After putting in a full day at work yesterday, Pete had 2 appointments scheduled for this morning. The first was with the neurologist. He said it was a good visit and that the doctor was much more pleasant this time. When he described the headaches he's been having the doctor asked him whether he grinds his teeth at night. Pete's headaches generally do seem to be at their worst in the morning and subside as the day goes on. He recommended trying a mouth guard because the way that Pete described the headaches made him think that they may be stress related and the pain similar to TMJ.
The second appointment later in the morning was for the echo-cardiogram to be done at our local hospital. Ifosfomide, the "I" of the AIM chemo-cocktail, can damage the heart muscle so patients undergoing this drug therapy must be monitored regularly. From there he went directly to work.
The next big event will be Tuesday. When he goes in to start the next round of chemo on the 30th the oncologist will have the report on the CT scan. Pete did mention just yesterday that the pain he was having in the area beneath his shoulder blade has eased recently. That may be an indication that the lesions in his lungs are shrinking and that's exactly the news we'll be hoping to hear next week.
The power of positive thinking...
Showing posts with label AIM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AIM. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, November 22, 2009
A Change in Treatment - November 22, 2009
When the CT results were not what we had hoped for, Dr K (MSKCC) offered her recommendation that Pete change to a different treatment. There were no new lesions, a good thing, but the results were again inconclusive with some lesions increasing and some decreasing in size. Because of how these new drugs are administered, we discussed the possibility of going to a local oncologist rather than driving up to MSKCC. She gave us the name of a practice about 1/2 hour from our home that she felt confident would handle Pete's care as they have worked with a number of her patients who live in south Jersey.
On Friday afternoon we had a first visit with Dr. W. He and all the staff were very gracious and the whole atmosphere was comfortable and calming. He took us on a tour of the facility and he and the others we met explained in detail the procedures and treatments Pete will be receiving. Although everyone that we've dealt with at MSKCC has been wonderful and very caring, the environment is that of a sterile hospital, and coupled with the stress of driving into and through the city to get there seems just a bit unnerving, for me at least.
Because of the change to the AIM protocol, Pete will need to have a port implanted and he will have to undergo a MUGA scan. I had never heard of it, but apparently it is a nuclear scan similar to an echo-cardiogram but it provides a much better assessment of the status of the left ventricle of the heart. One of the chemo drugs in this mix can do serious damage there and they need a baseline before the first infusion to make certain his heart is healthy enough to withstand the treatments, and then will repeat the scans at regular intervals to monitor for adverse effects. These 2 procedures will be done in the hospital (not sure whether Jersey Shore or Monmouth Medical) this week. Chemo will begin the week after Thanksgiving.
Though the new drugs Pete will be receiving (adiriamiacine aka doxorubicin, ifosfamide and mesna) are known to produce significantly more debilitating side effects than the initial drugs, it is hoped that the lesions will respond more favorably. Dr K indicated that she will be ordering a CT scan after the first cycle as opposed to the normal timing which would be after the 2nd cycle. One cycle, in this instance consists of 3 consecutive, 7-8 hr days of infusion and 2-3 weeks of follow-up monitoring, so the scan will probably be done just before Christmas. Based on those CT results, they will either proceed directly to surgery (if the lesions do not respond as hoped for) or continue on with the therapy.
That's about all there is right now. Since getting the disappointing results about a week ago I just needed to step away from the computer for a while. I didn't feel like tracking my food or water and though I logged on to SparkPeople a couple of times, I just didn't have the "oomph" to post or blog. I'm coming out of my "funk" and hope to get back in the swing of things starting today.
On Friday afternoon we had a first visit with Dr. W. He and all the staff were very gracious and the whole atmosphere was comfortable and calming. He took us on a tour of the facility and he and the others we met explained in detail the procedures and treatments Pete will be receiving. Although everyone that we've dealt with at MSKCC has been wonderful and very caring, the environment is that of a sterile hospital, and coupled with the stress of driving into and through the city to get there seems just a bit unnerving, for me at least.
Because of the change to the AIM protocol, Pete will need to have a port implanted and he will have to undergo a MUGA scan. I had never heard of it, but apparently it is a nuclear scan similar to an echo-cardiogram but it provides a much better assessment of the status of the left ventricle of the heart. One of the chemo drugs in this mix can do serious damage there and they need a baseline before the first infusion to make certain his heart is healthy enough to withstand the treatments, and then will repeat the scans at regular intervals to monitor for adverse effects. These 2 procedures will be done in the hospital (not sure whether Jersey Shore or Monmouth Medical) this week. Chemo will begin the week after Thanksgiving.
Though the new drugs Pete will be receiving (adiriamiacine aka doxorubicin, ifosfamide and mesna) are known to produce significantly more debilitating side effects than the initial drugs, it is hoped that the lesions will respond more favorably. Dr K indicated that she will be ordering a CT scan after the first cycle as opposed to the normal timing which would be after the 2nd cycle. One cycle, in this instance consists of 3 consecutive, 7-8 hr days of infusion and 2-3 weeks of follow-up monitoring, so the scan will probably be done just before Christmas. Based on those CT results, they will either proceed directly to surgery (if the lesions do not respond as hoped for) or continue on with the therapy.
That's about all there is right now. Since getting the disappointing results about a week ago I just needed to step away from the computer for a while. I didn't feel like tracking my food or water and though I logged on to SparkPeople a couple of times, I just didn't have the "oomph" to post or blog. I'm coming out of my "funk" and hope to get back in the swing of things starting today.
Friday, November 13, 2009
They Didn't Work - November 13, 2009
Ok, the chemo treatments (gem/tax) they've been administering are not getting the hoped for results. Time to change gears and try a different set of drugs. This time it will take 3 days (7 am to about 4 pm) in a row to administer this series of drugs. This will be a cocktail of 3 drugs referred to as AIM (Adriamiacin, Ifosfamide and Mesna). Since it has often taken us 3 or more hours driving one way to or from MSKCC depending on traffic and these drugs have a much greater risk of unpleasant side effects, particularly nausea, we were trying to figure out how to handle this.
Dr. K understood the difficulty the long drive presented and gave us the names of some oncologists who have worked with other patients from south Jersey. Their practice is about 1/2 hour from us. She's comfortable with their level of experience in dealing with this type of cancer and treatments. We'll probably still be going to MSKCC in Basking Ridge for CT scans and all of his results and care will be coordinated through MSKCC.
Today's results were not what we were hoping to get. I have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach but at the same time, I'm hopeful that these other drugs are the ones that will work.
Dr. K understood the difficulty the long drive presented and gave us the names of some oncologists who have worked with other patients from south Jersey. Their practice is about 1/2 hour from us. She's comfortable with their level of experience in dealing with this type of cancer and treatments. We'll probably still be going to MSKCC in Basking Ridge for CT scans and all of his results and care will be coordinated through MSKCC.
Today's results were not what we were hoping to get. I have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach but at the same time, I'm hopeful that these other drugs are the ones that will work.
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