Last week I was asked if it was easier to take chemo orally (a pill) rather than by IV. When I first decided to take oral chemo I thought it would clearly be easier... but over these last nine weeks I've had a chance to think about my choice.
Chemo is still chemo -- nasty medicine with undesirable side effects that's supposed to kill cancer and help me live longer. To me, IV chemo is going to the Cancer Agency once every 1-4 weeks and getting a poke. I sit there for a few hours and chat or sleep (and get as many warm blankets as I want). With oral chemo, I pick up my drugs from the Cancer Agency and then am reminded 28 times in two weeks that I have cancer (but at least with this chemo, my hair has a chance to grow).
I guess at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter to me if I get my chemo orally or by IV; I just want it to work. I'll be having a CT in a couple weeks to find out if my chemo is working (The human body is amazing! Our brains have a barrier that do not easily allow things go from our blood into our brains... that's great when you've got something bad in your blood... but it presents a bit of a challenge when you're taking a medicine which travels through your blood and needs to get through that barrier to work on the bad things trying to grow in and around your brain).
So I'm praying that this medicine would get through that blood-brain barrier and shrink and destroy the cancer in my brain. My bloodwork and symptoms are suggesting my chemo is working but with the CT we'll get a clearer picture of how my brain and liver mets (and the rest of my cancer) are doing. Other than being tired and a few other side effects, I'm doing quite well. I'm thankful to be finishing cycle three of my chemo drugs today... that's three hundred thirty-six chemo pills consumed. Now for a couple weeks to let my body recover.
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