Friends,
It's been a hectic period in my life as I settle into the clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Five weeks in a row of traveling to NYC (an 8-hour trip from my home via car and train) plus the onset of side effects left me exhausted. I canceled a long planned trip I was to have taken to Ohio this week to visit my brother and attend the Targeted Therapies Patient Forum at the Cleveland Center. I attended the conference via the internet instead. Several days of rest were definitely in order! Plus I was dealing with a dying computer and no time to replace it, and I now have a new computer.
Life has throw us another complication: my husband was diagnosed with stage IIa prostate cancer two weeks ago. Fortunately he can receive treatment locally and is considered to be curable. He has an appointment to meet with a radiation oncologist next week, and should begin treatment next month.
My side effects from the combo of Tarceva and trametinib are rash, diarrhea and tiredness. The rash and diarrhea are being beaten into submission by the proactive treatments prescribed by my MSKCC team. The tiredness - not so much. I have discovered the delights of the afternoon nap. I am receiving glimmers of feedback from my body, however, which give me hope that my first scan next month will reveal positive news.
Regardless of whether or not this trial works for me, I feel like I have discovered my medical home at MSKCC. I am so fortunate to have health insurance that will reimburse me for travel to an NCI designated center.
Anita