A Rough Reality
Early on in my cancer journey, we had been told that my treatment would be a matter of “dialing in” the specifics. “Everyone is different,” one of the nurses said. “The nuances of every cancer case are different. The way each person responds to the treatment is different. So, the doctor starts with his best guess, lays out a plan, and then adjusts on the fly.”
We encountered that need for adjustment a few weeks ago, when my white blood cell count was low. That resulted in a delay in treatment and a reduction in the dosage of the chemo. A series of injections followed to help stimulate the production of those cells.
The good news is that I had zero bone pain from those injections. Believe it or not, they have figured out that the over-the-counter allergy medicine, Claritin, alleviates the bone pain. Amazing!
The even better news is the injections worked! My WBC was up this past Tuesday when I went in for treatment #5.
However, another challenge surfaced. That day’s blood test showed my platelet count was low. Not wanting to delay again, the doctor made yet another adjustment in the treatment, and we proceeded.
Reaction!
The infusion process begins with my immunotherapy drug (Opdivo), then a pairing of anti-nausea drugs, followed by the heavy-duty stuff. It’s called oxaliplatin—and yes, the “platin” in the name means it is a platinum-based drug.
This past Tuesday, a little over halfway through my bag of oxaliplatin, I began to break out in an itchy rash. The nurses immediately stopped the chemo and began administering some drugs to counteract the reaction.
I could tell that this was a bit beyond the norm when my oncologist himself showed up in the treatment room. He flashed a good-hearted scowl at me, but I could tell he was concerned. He said that such a reaction to chemo was typical, but that it normally occurred much later in the process.
They let me chill for a while, waiting for the itching to stop. Finally, they hooked up my F5U pump and let me go home.
However, within a few hours of getting home, my rash greatly intensified. I was covered in hives, from head to toe, and I was experiencing light-headedness and shortness of breath. Gwen promptly called the oncology hotline and spoke to the on-call doctor. She ran to the drug store to get the suggested medication, which I then took and went to bed.
However, as I was making my way into the bedroom, I got dizzy and almost passed out. I eventually got there, but we were quite concerned, as you can imagine! Gwen prayed over me, kissed me on the forehead, and let me rest.
She kept checking on me through the evening. The on-call doctor had said that if the shortness of breath got worse, or my throat or tongue began to swell, we needed to get to the ER. Fortunately, though the rash continued through the night, the other symptoms started to ease, and I was able to sleep. By morning, the allergy medicine was beginning to work, and the rash was calming down.
The nurse called to check up on me later in the day. When she heard about the light-headedness, she said she wasn’t surprised. They had given me a lot of really strong drugs to counteract that rash.
In light of this new development, my oncologist has ordered a PET scan for next week (October 8) to see what progress has been made and if my treatment should be further adjusted.
Wow! What week!
A Long, Hard Haul
As I write this, I’m doing pretty well. The rash is gone, and the dizziness has eased.
Yet, all of this has reminded us that every cancer journey is unique. And it will have its share of twists and turns, difficulties and disappointments.
We’re coming to grips with this rough reality. Our faith is still strong. We know that my life is in the Lord’s hands (Psalm 31:14-15a).
But we’ve been freshly reminded that we’re in for a long haul and that it is going to be hard.
That’s why we are so grateful for the team God has put in place around us. The kindness and skill of our care team – specifically Dr. Nattam and the infusion room nurses: Erica, Rachel, Lori, Trevin, and Ashley. In the midst of everything, they have been such gifts. We are grateful for the wisdom and compassion they have displayed.
Sorry if this post seems to be a “downer”. However, I thought you would want to know where we stand. We so appreciate your prayers and will do our best to keep you updated.
“I trust in you, LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands..”
PRAYER REQUESTS
Here’s how you can pray for us in the coming days:
PRAY for the PET scan on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Pray that the results will give the oncologist a clear picture of the best plan of treatment going forward.
PRAY that the issue of light-headedness is resolved. Right now, we are addressing both hydration and blood pressure causes, but pray that we get that dialed in.
PRAY that we remain joyful in hope and patient in affliction.