Monday, July 29, 2013

Cisplatin vs Carboplatin

Boatloads of science can be discussed but for today having just begun Chemo Round #3 featuring a switch from (Cisplatin+Alimta) to (Carboplatin+Alimta) … 

I can share that after my first (Cisplatin+Alimta) treatment I wanted nothing to even taste much less eat … I lost 20 lbs living on popsicles and Boost for the first three weeks of Cisplatin 

… following today’s (Carboplatin+Alimta) I treated Megan to lunch at Panera Bread. We both inhaled bread bowls, hers potato soup mine tomato soup +++++ I also went for their ‘big kids’ grilled cheese sandwich.  …. The eating frenzy was not over without a coffee ice cream cone for desert at Rakestraw’s 

With two of three right lung tumors shrinking and the other one arrested, I salute you Cisplatin …  you are the baddest-ass butt-kicking descendant of Mustard Gas around.
Today I sing of your cousin Carboplatin!!!  I need to restore my body … thank you for the appetite. 

More to follow but for now it’s all delicious!!!
--
Patrick Leer
Health Activist:
Caregivingly Yours, MS Caregiver @ http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/


6 comments:

  1. Looking good, Patrick!! Glad to hear you are much better this time. Hope you stay strong and have good appetite with this one!

    Jackie

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    1. thanks Jackie so far off to a great start with carboplatin !!! appetite? I'll be curious about weight gain in weeks ahead especially as I am only 8 lbs under BMI.

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  2. Hi Patrick~I am so glad to hear that this new cocktail is working better for you. How great it must have been to have an appetite for a change. I had the same experience you did with the Extreme Nausea. I was given cisplatin and Gemzar in combination. I was extremely ill and at times they had to cancel the chemo. I did manage to make it through and complete the many rounds of chemo. I lost a lot of weight, but I needed to. LOL
    I am really glad I found you on twitter and can walk along side you in your journey. I just want you to know that statistics mean little. I was given a 20-25% chance of survival within the first five years. I can tell you that I didn't let that statistic control my life. When they give you odds, they are going from a book. They don't know about the support system you have, your faith, etc...I can tell you that I am here supporting you after being cancer-free for over nine years. I had the tumor removed from my middle lobe of my right lung on March 17 of 2004. Perfect anniversary as I am partly Irish and have always loved St. Patrick's Day. I plan to check in on your blog as often as I can. So glad you had a good day my new friend. P.S. I had non-small cell carcinoma.

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    1. Linda thank you I agree that statistics are as bad as stigmas ... I am hoping to do some stigma busting ... meeting others like us is a major step ... Sunday PM I met a 30 year survivor and found myself tearing up as I hugged her ... I was discharged from the hospital on St. Patrick's Day 2012 after successful lung cancer surgery three day's earlier to remove a tumor from my left lung ... now on to destroy these three mini tumors in my right lung

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  3. Patrick - "Delicious" ... that's an interesting way to describe your chemo cocktail, but I can appreciate that if it isn't accompanied by appetite suppression, that's all good. My brother did a Cisplatin cocktail in '89 for a metastasized testicular cancer abdominal tumor, and it was butt-kicking rough on him - nausea, no appetite, no immunity, the works. Best of all, he is still kicking butt today. Keep the faith, we are all praying for continued good reports.

    SteveS

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    1. thank you Steve ... stories of fellow travelers is more empowering than people without cancer can ever imagine

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