Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Changes

This has been a week of change.

The first change is that I gained too many pounds during my week away. The interesting thing is that many have told me that I look great (better than before.)  So the best way to look good is to gain weight? It seems like only a few months ago people were saying that I looked good because I had lost weight. Who knows.

The next change or should I say changes result from leaving the research manager at home alone with her computer for a week. We have added several items to the repertoire. Black seed oil, K2, sublingual B12 and, of course, Xeloda.

The challenge is to know how to take them. I got a double whammy from the research manager this morning. I was to take the sublingual B12 before breakfast, which I did, holding it under my tongue for 30 seconds and then, emptying the kitchen sink of soapy water so that I could spit it out. Wrong. I was then supposed to swallow it. Later, after breakfast, the research manager asked why on earth I had let the water out of the sink as she was going to clean the frying pans from breakfast.She then realized and I had to admit it was to spit out the B12 that I was not supposed to spit out. So.......whammy one and whammy two!

My first visit yesterday was at the cancer center where I got my first infusion of Avastin in the new protocol. We then sped over to Moffitt Cancer Center for my second opinion meeting with Dr. Levine. He is an interesting guy, quite traditional with a friendly style. While I am hoping this connection will lead to future trials, in the meantime, there is total agreement that Xeloda is the right course for now. Dr. Levine indicated that there is a lot of ammo that we can use and my plan is to keep using traditional ammo until some new things are proven. He is ordering some tests on the tumor that was removed to help determine my suitability for such things as genetic manipulation.

I took my first 4 Xeloda pills last night and have done eight more today. This has brought more change. As an aside, I learned that my recent vitamin D reading was actually 81.9 and not 28. Apparently the doctor was looking at the wrong report. So, no more speedo and no nude bathing. That is a good thing for more than one reason. The real reason is that with Xeloda, I should avoid sunlight as Xeloda can affect the skin's reaction to too much sun. So, I now have a hat for tennis and am applying sunscreen.

The next change is that I am now wearing a glove to play tennis. A good percentage of people get hand and foot syndrome with Xeloda. This manifests itself as blisters on the hands and feet. So protection against trauma to the hands and feet is important. One of my doctors even suggested that I should not play tennis. Fat chance of that happening. I also have to apply a special cream to my hands and feet.

I read recently that depression can be a problem. I don't intend to let that happen, but just imagine, if you are getting treatment, got depressed and lived further south, you might cause a hurricane. Why? It would be a "tropical depression."

I wasn't going to include that last paragraph to spare you the groaner, but I changed my mind!


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