Hershey Cancer Clinic 6/24/2010

Well I had the first of four treatments today at Hershey and the visiting nurse came to the house to hook me up with a chemo pump. I wear the pump for 46 hours and then the nurse will come back to remove it until my next treatment which is scheduled for 7/8/2010.

Here is a list of the medications that I received today and will continue with the one that is listed last until Saturday at around 4:30 PM.

Ondansetron (16mg) is used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Ondansetron is in a class of medications called 5-HT₃ receptor antagonists. It works by blocking the action of serotonin, a natural substance that may cause nausea and vomiting.

Dexamethasone (20 mg) is a member of the glucocorticoid class of hormones. This means they are steroids but, unlike the anabolic steroids that we hear about regarding sports medicine, these are "catabolic" steroids. Instead of building the body up, they are designed to break down stored resources (fats, sugars and proteins) so that they may be used as fuels in times of stress. Cortisone would be an example of a related hormone with which most people are familiar, though cortisone (more correctly called "cortisol") is a natural hormone produced by the body's adrenal glands whereas dexamethasone is synthetic.

Calcium Gluconate (1gm) is the calcium salt of gluconic acid, an oxidation product of glucose, and contains 9.3% calcium, which is about one-third of the calcium in strength of calcium chloride USP.

Magnesium sulfate (8mEq) (or magnesium sulphate) is a chemical compound containing magnesium, sulfur and oxygen, with the formula MgSO₄. In its hydrated form, the pH is 6.0 (5.5 to 6.5). It is often encountered as the heptahydrate, MgSO₄·7H₂O, commonly called Epsom salt. Anhydrous magnesium sulfate is used as a drying agent. Since the anhydrous form is hygroscopic (readily absorbs water from the air) and is therefore difficult to weigh accurately, the hydrate is often preferred when preparing solutions, for example in medical preparations. Epsom salt has been traditionally used as a component of bath salts.

Oxaliplatin (170 mg) is a coordination complex that is used in cancer chemotherapy. These platinum-based drugs are usually classified as alkylating agents, although they are actually alkylating groups (they function by a similar mechanism)

Leucovorin (700) is used to prevent harmful effects of methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall; cancer chemotherapy medication) when methotrexate is used to treat certain types of cancer. Leucovorin is also used to treat people who have accidentally received an overdose of methotrexate or similar medications. Leucovorin is in a class of medications called folic acid analogs. It works by protecting healthy cells from the effects of methotrexate or similar medications while allowing methotrexate to enter and kill cancer cells.

Fluorouracil or 5FU (800 mg) is one of a large group of drugs known as "antineoplastics"; these drugs are also known as cancer drugs, chemotherapy or "chemo". They are used in the treatment of various cancers to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. A combination of different types of cancer drugs will often be used to achieve better results and minimize side effects.

Fluorouracil or 5FU (4800 mg) is one of a large group of drugs known as "antineoplastics"; these drugs are also known as cancer drugs, chemotherapy or "chemo". They are used in the treatment of various cancers to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. A combination of different types of cancer drugs will often be used to achieve better results and minimize side effects.
- This is the one in the pump until 4:30 PM Saturday 6/26/2010 -

It was a long day, but all of the nurses involved were really good and caring. One nurse who was assigned to a different area saw the name Daniel Lyons on the list of treatments today and stopped by the room I was in to say hello and ask about Danny. They miss having the two Dans around but are also very happy the treatments are becoming few and far between.

Hershey visit on 6/18/2010

I had a CT Scan on the 17th and a visit with my oncologist today.
The two lymph nodes near my throat seem to have disappeared.
There is new activity (growth) next to the original mass.
Ii is close to my spine which worries the doctor. She is afraid that if it grows much more it will start to press against my spinal cord and cause back pain.
So, we start chemo next week and every two weeks for four sessions. Then there will be another CT Scan to see what improvement is being made.
One drawback to this schedule is that after each session I have to wear a chemo pump for 46 hours straight. I guess that is better than 24 x 7 indefinitely.
So there was some good news today. The focus has to be on the good.

Thank you for the support and prayers - keep it going.

Love and Peace to ALL