I may or may not get a liver biopsy on Tuesday. They will do an ultrasound to see if the spots are big enough to biopsy and won't do it if they are too small. Whether the spots are cancer or something else will not change the course of treatment.
ok...here's all the news fit to print:
- I'll be getting a drug called folfirinox; it is supposedly the most effective one so far for pancreatic cancer. It's a very tough regimen.
- Wed. I will have a PICC put into my arm. This is a permanent IV that will dispense the drugs through out my system.
- I will go into the clinic every other week to be infused with a chemo cocktail for 4 - 5 hours. They will also then give me a a container full of folfirinox with a pump attached to the IV which dispenses folfirinox for 46 hours. After 46 hours I go back into the clinic and they unhook me.
- After 4 doses, or 2 months, they will do a cat scan to see how it's working. If it's working, shrinking the tumor and reducing the cancer, I will continue with the treatment for another 4 months...6 months total.
Possible side effects:
- cold sensitivity
- hair loss...I'm gonna have Andrea cut all my hair off this weekend! so there!
- diarhea
- fatigue
- weight loss...it's important to keep my weight up. Since I've already been dropping weight like crazy on the macrobiotic diet I'm really gonna have to chow down on the rice. The one time I'm told to eat up and gain weight I'm not gonna get to eat french fries and chocolate cake!!
- nausea...they will dispense anti-nausea meds with the IV.
I'd appreciate all your positive thoughts and prayers that I'll tolerate the drug and that it will work! That the cancer will respond and go away!
There are no clinical trials that my oncologist was aware of at this time. The center where I am receiving treatment is part of a network that studies and explores pancreatic cancer. I'll be working with folks who have some of the best information and experience in this particular type of cancer.
Once again...thank you for your continued support , hopeful visualizations, love and prayers. I am thankful to have you all on my team through this. I know the journey has just really begun in some ways and I expect there will be some difficult times to get through. I work hard every day to stay centered in hope and align myself with health.
I'm not sure how consistent I will be at updates after I start treatment. Please keep emailing if you feel like; know that I carry you in my heart whether I respond or not.
Love and blessings, SarahLyn
No comments:
Post a Comment