Thursday, September 9, 2010

2010.09.09 - Managing With Chemo

My neurooncologist wanted me to try some older, harder to tolerate, chemotherapy drugs and to take them every two weeks. After the first dose of the old, hard chemo, I was sick for five days. I decided that being sick a third of the time (five out of 14 days) was unacceptable. I wasn't going to live my life feeling that way, that often. We came up with a compromise. I would take the lighter, more recently prescribed, chemo every two weeks or so and the old, hard chemo once a month.

My nurse wanted me to try some new anti nausea drug that she hopes will help more. The nausea is the part I like the least. In addition to the nausea, each chemo drug seems to have some effect on my gastrointestinal system, either diarrhea or constipation.

The neurooncology portion of the office is having their annual long-term survivor party soon. I am considered a long-term survivor. Hard to believe that having a brain tumor for five years and a malignant and aggressive one for a mere two of those years qualified me as a long-term survivor a year ago. I don't plan to go to the party this year. I don't feel like much of a survivor after having surgery again four months ago and going back to the old, hard chemo.

I am able to work full-time and workout. I went running after my last dose of the lighter chemo. My next dose of hard chemo is in one week.

P.S. Whoever posts comments to my blog in Chinese, please stop.