NEW MEDS, NEW YEAR

January 6, 2025

Happy New Year to all. Here’s hoping 2025 will be a better year, something I say every new year actually. Last year was difficult, and I expect there will be difficulties in this new year, but I’m ready to face it.

On the 30th of last month, I went to the teaching appointment with Dr. Z’s nurse Laura, to learn about the ins, outs, and side effects of the new drugs. This meeting was much shorter than my first teaching appointment back in June, because I’m much more familiar now with all the cancer treatment processes. My sister and I agree that Laura must have used the phrase “mouth sores” at least twenty times in that meeting, leading us to believe that mouth sores are the most likely and concerning side effect. All the usual chemo side effects are possibilities as well. oh, such fun! She did not mention Hand and Foot syndrome however, so I’m hopeful that I won’t be experiencing those anytime soon. Laura told me I would have to use a steroid mouth rinse four times a day for two months, a process I now call “swish and spit” for you Harry Potter fans! I also need to avoid all the same kinds of food and drink I avoided last time, no citrus, no tomato or tomato products, nothing spicy, and so forth. Last time she said I could drink alcohol now and then, but this time, absolutely NOTHING with alcohol. Hydrate, Hydrate, hydrate! That is the name of the game.

For any who might be curious, the new med’s generic name is Everolimus. The actual brand name is different but I don’t know how to spell that. I started the meds yesterday, and so far, no side effects of any kind. Yay. It’s only two days, so I’ll see how I feel after a week.

About hydrating. I’m trying to find variety in my hydration sources. Of course, water, the obvious choice, but I’m one of those people who doesn’t really like drinking a ton of water. I found some juice that does not have added sugar or artificial sweeteners. I have gator aid and can mix that with water. But too much juice or gator aid can cause diarrhea, and as diarrhea is also a potential side effect of the drugs, I want to be careful about what I eat and drink, so as not to add to the potential! A friend told me about something called water enhancers, a liquid you can add to water. I need to check those out. Another friend reminded me that water melon is a great source of, you guessed it, hydration! Sadly, I think soda is out of my life for the foreseeable future, just as it was with the  first meds I’m going to think of ways I can maybe add berries to water or something. I do not want to get mouth sores!

I have not received the results of my most recent CT scan yet. The holidays messed up any possibility of getting those quickly. There were some issues with my blood work but since I don’t know what half the things listed in the blood results mean, and since Dr. Z isn’t worried about those things so far, I’m just not worrying about them either. I know something that has to do with kidney function isn’t normal, but Dr. Z says that is to be expected since I only have one kidney. I know he’s having them check for more things in regard to my blood, and I’m confident that if there is a serious problem, he’ll let me know.

I’d like to find an unbiased source of info about immunotherapy. If this new med doesn’t work out, or if my body can’t tolerate it, immunotherapy is the only option left. I’d like to be able to read about the pros and cons, and particularly for people who start this treatment with an auto immune disease already. I see research in my future.

I guess that’s it for now. I’m typing this while my house cleaners are vacuuming, so I have to wait to spell check since I can’t hear my screen reader, JAWS, right now! lol. Uh oh, it’s time to go swish and spit!