Hello, All,
Hope
this message finds you well. Just a brief update today. Mom had a
consult this morning with her oncologist Dr. Martins about next step in
treatment options. Happy to report she is even less anemic than she was
last week. So her hemoglobin levels are continuing to improve since her
two blood transfusions over the holidays. Most importantly my mom
continues to report feeling well and much stronger.
At
today’s meeting Dr. Martins discussed the two treatment options he
proposes. Both are chemotherapy. There is a standard care chemo, which
has two agents and tends to elevate blood toxicity. There is also a
trial chemo, which has only one agent and lower blood toxicity. Standard
care would be one round every three weeks. The trial is one round
weekly with one week off. Standard care has less likelihood of hair
loss. The trial has less likelihood of nausea and vomiting.
My
mom has conceded to the hair loss as she has already lost quite a bit.
Most important to her is feeling as well as possible/having a
high/normal quality of life. As such, she has selected the trial chemo
known by its drug name as Abraxane. She begins this treatment tomorrow
morning.
Overall
my mom is encouraged by Dr. Martin’s confidence and the hope he
inspires during consults. I have to say, he is truly wonderful. My mom
feels she is absolutely in the best possible care she could be in. Of
course she is apprehensive about how she will respond to the chemo on
two fronts: tumor shrinkage and overall wellness. I told her today when I
encounter situations I’m unfamiliar with, if I think it’s going to go
poorly it usually does. She got the memo and acknowledges she will pour
some positivity into her mindset.
I’ll update again when there is news to report on her new phase of treatment progress. Thank you for your positive support!
All my best,
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