After allowing a couple of days for a little bit of wallowing and a few tears I was back in the chemo chair today, kicking cancer's butt, as my chemo nurse says. My insurance company would not authorize Avastin with anything under any circumstances so my oncologist decided to go with something just a little different than my first regimen. I got cisplatin and taxotere today. Cisplatin is felt to be slightly more active against my cancer than the carboplatin I started with. My chemo nurse told me weeks ago not to let him give me cisplatin because EVERYBODY gets sick on it, but you know me - if it's supposed to knock me on my butt I breeze through and if I'm supposed to breeze through (like Tarceva and Alimta) it kicks me in the butt. Cisplatin is pretty good at causing nausea and vomiting so I got Aloxi in the IV before chemo and also started Emend this morning. I have meds at home if I need something more. Cisplatin can also be very hard on the bladder and kidneys so I got tons of fluids and mannitol to make me pee, which I DID. Kim didn't even have to whisper the Lasix threat. Both Cisplatin and taxotere can cause hair thinning or loss but probably not complete hair loss like with the Taxol so THAT'S good.
I meet with radiation therapy next Wednesday for a consult but it doesn't look like we have to do anything right now for the hip lesion except have me walk with a cane. I've requested the paperwork for a handicapped parking permit from the DMV so I can cut down on walking distances. I'm already getting lots of invitations for mall shopping trips from my "friends."
I've emailed a doctor at Dana-Farber in Boston who has a couple of studies going with targeted therapies that seem to work on people who have failed Tarceva. That would probably be my next step after the current chemotherapy if and when it doesn't work.
There are lots of good things on my agenda for the next few weeks. Emma comes for spring break a week from Sunday. Chris and Sheri are coming out to go to the Long Island volleyball tournament the last weekend in March with Hannah and me. Marta and Faith are coming the last weekend in April to see our bulbs blooming. I'm guessing I can push my oncologist into a scan after my March 31st chemo (that would be the day before tax day) and we'll decide go or no go on more chemo then. Emma graduates mid-May. If I'm still going with chemo that would be the weekend after chemo so I'm going to wait and see how I feel this weekend before I decide about booking a ticket for that. I'm off tomorrow and Monday and plan to get a bunch of work done on Lindsay's quilt and listen to as much of the two Michael Connelly books I have as I can get through. Robert and I went out for a wonderful dinner last night while we knew I'd be feeling well and able to enjoy it. He's leaving Sunday to visit Isaac and friends in South Carolina (Hi, Bill and Jeannie!).
So I'm very much back in the saddle. Thank you all so very much for your emails, calls, cards, prayers and good thoughts. You're what gets me through every day.
Lisa
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