new chemo routine

Hello.  I know it's been a while (funny how most posts start out with an apology for the long time between posts.  Why should I feel the need to apologize for that?) but there hasn't been a lot to say with regard to my health; I have good days and I have bad days.  Thankfully, we're still at a point where the good outnumber the bad.

We've also just been busy with the usual:  yard & garden, visitors, birthdays, dogs.  Good stuff.  July is looking to be pretty busy at this point as well.

There have been some big developments on the treatment front.  My doctor left for another local hospital and I met my new oncologist yesterday - I really like the new one!  The old doc was fine (very professional and knowledgeable but somewhat robotic) but I felt an instant rapport with Dr. Chen (new) and she has a much better communication style.  Anyhow, the true test is how good is she?  For her part, she took me on at a crossroads; the old routine was predictably losing effectiveness with an accumulation of side effects and, new doctor or not, it was time to switch it up. 

The new chemo routine involves two drugs, just like the previous routine, where one is more mild and one is more toxic.  The more mild drug, Xeloda a/k/a capecitabine, is in pill form.  I take four with breakfast and four with dinner (this brings my daily pill count to 30) every day for two weeks and then take nothing for one week.  Every three weeks I will be treated with Oxaliplatin, the more harsh drug.  This is given via IV (my power port) and requires a dose of calcium and magnesium (also through IV) so the infusion time is back up to three + hours each session.  So each treatment day, when you incorporate blood draw and doctor visit, is again an almost 8 hour day.  Kind of like going to work except I can nap (and they have warm blankets!).  And I only have to go once every three weeks.  So it's really more like the job I wish I had.  :)

Of course, with each new treatment comes diminishing returns.  The doctor is hopeful that the new combo will keep me going for at least several more months but we started with the best treatment for my situation and we can only go down from there.  New possible side effects include:  mouth sores, hand-foot syndrome (google it if you're curious), heartburn, nausea (surprise!), diarrhea, rash, clumsiness/unsteadiness (worse than now?!), confusion (what does that even mean?), dry cough, fever, chills, body ache, numbness in extremities, seizure or tremors, swelling, unusual bleeding or bruising, jaw pain, joint pain, courtney payne (just checking to see if you're still reading) and, the best - extreme sensitivity to cold.  Extreme like eating ice cream will cause excruciating pain.  I really hope I don't get that one!  Thankfully there's no mention of my least favorite side effect ever (it's from using the fat substitute Olestra) - anal leakage.  Now are you still reading?  :)

We're also coming up on the one year anniversary of my diagnosis.  Statistically speaking, most people with stage 4 die within a year of diagnosis.  I have relative good health (other than a little cancer) and youth on my side.  And, of course, there are people who last longer than one year so it's not like some miracle but I still can't help but feel like everything after August is just bonus time.

Take care!