Thursday, November 13, 2008 7:33 AM, CST

Hi All,
It’s been awhile since I last wrote but things are going well. I was finally able to not have a fever, I was able to eat and yes get out of bed and function like a contributing member of society! It was a long couple of weeks and really can’t thank Greg and my parents enough for taking care of me.
I’m afraid today’s posting might be a little boring because I’m going to try to further explain my new regimen because I’m just beginning to understand it myself.
I’m on three drugs: Irinotecan, Avastan and Cetuximab.
The Irinotecan is the only true chemotherapy I have in the regimen (you might also hear a regimen called a protocol). I can’t even begin to give you a fairly intelligent explanation of how the drug works. Let’s just say we hope it goes in there and destroys it. The detailed information on the internet is just too darn confusing for me to interpret.
The Avastan is supposed to cut off the blood supply to the tumor and inhibit the tumor’s ability to create its own vascular system. Why? Because my body knows the tumor is not supposed to be there it does the best job it can to stop the tumor from making its own blood vessels and therefore using my body’s blood to feed it and then using my veins and arteries to transport cells to other parts of my body so it can metastasize and take over. However, considering the fact that it has already metastasized, my body obviously needs help! So the Avastan is designed to not only inhibit the process but to also hopefully shut it down completely.
The Cetuximab, as quoted in Wikipedia, is a chimeric monoclonal antibody, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor…I’m sorry WHAT??? Basically, it’s supposed to help my immune system fight off the tumor and prevent it from metastasizing.
The Cetuximab is what is giving me the rash they warned about—YIPEE!!! I’m so happy, I love rashes!! J ha ha..well in all honesty, the rash is better than the fanny pack. I swear it is—I’m not even being sarcastic on that one! Ok and let’s get right to business and talk about this rash because I’m quite sure you’re imagining all kinds of things. It basically looks like a little bit of acne and causes my skin to be quite dry. So as far as rashes go, it’s pretty lame. It could get worse but for now I’m staying ahead of it.
And it’s weird, because when I was younger and got acne I did my best to use products to dry out my skin. This rash is counter-intuitive in that the more acne I get, the more I have to moisturize.
All the doctors and nurses have told me that it’s a good thing to get the rash from the Cetuximab because it means it’s working. But I wonder if it’s one of those things people tell you to make you feel better—you know what I’m talking about—things like “it’s good luck when it rains on your wedding day.” I just hope it’s working—all three drugs! J
As I mentioned in my last post I’m on a four weeks on/two weeks off schedule. Now, the four weeks on/two weeks off schedule only applies to the Irinotecan. So I still go every week for some drug but weeks five and six are considerably shorter than weeks one –four. I’m on my second cycle and just finished week one.
Everyone wants to know how these drugs make me feel and how I’m doing on them and what are my side effects. Other than the rash, I can’t give an intelligent answer because I spent the first three weeks of the last cycle with that alleged pneumonia. And it was only alleged pneumonia because nothing showed up on any x-rays. So the doctors are scratching their heads as to what made me so sick. Was it an infection or was it cancer? I say the antibiotics made me feel better; the oncologists are leaning towards the chemo.
I don’t care who is right as long as I’m healthy.
So I start this next cycle and we’ll see how it goes. I don’t know if I’ll have scans in December or January. I’ll find that out in the next few weeks.
Please say some prayers and send some positive thoughts to my cousin Kristen. She found out a few weeks ago she had a cancerous tumor on her tongue. She had the tumor removed on Friday and they used muscle and arteries from her thigh to reconstruct her tongue. It was a long surgery—approximately 13 hours. She’s doing well but has had a few complications and has needed two more surgeries since then—one to clear a blood clot and another to fix the reconstruction because her body was rejecting some tissue. She’s only 42 and has a husband, two kids, parents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends who love her and are praying for her and sending positive thoughts but she can use some more! Thank You!
Thank you also to everyone who has fed us these past few weeks. The meals are so good and they’re so generous.
BJ Senecal
Karen Gardner
Carrie Etzel
Colleen Zeena
Jen Quinlan-Flynn
Heidi Thoday
Wendy Dion
Tina McAndrew
MaryJane Rasku
Wendy Zinkus
Mary Kennedy
I cannot thank you enough—ever!
And we had two special little bakers make us the BEST Halloween cookies I’ve ever had in my ENTIRE life!!! Thank you to Sarah and Hannah Gillis! I shared them with the rest of my family and they were delicious!! We all loved them. Thank you sooo much! J
Thank you again to my mother for helping me in a big way with my kids on Wednesdays—before AND after school and thank you to Kerry who takes Lauren every single time I have treatment. You all make it so much easier for me and I couldn’t do it without you!
I will update you all again.
Love,
Kim