Facts related to the "blood booster" shots Roger took during Taxotere

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October 8, 2012

Life is on an even keel around here.  Roger doing okay, lot of pain gone from the muscle spasm problem.  I find myself in the role of pessimist, wondering what is next.  Day by day, one moment at a time.  Making the best of the non-crisis days, trying to catch up on sleep, but not feeling rested.      
Six hours is about the most Roger sleeps at night, and he tries to let me sleep when he doesn't wake me up getting up and out of bed.
Will be taking the Zytiga at 4 a.m., hoping it will be a little easier since we are having a hard time with the 3 hour period of not eating or drinking anything but water.
The pessimism comes from being the one to clean up all the messes that occur on a day to day basis, the body fluids I clean up on the carpet, the bed, and clothes.  Changing the urostomy bag and/or appliance.  Dispensing the meds into the little sorter things that I thought only "old" people used.  Keeping things in everyday life becomes difficult (I forgot to pay the trash service, fortunately they are a small company and understanding) doing the dishes and laundry become herculean tasks.  And people ask how Roger is doing... I answer in awkward answers, not knowing anymore they know and listening to their suggestions, and then toning them out trying to think and do what I can to keep Roger comfortable.  And the doctor visits, I have to take my notebook and take notes for the simplest instructions, and refer back to my notes on a question to question basis day to day.  Most weeks involve at least one doctor or another and the only blessing comes from those weeks, now months we have not had to go to the ER or hospital.  The doctors' offices are far kinder it would seem now.
and I will say my prayers tonight ...

Wednesday

Appointment with yet another doctor today to check on the rear end of things, henorrhoids that is.  Roger not looking forward to this is any way shape or form, and this is very understandable.  New chemo, Zytiga, is causing further fatigue,  just enough energy to sit on the porch in the sunshine.  Calls to make in to doctors, urine output is dark.  Will update after procto visit.

Good Day

Good day today, nice weather, Roger sat on the porch reading, and visiting with Gary Bell, cousin.
Received approval from prescription drug insurance for the chemo drug, Zytgia.  At a cost of $46/month.  Roger very happy.  This is a milder chemotherapy with fewer side effects reported.  Should receive it in the next day or two.  Roger is still zippy from the double steroid dose in preparation for the chemo which did not occur yesterday, slept 3 hours last night and tried all day to nap but couldn't, but he sure had the conversation going.  Was talking to Shasta, my dog, when no one else would listen.  Expecting he will do quite a bit of sleeping in the next day or two. Overall, doing okay but frustrated he can not walk very far, the mail box walk makes him worn out and breathless.

Chemo day, NOT!

Taxotere infusion was scheduled for today but after visiting with the doctor, Roger is moving on to Zytgia. (a chemo pill).  Taxotere was stopped because of side effects, and drug companies will not dispense Zytgia unless taxotere (Docetaxel) has been tried.  Now if we can just get our prescription drug company to play in the band.  Have to wait 2 more days to see what the co-pay will be (it is a $6000/month drug--yes there should be 3 zeroes).   Roger happy, happy not to be chemoized today.  (hey, I think I have a new word there).
Bleeding and seeping from bladder continues, and worsens when he is up and active.
Appointment with colorectal specialist scheduled for next week.  Don't know when, still need to make that call, but we have received the paperwork to fill out.
Straightened out the mess with urostomy supply order today after 2 weeks of calls between urologist and medical supply company.  Yea!
Pat weary, Roger zippy (from steroids), Pat happy that Roger feels good today!

Updates September 24, 2012

If you talk to Roger, he will say he is doing okay not great but okay.  And while this is true for him, I have trouble internalizing what he means by this.  That he just doesn't want to divulge much to the people who ask because he is embarrassed by the situation of being physically weakened, or maybe he believes if he says it enough it will be true.  Or maybe I'm just too close to the situation.

Wednesday will be the 3rd Taxotere (chemo) infusion.  oh, I need to back up

On September 5th, Roger received the 2nd infusion, 10 days later, on a blood lab, he had almost no white blood cells, so received a Nuepogena shot (blood booster in simplified terms), and another shot the day after.  He received one shot after the 1st infusion, two shots after the 2nd infusion.
(By the way, the second shot... we had to drive to Fayetteville, on a Saturday, game day, home game... easy getting home)

Diarrhea and hemorrhoids have gotten progressively worse over the course of his treatment.  To the point of needing to see a colon rectal specialist, which is scheduled in the first week of October.  Don't know when, but we did receive the paper work.  It is on my list of 1st priority items.

Speaking of 1st priority items, we are still waiting for urostomy supplies.  Roger cannot receive any more supplies through insurance until the urologist's office approves the order.  No orders have been approved yet, and we've received supplies since mid June.  The supply company will let orders go through without approval for 3 months at a time, so that is another thing I have on the list.  Have already called twice last week to the doc, and once to the supply place.

Sigh.....

Roger takes a nap most days, he will sleep 4-5 hours during the night and the lack of nighttime sleep catches up with him sometimes,  sometimes he takes a sleep aid during the day.  He needs help sleeping because he fights sleep like no one I've ever seen.  He will complain of being tired, and yet, move around so he won't fall asleep. And then the bleeding in the bladder has started up again.

Just a discombobulated update.  Roger can't stand to let me sleep when he is awake.
So I'm a little weary too.

Love to all

September 5, 2012

Roger settles in for Round 2

Roger visiting with neighbor Louis Bishop Sr. (pre-hair loss)

Today was round two of taxotere (the chemotherapy drug).  Appointment at 11:15 for lab, got right in for lab.  Phlebotomist had trouble finding a good vein, had to poke him once in each arm.  Visit with oncologist scheduled for 11:30, we saw the doc at 12:15.  Scan in August, before chemo, as a baseline, shows cancer has spread to lymph nodes in abdomen, new areas not seen in the  January/February/March or April scans.  But blood work was good for the taxotere infusion today. Roger still holding his own.  The "buzz" from the steroids has diminished, doctor explains the fatigue will likely get worse now, hair loss was earlier than most (usually occurs at/about 2nd infusion or 21 days) Roger's hair started falling out at/about day 10 after 1st infusion.  Nausea has been kept in check for the most part, some mornings he still vomits, (Roger will tell you he hasn't had much vomiting, but then I am the one who cleans it up and hands him a cool rag to wipe his face).  Doctor says if we've kept the nausea in check thus far, the pharmaceuticals we have (4 prescription and 2 over the counter) will likely still work, and likely will Not get worse.  So goes the talk with the onocologist, not great news but not horrible either. (except for the new spots of cancer).  The infusion was scheduled for 11:45 and we got in the lobby around 12:30 , and a seat .   was available by 1 pm in the treatment room.  It took 5 more punches and 3 nurses to find a vein for the IV port and the infusion finally got started by 2.  Infusion went smoothly, Roger felt more groggy than the last time (like I mentioned, the steroids are not providing the energy lift he felt at the start)  We were out by 3:30 and ate out at La Palmas before heading home.