We met with the oncologist today to discuss the medications at length. Since surgery is not an option, then the next best course of treatment is the chemo therapy.
David will first take a medication called Lovenox, which is a blood thinner to keep the blood clot that's in his portal vein from getting any bigger. He will start giving himself those injections tomorrow morning. Side effects with that drug are the obvious, 'bleeding' if he cuts himself.
The chemo will arrive tomorrow, and he will begin taking that on Saturday. This is in pill form, taken twice a day. This drug, Nexavar, is a 'targeted' chemo, which is used exclusively for the liver and kidneys. It's function is to arrest the cancer, and hopefully keep the tumor from growing, and the cancer from spreading any further. (it's already spread from his liver to his chest and lungs)
Some people don't respond to this drug, but we're hoping and praying that he does. There are several side effects with Nexavar, which are the usual type of side effects with any chemo: nausea, fatigue, etc. This drug has its own unique side effects as well, however, losing hair is not one of them! Phew... that's always a hard one.
Thank God for David's health insurance, because this drug is $6,000. a month, of which we pay a small co-pay in comparison. What a blessing.
This journey reveals something new every day, and keeps us a little off center trying to process everything. Besides the fact that the love of my life now has something ugly and ALIEN inside him, it's also very hard to know that I can't do anything to fix the problem!!! It makes one feel helpless and scared... I look at his big, beautiful body and can't believe that something is at work inside destroying him. My heart is aching.
Thank you all for your continued love and support. Please pray that David will tolerate the drugs, which will prolong his life.
With Love,
Linda
(The picture is in Vancouver, Canada in 2006 - a little getaway to try to get our life back to normal after losing Eric. It didn't work. We remain forever changed...)
David will first take a medication called Lovenox, which is a blood thinner to keep the blood clot that's in his portal vein from getting any bigger. He will start giving himself those injections tomorrow morning. Side effects with that drug are the obvious, 'bleeding' if he cuts himself.
The chemo will arrive tomorrow, and he will begin taking that on Saturday. This is in pill form, taken twice a day. This drug, Nexavar, is a 'targeted' chemo, which is used exclusively for the liver and kidneys. It's function is to arrest the cancer, and hopefully keep the tumor from growing, and the cancer from spreading any further. (it's already spread from his liver to his chest and lungs)
Some people don't respond to this drug, but we're hoping and praying that he does. There are several side effects with Nexavar, which are the usual type of side effects with any chemo: nausea, fatigue, etc. This drug has its own unique side effects as well, however, losing hair is not one of them! Phew... that's always a hard one.
Thank God for David's health insurance, because this drug is $6,000. a month, of which we pay a small co-pay in comparison. What a blessing.
This journey reveals something new every day, and keeps us a little off center trying to process everything. Besides the fact that the love of my life now has something ugly and ALIEN inside him, it's also very hard to know that I can't do anything to fix the problem!!! It makes one feel helpless and scared... I look at his big, beautiful body and can't believe that something is at work inside destroying him. My heart is aching.
Thank you all for your continued love and support. Please pray that David will tolerate the drugs, which will prolong his life.
With Love,
Linda
(The picture is in Vancouver, Canada in 2006 - a little getaway to try to get our life back to normal after losing Eric. It didn't work. We remain forever changed...)
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