Saturday, June 03, 2006
Alopecia
This is a possible side effect of many chemo drugs, including taxol, of which I received two doses, and abraxane, its non-tree-derived replacement which I received this week. I have hair coming out in tufts.
I can run my fingers through my hair and pull out a prodigious amount, and the brush pulls out an alarming amount at once. Should I stop brushing my hair? Should I cut it and watch as the shorter strands snowfall around my head and shoulders? Should I shave it all now? Should I pretend nothing is amiss?
What to do, what to do...
I can run my fingers through my hair and pull out a prodigious amount, and the brush pulls out an alarming amount at once. Should I stop brushing my hair? Should I cut it and watch as the shorter strands snowfall around my head and shoulders? Should I shave it all now? Should I pretend nothing is amiss?
What to do, what to do...
Labels: Abraxane, baldness, chemo, hair, Taxol
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
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Second Verse, Same as the First (reprise)
I've been here before. I've been to a second dose of chemotherapy. The last time I had a second dose of chemotherapy I didn't suddenly have trouble breathing, have to have the treatment temporarily stopped, be given oxygen, and then have the treatment team paged.
Apparently Taxol can do that to you. I had some kind of reaction (which they assured me was not uncommon) and that I'd probably be fine and never have that reaction again. they gave me some benadryl to be on the safe side. It was very weird; it felt like my lungs just weren't working and my face turned beet red. I certainly hope it doesn't happen again; it delayed things and I ended up not getting out of there until after 6 p.m. I don't know why it is all of my appointments have to take so long.
The other day at Dr. Rodriguez's office, a patient showed up with a very demanding parent/guardian who insisted that the patient be seen despite not being in the system as having an appointment. We could hear the entire conversation through the walls, and I think his being there caused something of an uproar, disrupted the schedule, and I ended up being the last patient out of the office. Why? Why me? Do I need to be a squeakier wheel? Should I complain more? Should I loftily proclaim I will leave or threaten legal action if I'm not seen now? Those options aren't appealing; I think most people are just trying to do their jobs and don't want to be harangued. It's just that I'm getting a little tired of being passed over and having things run later than they ought.
My dose of 1 chemotherapy drug actually also involves a drug designed to inhibit new blood vessel growth (this is something tumors like to do...they nest somewhere and set up their own blood supply...little f#$%ers), which naturally have to be delivered separately. Then of course, to help with nausea, I am given some anti-nausea meds beforehand, two in pill form and one intraveinously, which delays the chemo. Then of course there are bags of saline to "flush" and since I had an episode, benadryl and more saline. Everything adds up to me sitting there forever. Blargh. I don't know what Brian did while I was sleeping. My mom had a book with her before she left for her yoga class.
Then of course the ride is long to get home. They are going to start offering infusions at the Canton health center, which will be much more convenient (I hope).
Apparently Taxol can do that to you. I had some kind of reaction (which they assured me was not uncommon) and that I'd probably be fine and never have that reaction again. they gave me some benadryl to be on the safe side. It was very weird; it felt like my lungs just weren't working and my face turned beet red. I certainly hope it doesn't happen again; it delayed things and I ended up not getting out of there until after 6 p.m. I don't know why it is all of my appointments have to take so long.
The other day at Dr. Rodriguez's office, a patient showed up with a very demanding parent/guardian who insisted that the patient be seen despite not being in the system as having an appointment. We could hear the entire conversation through the walls, and I think his being there caused something of an uproar, disrupted the schedule, and I ended up being the last patient out of the office. Why? Why me? Do I need to be a squeakier wheel? Should I complain more? Should I loftily proclaim I will leave or threaten legal action if I'm not seen now? Those options aren't appealing; I think most people are just trying to do their jobs and don't want to be harangued. It's just that I'm getting a little tired of being passed over and having things run later than they ought.
My dose of 1 chemotherapy drug actually also involves a drug designed to inhibit new blood vessel growth (this is something tumors like to do...they nest somewhere and set up their own blood supply...little f#$%ers), which naturally have to be delivered separately. Then of course, to help with nausea, I am given some anti-nausea meds beforehand, two in pill form and one intraveinously, which delays the chemo. Then of course there are bags of saline to "flush" and since I had an episode, benadryl and more saline. Everything adds up to me sitting there forever. Blargh. I don't know what Brian did while I was sleeping. My mom had a book with her before she left for her yoga class.
Then of course the ride is long to get home. They are going to start offering infusions at the Canton health center, which will be much more convenient (I hope).
Labels: allergy, Avastin, Brian, chemo, Dr. Rodriguez, infusion, mom, nausea, Taxol
