TREATMENT PLAN NUMBER TWO

I met with Dr. Z this morning to discuss the next steps, the new plan. Rosie timed the visit, and yes, it was five minutes. But I did get my answers to my questions, so it was a good five minutes anyway.

Dr. Z wanted to look at my hands and feet to make sure the hand and foot syndrome had cleared up. I wore my bootie style slippers, so it was easy enough for him to look at my feet. All is well there for now.

I will be taking Cabometyx again, but at a lower dosage, 40 MG now. He said that the company that makes this drug recommends 80 MG, but few people can tolerate it at that high a dose. I asked if there was some way I could stay with the original dose of 60 MG, something proactive I could do to protect my hands and feet. I said I’m not a wimp about pain. He brushed it off immediately. Rosie said he was making a stop motion in the middle of my speech. He said absolutely not and that many people can’t tolerate the meds at 60 MG. He assured me that the 40 will still work on the cancer. He also seemed greatly concerned about the hand and foot syndrome. He told me that if I start developing the same issue again, I should stop taking the drugs immediately. Don’t wait to check with his office, just stop. The hand and foot syndrome can get so bad that the skin starts to peel off those apendages, and we don’t want it to get so bad. Okay, I’ll stop if I get a twinkling of that pain again. It was so terrible.

After a discussion between my sister and me, I asked Dr. z about marijuana products to help with the loss of appetite. Never thought I’d see the day that I would ask about taking some kind of drug other than something prescribed by a physician. Lol. He said he can’t prescribe it, but he has a number of patients who take various forms of it to help with either nausea or appetite while on chemo. I think I’ll ask about it on one of the kidney cancer facebook groups I’m in, and tuck the info away for future if needed.

So, now I wait for the special compounding pharmacy to send the next batch of drugs to me. I expect to get those sometime next week, and we’ll start the process again. I’ll probably be back to the daily record as I start treatment again. Fun, fun, fun, as the Beachboys said. I go back to see Dr. Z in a month.