noted a knot in the muscles between my thumb and forefinger and made adjustments to treat it. Later that night I was up till the wee hours of the morning enjoying my High School Reunion. It was a blast.
Sunday afternoon I was back in the gym, lifting weights and making very significant gains. I have the whole week to feel great now.
