Today's Treatment

Went in and the port was clogged again, they tried for about 1/2 an hour then left the heparin in and sent me to get my blood drawn through a vein, then had me come back and they tried for another 1/2 an hour, nothing so they sent me back to see the Oncologist with more heparin in.

He said I have had more weight gain and he thinks it's because of water retention so gave me a prescription for Lasix (furosemide) which is a diuretic and for K-dur which is used to prevent or to treat low blood levels of potassium (hypokalemia), which is a side effect of Lasix as is dizziness and fainting

No acknowledgement that one of the side effects  of Avastin (67%) is High blood pressure (hypertension).  High blood pressure is when someones blood pressure is constantly above normal. I have never had high blood pressure in my life, even in the middle of a panic or anxiety attack my blood pressure was always well within normal range now the last time I checked it at Rite aide it was 180/112 and today at the Dr's office it was 160/110 (Blood pressure is considered high when the systolic pressure is 140 or above and/or when diastolic pressure is 90 or above.)

So okay we try the diuretic and see if the fricking pressure headaches, chest pains and high blood pressure stop. I understand he thinks because of the rapid weight gain it is water or something but if "I" was my Dr. I'd be a bit concerned over the high blood pressure issue and the possibility of me stroking out or having a heart attack. And I think he is worried about that as he has changed the game plan once again; remember I was supposed to be on Avastin every other Monday until April when another PET scan would be done and we would see where we go from there? Well now I get one more treatment of Avastin and then a month off from ANY treatment....... Hmmmm wonder why? One guess? The fricking Avastin!

So then he tells me the same thing he has said the last three times ("Your scans all look the same") and dismissed me. The one bright spot was his assistant Amy told me my CEA level from last treatment (01/11/10) was 29.5 so good droppage there.

Then I go back into the day room and the RN calls me back for treatment, I'm stammering that they still have not gotten a draw back of blood and then puts in some medication they had to get from the pharmacy and I can't remember, puts it in, does the pumping thing for about 15 minutes and still can't get blood but goes ahead and puts in the saline solution and the benadryl/steroids/etc and lets it run for half an hour, she said to tell her if I felt "funny" well I got chills, my legs got RLS and my stomach was killing me, then suddenly it felt like something was pulling out of my port and the RN came over and the saline and side effect medicines were done so she tried to draw back blood and low and behold there was blood!

Now I was scared about that method as I had just enough medical training (Medical Assistant) to know a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and that you never shove drugs no matter what they are into a vein when you do not get a blood draw back because there is no telling what might happen (abscess, "miss", etc) and I was scared but apparently it worked and she did the Avastin treatment after that for 1/2 an hour then we came home and I ate a sandwich and some cookies (Have to start dieting I think, could be a factor in the HBP) and fell asleep then woke up sweating hard and with my head feeling like it was in a vise and my heart racing.

I have a feeling it's a race against if the Avastin will set me up for a stroke or heart attack before I get the month vacation from any treatment, not a hypochondriac, just a feeling I have.

And one more question I can't ask him as he will just say "I changed my mind" ...... Why is he giving me a month vacation from any treatment when I just had one not long ago because I was sick from a cold and yeah I know as my Tom says "Your scans look good and your CEA has dropped so far) but still I can't help going to myself in a small voice inside my head "But I have Stage IV colon cancer metastasized to my lungs and liver and there is no CURE for that so when do the bad downward effects for my cancr hit me"

Okay so that's it for now, when I am feeling better will write some more.

(((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))

Edited to add: I just came back from Rite-Aide and getting the prescription filled which I will start in the morning; I took my blood pressure at one of those things there:


BP = 190/110 ~ Pulse = 124