Latest Chemo Treatment - 04/27/2008

Two weeks ago (on 04/13/2008), we had just finished learning that the brutal treatments with Ixabepilone that Robin endured had apparently little (if any) beneficial effect. The breast cancer, which had metastasized to her vertebrae, had expanded, now impacting six ribs (five on the left and one on the right) and three vertebrae (the T11 where it started, and the ones above and below). Dr. McClure, Robin's medical oncologist, discussed using a different chemo treatment with Robin. She gave Robin a week off, and planned to start the treatments on Wednesday, April 16th. She wanted Robin to get a scan of her head, due to the dizziness she has been experiencing, but at this time, the scan has still not been scheduled.

On Wednesday, April 16th, we arrived at 8:30, and received briefings about the after-effects and the costs. The nurse who was discussing the after-effects was new, and didn't know Robin. At one point, Robin asked the nurse if she would lose her hair, and the nurse sadly responded, "Yes, you probably will." At that point, Robin took off her wig and said, "That's okay. It's already gone!" We all had a good laugh over that. After signing the necessary papers, by 10:00, they started pumping in the toxins. This chemo "cocktail" is actually very old, and is a bargain, compared to other treatments she has tried. Robin received three different infusions of chemo drugs: Cyclophosphamide (A.K.A., Cytoxan®, Neosar®), Methotrexate (A.K.A., Folex, Mexate), and Fluorouracil (A.K.A., Adrucil, 5-FU). All three claimed the same general side effects that we have come to know and love: Hair loss, nausea and vomiting, skin rashes, weakness, mouth sores, decreased appetite, aches of various types, and a high vulnerability to infections. While Robin received her "Draino," she snoozed a bit and had some wacky dreams about a meat market and a smoking section in the Cancer Center. Pretty strange! Robin also got another infusion of Zometa (zoledronic acid) for the protection and repair of her bones. We left Deke Slayton Cancer Center at about 1:30, ate lunch, picked up prescriptions, and finally got home about 3:30 or 4:00.

Robin went to work on Thursday and Friday with little trouble. Friday afternoon, with the steroids wearing off, Robin started getting chemo-sick. Saturday was the worst day; Robin hardly moved the whole day. She was still sick on Sunday and didn't go to church, but she started turning the corner late Sunday afternoon. Monday morning, she went to work. She threw up on the way, but the rest of the day went well. Each day, as the week went on, Robin seemed to improve. After a week, she felt well enough to give me Hell, so I can officially say, without a doubt, that this chemo regimen is a walk in the park compared to Ixabepilone. It isn't easy, but it didn't make her sick for ten days. If it helps stop the spread of the cancer, too, THAT would be GREAT!!!

Robin's vision is starting to improve slightly. You may recall that both eyes bled about three weeks ago. She still cannot make out people's faces, and cannot read much except headline size typing. She told me that she can see no difference with or without her glasses, but she wears them anyway because she feels naked without them. The improvement is very slow. We need to make an appointment with her ophthalmologist, Dr. Foster, to see if there is anything that can be done.

Please continue to keep Robin in your thoughts and prayers. She needs it.

Our love to you all. God bless you!

                  Larry and Robin (and John, in absentia)

So much for Ixabepilone - Update on Robin as of 04/13/2008

At last writing (on 02/05/2008), Robin had just received her second chemo treatment with Ixabepilone. At this point, she has received a total of four, the last being on March 19th. Each treatment was very similar to the first. Robin feels pretty good for the first two days following the Chemo, then she gets very sick with extreme dizziness (even though she's not blonde), severe nausea (so bad she can't keep down the nausea medications), very weak and aching all over. About the fourth day after Chemo, Robin broke out with infections, each time with bleeding lesions around her waistline and pubic areas. The infections took their toll, making Robin feel worse than the chemo alone. After about twelve days, she would start to get better, although blood tests showed low levels, especially in hemoglobin (red blood cells) causing anemia. She usually had one good week starting the weekend before the next chemo treatment. Robin's regular oncologist was injured in an auto/bicycle accident (the auto won), so we had a substitute oncologist for the last two treatments.

The third treatment was one of the worst Robin has endured. After the third treatment, Robin developed a severe urinary tract infection (UTI), in addition to the lesions on her waist. We went to the doctor's office nearly every day that week. On Thursday of that week, after the third visit to the doctor for the UTI, the doctor wanted to put Robin in the hospital so she could get a transfusion, intravenous antibiotics, and be under observation in case anything got worse. Robin told him that she wanted to wait a day and see if she got better. During Lent, I was going to the daily early morning Communion service at St. Luke's as part of my Lenten observance, so I attended on that Friday. Our dear friend, Dotty, asked if I had considered taking Communion to Robin. I told her that I had, but because of the nausea, I didn't consider it prudent. However, by that point, the nausea was under control, so I did take Communion to her. I went to work and checked on her by phone through the day, and it was clear that she was improving each time I called. By the time I got home that evening, she was like a different person.

After the fourth treatment, the doctor scheduled Robin for her quarterly scans. Robin had the tests done on Friday, April 4th, and we picked up the test results on Monday, in preparation for her doctor's appointment on Wednesday. The plan was for the doctor's appointment first, then to receive her fifth treatment with Ixabepilone. Based on what we read in the reports, we requested an appointment with Robin's original oncologist, who was just starting back part time after her accident. The reports contained both good and bad news. The good news was that the cancer was still only showing in the bones; not in the soft tissues, such as lungs or liver. The bad news was that the cancer had expanded, affecting a total of six ribs (five on the left and one on the right) and three vertebrae (the T11 where it started, and the ones above and below). Based on these results, Dr. McClure said that Robin would not be treated with Ixabepilone that day. Instead, she would get a week off, and then start with a different type of Chemo on Wednesday, April 16th. She also wanted Robin to get a scan of her head, due to the dizziness she has been experiencing. So that is where we are today.

With respect to Robin's vision, both eyes have bled in the last two weeks. Last week, her vision was about as bad as it has ever been. She can see people, but cannot make out the faces, and she can read her computer at work with some difficulty. Fortunately, much of her work involves talking on the phone or in person, so she has been fairly productive in spite of her vision shortcomings. I can tell from our discussions that she is starting to see a little better, though the improvement is slow. The next chemo is expected to have less-severe side-effects, so we might be able to get her to her ophthalmologist, Dr. Foster, to see if there is anything that can be done.

You can probably imagine how disappointed we are that the Ixabepilone didn't seem to work. Being a relatively new drug, we held high hopes for its efficacy for Robin. Especially with the severity of the aftereffects, we felt that it must be doing some good. Perhaps it did; but it was not what we expected. In any case, what can we do but move on and keep fighting and praying.

Please join us in the fight and continue to keep Robin in your thoughts and prayers. We are sure that prayer works and we know that miracles do happen; there have been many examples, even in our own times. As we have been on this journey, we have become aware of many other folks who are afflicted by this brutal disease. So when you pray for Robin, please pray for others who are dealing with cancer and the difficult treatments that are required. Prayer works!

And one other request: if you can, try to do something nice for someone that you know has cancer. Whatever you do lets them know that they are not alone and that someone is thinking about them. Chronic diseases tend to isolate these folks at a time when they need human contact more than ever. It does not matter how small the act of kindness is, it will have a big impact on their mental and spiritual well-being, and might even help them physically.

Our love to you all. God bless you all!

                  Larry and Robin (and John, in absentia)