Cabernet and Carboplatin

Dear Dr. A: You may or may not have noticed I am no longer your patient. My guess is, that since you are so busy you have no idea. But I now have a new primary care doctor who actually looks at me when I speak, and while I haven’t had to see him for anything other than an introductory talk, I am confident he will be attentive. I have been beating myself for a long time about not being more assertive with you. When I saw you the day after my 65th birthday for my “welcome to Medicare” exam, I had already been experiencing unexplained weight gain and a distended stomach for months. So when I told you and didn’t really get a response I mumbled something like, guess I better join a gym. You agreed. During that visit you literally didn’t lay a hand on me, and you looked at your screen far more than you looked at me. I left there feeling really odd at being basically ignored. But I let time go by and it wasn’t until months later, when I developed bad heartburn, that I reached out to you fo...

I reached out to my oncologist this weekend and she had me take yesterday off, and today I started back on half the dose. So far so good. I morning with the kitties at the shelter, which is always good medicine!

I started Lynparza Tuesday night. I had some side effects but thought in time they would get better. But today, Saturday, I feel as if I am as sick as when I was on chemo. I woke up with a headache and nausea which got worse after I took my next dose. I took a zofran and went back to bed. I got up around one and made some oatmeal. It’s sitting pretty well but I still don’t feel great. A bit better but not great. I have heard that it can take a few weeks for the symptoms to subside, although for some people they never do. I debate whether to be patient, ask for a lower dose or call it quits. I want more than anything to remain cancer free, but I want a life. I haven’t left the house in the last two days because I feel so crummy. I will message my oncologist and hope to talk to her during the week. My guess is she will have some ideas. I will continue to take the Lynparza for now, and hope things get better. This is not how I want to live.

The results of my tumor testing came in, and the results showed that the tumor was BRCA2 positive. While that might not sound like good news, in reality, it is. It has opened the door for me to take a PARP inhibitor for maintenance. Don’t ask me what PARP stands for. I looked it up but it didn’t help me understand it. My doctor explained that they attack the cancer DNA and destroy it. Or something like that. In any case, I want every tool I can use to keep me in remission, so when we discussed me taking Lynparza, I was all for it. My enthusiasm was dampened a bit when I paid for the first month. It was astronomical! It will go down a bit but it will still be very expensive. I am just fortunate that I can afford it. The pharma company does have a program to help pay for it, but I make too much money to qualify, and that’s a good thing. I can afford the medication. I’m lucky. As with every medication, a whole host of side effects are possibilities. So far, mine don’t seem too bad. I t...