The Taber Family Blog

Baseline blood draw

Things are really moving now. Today I had my follow-up appt with the doctor who will be administering my chemo. Dr. Vikstrom told me he had consulted with Dr. Jones about whether to use Cetuximab or Cisplatin and the concensus is to use Cetuximab. So I’m pretty excited about that!

Actually treatment with Cetuximab is not even called chemo. It’s called antibody therapy and the side effects that I’ve written about previously are not nearly as bad as cisplatin. I’ll start this IV therapy on the 5th of February, about a week before the radiation begins.  The first dosage is considered a loading dose, so I’ll be sitting during the 2.5 hour procedure, probably listening to my iPod. I was told I might not even feel any effects of this dosage, but I won’t hold my breath. He even went on to tell me I probably wouldn’t even need a feeding tube, since the nausea and eating related side effects of Cetuximab would be much less of a concern than if I were to be administered cisplatin. Amazing.

So after the consultation, I was introduced to the technician who would be administering my therapy, and they took some blood to create a baseline for future monitoring of my magnesium levels, which can be effected by Cetuximab. I’m feeling much better about things now, and have even started to think some Spring time performances by my band might even be possible! Yippee.

Pain scale today: 2    (10 being the worst)