What does chemo look like?

Well we made it through the first week of chemo and although it was a hard week we are on the other side of it for now.  A lot of people have asked me about Rob's chemo and comparing it to last time.  In the fall he received one drug every 3 weeks for 3 rounds.  The main side effect was nausea which was managed by medication and although he was very tired, it only lasted for a few days.  This time it is much more complicated and because the cancer has proven to be very aggressive so is the treatment.  This is what a round looks like for Rob this time.


Day 1
-1 hour of Cetuximab and then an hour of observation to make sure he doesn't have an allergic reaction.
-2 hours of Carboplatin ( this is the one that makes him very nauseated)
-They also give him benadryl, anti nausea and steroid medications.
-After everything is done he is hooked up to a pump (which is the size of a baby bottle) which has a drug called Fluorouricil (AKA 5FU) and he goes home with that for 96 hours.
-All of this takes about 5 hours in total. 


Day 5
- Go to Cancer Care to have pump removed as well as blood test


Day 8
- 1 hour of Cetuximab and then an hour of observation to make sure he doesn't have an allergic reaction.
- They also give him bendryl, anti nausea and steroid medications.


Day 15
- 1 hour of Cetuximab and then an hour of observation to make sure he doesn't have an allergic reaction.
- They also give him bendryl, anti nausea and steroid medications.


Then the whole cycle starts all over again a week later and we will do this 6 times in total taking almost 5 months.




The first week of the round is the hardest for sure.  We had been told that the nausea with these drugs shouldn't be as bad as in the fall so Rob was only given 1 anti nausea drug.  This was not the case for Rob though.  He was very nauseated and couldn't keep any food down at all.  By Friday last week I called the nurse and we were able to get a prescription right away for 2 more types of anti nausea pills to help him through.  The good news is that now we know how it makes him feel so we will be able to get those additional drugs right away for the future.  Rob was also very tired last week and slept more then he was awake for a few days.  Sleep is good for him and he was able to get comfortable and get some good rest...I just had to keep Isaac quiet!!  He still needs a nap most days now but only for a short time.  The drug that he receives every week has one main side effect that is a rash that is almost like acne.  This is a little annoying but it is something you can live with and it doesn't affect his daily activities.  The only thing that we have to watch for is that the sores don't get infected.  The other side effect he is really feeling is from the pump and is sores in his mouth.  I had read about the possibility of these and hoped Rob would not get them.  When he said he had a sore in his mouth I knew right away what it was from.  The sores seem to be getting worse each day but hopefully he gets a break from them before the next round starts.  He is also going to start using "magic mouthwash" again so hopefully that helps.  Side effects are no fun but at least we know what is causing it and hoping it doesn't last long.  So right now we will enjoy a little time with short naps and no nausea until the next treatment starts. 




One of the good things are all the extra drugs they give you on day one is that you feel pretty good that day and then crash hard the next day.  After a long day at the hospital and only an hour at home to eat something Rob was still feeling well enough to come to Isaac's soccer game that night. Isaac was very proud to have his dad there that night and even kicked the ball together for a few minutes.







Since my last update Rob has had some pain relief...praise Jesus!  He was able to adjust the amount of pain meds and although still has some pain it is much more manageable.  He is also seeing Dr Kevin almost everyday and the adjustments are helping to relax the muscles.  He has been able to sleep for more then 2 hours in a row which also helps him feel better.We are very thankful for this and continue to pray for even more relief.  We have a follow up with the pain management doctor this week to see how things are going. 




Yesterday morning Rob went to have a CT scan of his chest.  The most likely first place that his cancer will spread is his chest and lungs so they wanted to check right away.  Please pray that this scan comes back clear and that there are no signs of any cancer in his lungs or chest. 


We continue to take each day as it comes and try to live to the fullest.  Even through the tough times we see evidence of God and are so grateful that we have a Heavenly Father  who loves us and cares for us.  Thank you for all your love and support...God uses many of you to bless us each day.
Love Karen