Hi, Everyone - It's been pointed out to me that I
haven't sent a clinical trial update for awhile. It's been about 6
months, so maybe it is time to let you know how things are going.
I just completed Cycle 8 of my new clinical trial using
the drug Cediranib.
Like my old clinical trial, Cediranib is an oral drug. I'm on a 4-week
cycle. Unlike my old trial, there is no break between cycles, so a
cycle
ends on Day 28 and starts right up the next morning.
As with my old study, my study location is Mercy
Hospital in St. Louis. I fly or drive down every 4 weeks to pick up the
next cycle's drug supply. There's the possibility that I'll be allowed
to pick up a 2-cycle supply after a year on
the study, which would be nice. I have a C/T scan every 8 weeks to see
how things are going. This drug is not a cure, but it's hoped is that
it will prevent the existing tumors from growing and prevent the
emergence of new tumors. I had a scan last week
and got a good report: No new tumors and no growth in the existing
tumors. My old study kept me going for 7 years and I'm hoping this
study will beat that!
The side effects for this drug
are similar to my old study but so far have not been as severe. The
main ones for me
have been high blood pressure, foggy-headedness, digestive unhappiness,
hoarseness, and fatigue. A couple weeks ago I was diagnosed with a new
one: Type 2 Diabetes. This is very common on the drug. I've started
pricking my finger for a blood glucose test
every morning and am taking an oral drug (Glipizide) to help control
it. The best thing about having diabetes is that now I can lose some
weight without the oncologists having a fit! (It's actually kind of fun
watching them try to process it. Cognitive
Dissonance is an amusing thing in an MD. That's why they're not
lawyers, I guess.
)
)
So far, I've been able to fly out of Lincoln to get
to St. Louis instead of driving to Omaha and flying out of there. It's
unusual for Lincoln fares to be anywhere close to Omaha's, so I hope it
lasts. The only bad thing about flying
out of Lincoln is that the time is St. Louis is so short I don't get to
see Sara's family and I really miss that.
Everyone in St. Louis is tense waiting for the
Ferguson grand jury to issue it's findings. When I was down there last
week there was a lot of increased security on the train platforms and in
the bus transport centers. One of the med techs
I work with lives in Ferguson. She's scared to go to work in the
morning for fear she won't be able to get home in the evening. Her
grandkids are scared to go to school. From the bus, one can see
businesses with boarded up windows and big signs announcing
that they're still open. The hospital has a disaster plan in place and
there's extra security there, too. It feels like a war is about to
break out. I can't imagine what it's like to live with that every day.
The other big mystery in St. Louis is trying to
figure out why gas is 60 cents cheaper than in Lincoln. I suspect
that's one mystery that's not going to be solved.
Hope you're all well and a Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for your continuing prayers and support!
John
No comments:
Post a Comment