Monday, October 4, 2010

Abraxane Tomorrow

I saw the wound care nurse today - she feels everything is fine and she gave me enough dressings to last until Thursday.

I still had a low grade fever, but I still went into my class to update them on what's going on with me and to explain the film "The Fast Runner". They also started watching "An Inconvenient Truth".

Then I get a phone call from my doctor's office scheduling me for a port insertion on Thursday. WHAT?? Last we discussed, Dr. K said that I shouldn't have one!

I also asked whether or not I really should do chemo tomorrow since I still had a fever. To me, the Levaquin and Flagyl were not working, my immune system was depressed, and therefore no chemo. I get a call back from the nurse after they talked to Dr. K and he said, "chemo tomorrow". I then filled the nurses in on what had happened while Dr. K was out of the office and my visits with Dr. O and Dr. F. But still the message was not to delay.

I sat and stewed for about 30 minutes because first he tells me one thing last week and then tells me another. And, apparently, the docs from Thurs and Fri had not filled Dr. K in on their diagnoses and actions. So, I called back and said that Dr. K and I needed to talk and I was going to refuse chemo until I got the lab results and asked him about the fever and the port.

He called me back awhile ago. First, he said that he ordered the port because the nurses had called him and said that my veins couldn't handle Abraxane and I needed a port. Nice of everyone to talk to me about this - the nurses should've called me and/or Dr. K's office to tell me WHY I was scheduled for the port.

Then, we discussed the lab results. There's no evidence of an anaerobic infection or of an "invasive" infection (by which he means that it's gone into the blood stream, I think). He feels that my continued low grade fever is caused instead by inflammation and by my immune system trying to fight the cancer and keep any infection at bay.

He also felt that Abraxane won't affect my blood counts too much. So, Abraxane tomorrow, if my veins can handle it. I believe he also said that I may feel worse for awhile until I feel better. And, I will get a port on Thursday, that is, if the nurses felt it necessary, although Dr. K doesn't really want that to happen.

I also asked him if he has ever heard of a case of a body expelling the tumor and he said he hadn't. I asked him what might cause the necrotic tumor to raise a cone like that. He didn't really have an answer.

Okay, I need to begin my visualization of Abraxane, sending the alarm so the t-cells can attack the cancer throughout my body.

4 comments:

Jill said...

Get some rest Dee. I know it is hard to have to make all these decisions that goes along with chemo treatments.I didn't have a port but I did have a Picc line and I hated it but it sure saved my veins and I even had all my blood work done through the Picc line.
Sending you gentle cyber hugs.
Jill.

Unknown said...

OK so as a RN and as a person who watched her very best friend go thru chemo I highly suggest a port, easy access, you don't have to worry about"finding a vein" at each chemo and it is removable. I watched Amber get the access into the port almost every appointment and it was one stick- every time.. for the draw and the infusion, her port has worked wonderfully and I highly recommend it! I have been following you on fb and your blog and I want you to know what an inspirational and amazing woman you are! Thank you for sharing your story in motion!
Nina Keele

Liz Kreger said...

Hi Dee. Sorry I've AWOL for so long ... busy with work, busy with family, busy with treatment. No excuse ... but that's the best I can do.

Go with the port. You won't regret it. I've had mine for over five years and bless it every time they have to access it. My veins would not have lasted through all the treatments.

Abraxine will be a cinch. I did feel a bit off for awhile, but your body will adjust. Don't know if I felt off because I was getting it in conjunction with Avastin, but if it helps ... go for the gusto.

Like Jill, sendinging you gentle cyber hugs and hang in there. I'll be thinking of you.

Dee said...

@Jill, it's not so much the decisions as it is the medical professionals not talking to each other that bothered me. I just kept getting mixed messages and I wasn't sure who to believe so I COULD make a decision. Thank you for the hugs, though!

@Nina, I am resigned to the port, but as I just told Jill, my doctor said no last week and then he changed his mind without informing me - or the nurses got hold of him but not me or something. I just like to be kept in the loop. I hate it when people schedule things for me without regard to my schedule. I was to give a lecture at work in a colleague's class at the same time as the appointment they gave me for the port insertion; instead of asking me when I was available, they just made the appointment. I don't like that.

@LIz, I completely understand. I only get to your blog maybe once a week, sometimes. So, no apologies necessary. And, you are my role model for how to handle treatments! You're my hero and Cancer Winner!