Unless you have been close to a cancer patient, you are probably not aware of how debilitating treatment can be. Often the only visible sign of cancer is baldness which is temporary and, for most men, probably the least troublesome side effect. In this way cancer is like autoimmune diseases—not obvious to observers but very real.
Most often Jim appears healthy, but appearances are deceiving. He has so many side-effects and is taking so many drugs that we are no longer sure which drugs are responsible for which side-effects. This I know: all of the pain and suffering he has endured over the past nine years is from the side effects—not the cancer. He has—like many lung cancer patients—been asymptomatic from the beginning.
After nearly a year with no chemotherapy drugs, he went into this round of treatment determined not to let it get him down. Since he would be taking the same four drugs he took in 2003 (with one addition) but taking the drugs less frequently, we hoped the treatment would be more tolerable. Wrong. Either the new drug is packing a wallop or Jim is worn down from years of toxic agents, or he is just older.
List of drugs he has taken to date:
Taxotere
Cisplatin
Gemzar
Navelbine
Neupogen
Epogen
Celebrex
Coumadin
Alimta
Avastin
Carboplatin
Zometa
Taxotere
Cisplatin
Gemzar
Navelbine
Erbitux
Rapamycin
Metformin
Neulasta
Lovenox
Decadron
The temporary side-effects of these drugs have been manageable. Nausea, joint pain, headaches, diarrhea, dry eye, mouth sores, loss of appetite, fatigue, acne like rash, hair loss, metallic taste in mouth, insomnia, blood clots—all unpleasant but tolerable. The permanent side-effects are a different story—peripheral neuropathy, weakened heart muscle, osteo-necrosis of the jaw, hearing loss, blood clots, nerve damage.
The drugs taken to wipe out the cancer have taken their toll on his overall health. He has gone from taking no medication—except for allergy meds—to requiring twenty or more pills daily. The toxicity of the chemotherapy agents has resulted in conditions requiring more medication.
Carvedilol (Beta Blocker)
Pantoprazole (acid reflux)
Lisinopril (Blood Pressure)
Vytorin (Cholesterol)
Antibiotic (chronic mouth and gum infections)
Sucralfate (ulcers of the alimentary canal)
Still we consider ourselves fortunate. As bad as treatment is, for Jim it has worked. We are grateful for dedicated researchers and physicians who continue to seek a cure for cancer.
Showing posts with label side effects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label side effects. Show all posts
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Cancer's Rocky Road
on Sunday morning Jim spoke with his oncologist who told him that the treatments will continue indefinitely. This news wasn't such a surprise to me (the realist) but it was a blow to Jim (the optimist).
Jim had sent an email several days earlier asking for the plan,explaining how difficult the recovery is becoming and hoping that next Monday's chemo would be his last. In fact, I had him temper his remarks slightly because he was adamant that he couldn't take it much longer.
Dr. Rios said that he will need 2 more sessions of the regimen he is on now prior to our Houston trip Feb 1 for scans. THEN it is POSSIBLE that the length of time between chemos will be increased BUT a modified form of the treatment (maintenance) will continue indefinitely.
We are grateful that the drugs have kept the cancer at bay and that he has responded to treatment but after being declared cancer free (with all that implies) further treatment is a bitter pill to swallow (literally).
Living with cancer is better than the alternative but believe me it is not easy. I have spoken with several group members in the past 2 weeks who are similarly discouraged at the prospect of the relentless side-effects that accompany the very treatments which are keeping them alive. Pray for encouragement for all of those traveling this path, and for patience and understanding for their caregivers.
As I pray for those who lost loved ones to cancer last December and those who have lost someone this year, I am so thankful to have Jim here still--even though we have to plan our celebrations around chemo.
Jim had sent an email several days earlier asking for the plan,explaining how difficult the recovery is becoming and hoping that next Monday's chemo would be his last. In fact, I had him temper his remarks slightly because he was adamant that he couldn't take it much longer.
Dr. Rios said that he will need 2 more sessions of the regimen he is on now prior to our Houston trip Feb 1 for scans. THEN it is POSSIBLE that the length of time between chemos will be increased BUT a modified form of the treatment (maintenance) will continue indefinitely.
We are grateful that the drugs have kept the cancer at bay and that he has responded to treatment but after being declared cancer free (with all that implies) further treatment is a bitter pill to swallow (literally).
Living with cancer is better than the alternative but believe me it is not easy. I have spoken with several group members in the past 2 weeks who are similarly discouraged at the prospect of the relentless side-effects that accompany the very treatments which are keeping them alive. Pray for encouragement for all of those traveling this path, and for patience and understanding for their caregivers.
As I pray for those who lost loved ones to cancer last December and those who have lost someone this year, I am so thankful to have Jim here still--even though we have to plan our celebrations around chemo.
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