Doxil Day

I was surprised when I realized how long it's been since I posted anything! Jon and I have just been enjoying our month off of chemo and getting psyched for this next round.

We started back today and I am writing while Jon is in acupuncture. Starting a new chemotherapy is always a little disconcerting with the long list of potential side effects. The main one with Doxil is "hand and foot syndrome". That's when your fingers and toes turn hot, red, and the skin peels. They prevent it by using ice packs on those areas while the chemo is being delivered. There is also some cardiac side effects to be aware of but they are not expected at this lower dose. He is also supposed to stay cool and out of the sun...not much of a problem here in Seattle in January! Jon is also taking Ifosfamide as part of the magical "Dr. Chue Cocktail". It can be hard on the kidneys and bladder (internal bleeding) and will also probably cause him to lose his hair. To offset the side effects of this chemo he gets to take another drug called Mesna which is in a liquid form. They say it tastes like sweat...yummy. He's also still on Taxol.

Dr. Reilly popped his head in and gave us the quicky overview of Jon's supplements. We have a full consultation scheduled with him next week. We interrogated poor Dr. Chan about comparative PET scans, new pancreatic cancer drugs, and chemo injected directly into the liver. He was very tolerant with us and told us he would consult with Dr Chue regarding our many questions and concerns.

Jon is back from acupuncture and in good spirits. He is enjoying my mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies with a cup of green tea.