Half way through the eleventh round of my Sutent targeted chemotherapy fighting my kidney cancer finds me still at it and hopeful… I have scans scheduled on the 12th of January when I will learn if these aches and pains in my body are as a result of my drugs working and killing cancer cells, or if the cancer is growing and causing the problems.
Just at the start of the last round I caught a horrible cold. I pondered whether it was just a cold, the flu, or possibly H1N1 or possibly even pneumonia. All I know is my nose has been running, I have been coughing and hacking and feeling pretty much like death warmed over for the last three weeks, and have decided that it is just the plain old common cold amplified by Sutent. Basically, I know I would have been happier being water boarded at Gitmo than I have been here, and am writing the CIA to offer them my new torture suggestions. Just not sure how to replicate the common cold.
The general side effects, fatigue, shortness of breath, pain, hand/foot syndrome, and taste bud issues are all with me still, but the ache all over feel really bad from the cold makes them almost seem almost non-existent.
I have applied for another year of financial aid from Pfizer’s First Resource Group that have been so kind to me by just giving me the Sutent. This stuff is quite expensive (regularly only $90,000 a year), and even with my “Cadillac” Medicare plan and a decent income (for a retired Mainer) I could not afford to pay the co-pays. I hope they see fit to continue the financial aid as I am pretty good proof that the drug works, but my tax returns show some extra income from the high oil and gas prices last year, but those are now long gone.
My sister Barbara, son Charles, granddaughter Taylor and niece Beth all visited me and helped make my holiday season a bit brighter. I ended up canceling my annual Christmas party as it just did not seem like a fun thing to do considering my health. I missed seeing all of my friends, so if you are reading this, please drop by.
Tags: kidney cancer, Sutent