How could a person (me) permit another person (a nurse) to pump their body full of chemicals (that my husband refers to as DRANO) knowing that it is going to make them (me) very sick? How can a person get to the point where they sign the forms that authorizes this poisoning by degrees to proceed even when it lists all the bad side effects that are about to happen to their body? A body that has been carefully nourished, exercised, accessorized, pampered whenever possible and sometimes even adored?
Here's a look at the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY of Chemotherapy.
The GOOD:
It works. It kills fast growing cancer cells. It destroys those little buggers that are multiplying and dividing like people in a polygamist compound. It sends them packing. It destroys their ability to multiply and divide and invade and destroy. It stops them dead in the tracks. Chemotherapy means chemical treatment. The chemicals interfere with cell growth and cause the cells to die. Generally it is out of the body 48 hours after it is given, but the effects rage on for days. Unfortunately, it also stops everything else that is quickly multiplying and dividing as well. Which brings us to:
The BAD:
The chemotherapy drugs. My oncologist Dr. Wallentine refers to them as "medicine." Haha! I really like Dr. Wallentine, but I think he is a little off the mark with that description. Anyway, my chemo cocktail of his choice are Carboplatin & Taxotere, both antineoplastic agents. With a side dish of Herceptin (which isn't really considered a chemo drug after all, but a "targeted therapy" drug that goes after the little devil know as HER2 protein that is "over-expressing" in my body. They gave me some light reading on each of these drugs which consisted of five single spaced pages describing how they work and the havoc they will unleash on my body.
The UGLY:
The side affects. From my Chemotherapy and You book I quote: "Some common side affects from chemotherapy are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss, mouth sores, and pain. Chemotherapy is designed to kill fast-growing cancer cells. But it can also affect healthy cells that grow quickly. These include cells that line your mouth, intestines, cells in your bone marrow that make blood cells, and cells that make your hair grow. Chemotherapy causes side effects when it harms these healthy cells." That might be a bit of an understatement right there.
Luckily, advances are being made in cancer treatment. Maybe someday there will be drugs that only go after the bad stuff and leave the good stuff alone. One of those advances that is to my advantage is that the drug Herceptin only targets the bad cells and doesn't cause the typical side affects that the other two traditional chemo drugs do. I will have a dose of it every month for a year. The other two will be given in six treatments, three weeks apart. Oh joy. Let the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY begin. Going through chemo increases my chances of no reoccurrence by 25%. I'll take that 25%, thank you very much. If any of those infiltrating ductile carcinoma cells escaped into my bloodstream or are hiding somewhere else, it's time to send them packing. Let's get on with it.
3 comments:
Good for your toughness and your grit, Vonnie. Thanks for fighting the fight, having guts, and keeping the faith. You are an inspiration to us.
Yevon, I was surprised yesterday when I found out you were doing Chemotherapy. I did not even know that you had breast cancer and that you have been facing all of these trials!! What a horrible hard thing to have happen in your life. It is incredible to read your blog (Megan gave me the link) and to see your perspective and attitude. You are so amazing!! Coleman, Ava, and I will keep you and your family in our prayers.
You are so good mother and have taken this hit standing up. You're definitely an inspiration to us all.
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