Want to learn about Chemotherapy?!
Well, you're going to.
I wanted to share some insight on Chemotherapy, specifically the kind of Chemotherapy I'll be receiving: BEP Chemo (or, "Cheems" if you're one of the cool kids). On September 11th -- Yes, that September 11th -- we launched the second vicious salvo against zee tumahs in my fight with cancer. The first salvo was, of course, the Pyrrhic Victory that was the Battle of the Bulge and resulting Radical Orchiectomy.
The prescription in this fight is for 3 Courses of BEP Cheems over a period of 9 weeks. A course consists of 3 weeks broken up as follows:
Week 1: Monday thru Friday - Approx. 6 - 7 hrs/day
Week 2: Tuesdays Approx. 1.5 hrs
Week 3: Tuesdays Approx 1.5 hrs
Helpful video on platinum and its uses in modern life.
Now chemo comes in many varieties, if you're some kind of dweeb you can read all about it here but, in my case those 6 - 7 hours are spent sitting in a lazy boy chair hooked up to an IV which drips poison into my system.
Many times, however, chemo is abbreviated into an acronym for the specific drugs that will be used. For my 3 courses of treatment, I will be/have received Bleomycin, Etoposide and, Cisplatin. Speaking of cancers though, before you grammar freaks throw start your pedantic screeching, yes, I am aware that should be BEC Chemo.
BUT ARE YOU A DOCTOR?! Why are you like this?!?
It's BEP because Cisplatin is one of several chemotherapy drugs that is platinum-based. Cisplatin is a generic drug version of Platinol®. There's platinum coursing through my veins. Don't you think that's cooler now?
As of this writing (I'm a little behind schedule due to, you know, Cancer) I am starting my second course of BEP treatment so I now have a fairly good idea of how this all works. I'll be lumping the courses together in terms of description and trying to call out any specific side effects I experience as individual stories. I'd chronicle the days themselves but that would get repetitive and boring. How many different ways can I tell you that the massage function on my Cheems-Lazy Boy Chair also has a heater?
“Cisplatin is the Penicillin of Cancer.
http://www.cisplatin.org/”
As was suggested earlier, my first course started on September 11th. The course of drugs goes like this:
Week 1 ("Prime" Week):
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday:
Preventative Steroids, Anti-Nausaual (30 - 60 Min)
IV Fluids/Electrolytes (1.5 Hrs)
Etoposide (1 Hr)
Cisplatin (1 Hr)
IV Fluids/Electrolytes (1.5 Hrs)
Tuesday:
Blood Draw (30 min, including waiting on lab results)
Preventative Steroids, Benedryl, Tylenol (30 - 60 Min)
Bleomycin (40 Min)
IV Fluids/Electrolytes (1.5 Hrs)
Etoposide (1 Hr)
Cisplatin (1 Hr)
IV Fluids/Electrolytes (1.5 Hrs)
Week 2, 3 ("Off" Week):
Tuesday:
Blood Draw (30 min, including waiting on lab results)
Preventative Steroids, Benedryl, Tylenol (30 - 60 Min)
Bleomycin (40 Min)
All this takes place via the port, which I've talked about previously (were you paying attention!?) in a lazy boy chair with an IV Tree sitting next to me. The nurses I have worked with here have been fantastic, knowledgeable and very caring. It's difficult to compliment them enough given the job they have to do here.
More like 100% Whole Pain Amiright? How has no one burned Sun Chips to the ground yet?
Primarily, my day is spent doing one of three things: A) Playing the best chemo gift ever, my new Nintendo Switch; B) Blogging for you assholes so you can feel my pain; C) Eating lunch or random snacks I scavenge from the break area, my current favorite is Cheddar Sun Chips which, under normal circumstances I would scoff at.
As brutal as the "Prime" Week schedule sounds, it hasn't been all that bad. Usually, when I get done, I drive myself home take a brief nap, wake up and eat dinner then go back to sleep shortly after to wake up and do it again.
The "Off" Weeks are very hit or miss in terms of how I feel. It's a little rougher doing the one day a week since the Bleo treatment is so caustic and by then the other drugs are out of my system. Usually, that Tuesday and Wednesday are recovery days for me and then I resume a somewhat normal schedule.
Next post, I'll tackle the individual drugs and side effects I've experienced to date and feelings. What else would be interesting to hear about on the chemo side?
You can ask on Twitter or e-mail me.
