Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Snow White and Rose Red
Once upon a time...
I recall encountering the story of Snow White (no relation to the nice lady with the 7 vertically challenged gentlemen) and Rose Red in my Andrew Lang fairy tale book when I was a child. I don't actually recall the plot of the story--I seldom went through it, due to my outrage at having a story with a character named Snow White who had nothing whatsoever to do with poison apples and dwarves. I don't know how the story goes, but I do know that the description of this particular Snow White is familiar: she has skin as white as snow, hair as black as coal, and lips as red as blood. I used to identify with this; my hair is very dark and I tend towards the pale end of the spectrum (fishbelly white). I'm not sure whether Rose Red matches her own name. It can't be easy to be red all the time. Maybe she was sunburned...they didn't really have sunscreen back in those days.
Today I got to be Snow White and Rose Red in the same day. I went for my third chemo treatment, and when they started it, I once again had trouble breathing and my face turned the color of a glowing traffic light indicating that you are moving through the intersection illegally.
It turns out that Taxol uses as its base a substance made from tree bark, and I do know that I am highly allergic to tree pollen (this time of year usually involves lots of nasal congestion and very itchy eyes, to which I say, "man, I'm glad I don't wear contacts"). As soon as I was able to get the nurse's attention, there was a fleet of nurses and the on-call doctor fluttering around taking my vitals, asking if I was ok, listening to my chest, and hooking up saline. They had given me a pre-infusion of benadryl to counterract the effect of the taxol, and ended up giving me even more. One of the nurses was surprised they weren't giving me this other chemo drug which has albumen as its base and fewer side-effects than taxol. "They want to be sure you've tried everything else first," one of the nurses said.
Gotcha. My insurance company did not want to fill my prescription for nexium unless I could say I have tried other antacids first, like tums, tagamet, prilosec otc, etc. Since I am not, strictly speaking, taking nexium as an antacid and rather am taking it to help control my nausea and vomiting, the hospital pretty aggressively negotiated for me.
After they gave me oxygen and I was feeling better, although woozy from all the antihistamines, they let me know that I was approved for this other chemo drug and would need to come back tomorrow to get that instead.
Another appointment is inconvenient, but at least I won't (hopefully) have breathing problems with this new drug.
Who knew a tree allergy could be so problematic?
I recall encountering the story of Snow White (no relation to the nice lady with the 7 vertically challenged gentlemen) and Rose Red in my Andrew Lang fairy tale book when I was a child. I don't actually recall the plot of the story--I seldom went through it, due to my outrage at having a story with a character named Snow White who had nothing whatsoever to do with poison apples and dwarves. I don't know how the story goes, but I do know that the description of this particular Snow White is familiar: she has skin as white as snow, hair as black as coal, and lips as red as blood. I used to identify with this; my hair is very dark and I tend towards the pale end of the spectrum (fishbelly white). I'm not sure whether Rose Red matches her own name. It can't be easy to be red all the time. Maybe she was sunburned...they didn't really have sunscreen back in those days.
Today I got to be Snow White and Rose Red in the same day. I went for my third chemo treatment, and when they started it, I once again had trouble breathing and my face turned the color of a glowing traffic light indicating that you are moving through the intersection illegally.
It turns out that Taxol uses as its base a substance made from tree bark, and I do know that I am highly allergic to tree pollen (this time of year usually involves lots of nasal congestion and very itchy eyes, to which I say, "man, I'm glad I don't wear contacts"). As soon as I was able to get the nurse's attention, there was a fleet of nurses and the on-call doctor fluttering around taking my vitals, asking if I was ok, listening to my chest, and hooking up saline. They had given me a pre-infusion of benadryl to counterract the effect of the taxol, and ended up giving me even more. One of the nurses was surprised they weren't giving me this other chemo drug which has albumen as its base and fewer side-effects than taxol. "They want to be sure you've tried everything else first," one of the nurses said.
Gotcha. My insurance company did not want to fill my prescription for nexium unless I could say I have tried other antacids first, like tums, tagamet, prilosec otc, etc. Since I am not, strictly speaking, taking nexium as an antacid and rather am taking it to help control my nausea and vomiting, the hospital pretty aggressively negotiated for me.
After they gave me oxygen and I was feeling better, although woozy from all the antihistamines, they let me know that I was approved for this other chemo drug and would need to come back tomorrow to get that instead.
Another appointment is inconvenient, but at least I won't (hopefully) have breathing problems with this new drug.
Who knew a tree allergy could be so problematic?
Labels: allergy, chemo, infusion, insurance, nausea, Taxol
Comments:
Tree allergies... bad mojo.
I can't even be in the lumber aisle anymore, courtesy of all that art school turpentine & absolute refusal to allow any ventilation. Origins of medicines & bizarre insurance policies are an unnecessary frustration on top of everything else. Hopefully they won't offer you the poison apple again, at least.
I can't even be in the lumber aisle anymore, courtesy of all that art school turpentine & absolute refusal to allow any ventilation. Origins of medicines & bizarre insurance policies are an unnecessary frustration on top of everything else. Hopefully they won't offer you the poison apple again, at least.
# posted by 
: 11:00 PM
: 11:00 PM
Having been allergic to everything from dust to peanut butter (and still being allergic to half of everything) you know I sympathize.
I'm glad that there is some kind of alternative drug available for you, because you should only be turning red like that when you spend too much time at the beach, and even then, the goggle marks are much more amusing. :D
I'm glad that there is some kind of alternative drug available for you, because you should only be turning red like that when you spend too much time at the beach, and even then, the goggle marks are much more amusing. :D
# posted by : 10:49 AM
: 10:49 AM
Yeah, I'm still waiting for that picture of the goggle marks. Maybe when your PC arrives and your computer desk is set up...
My brain would need to be working too. The next time we're on the phone, and I have my PC, MAKE me do it, 'k? Otherwise I'll keep forgetting.
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# posted by : 4:44 AM
: 4:44 AM 
