Time for an Update

It's time for an update.  Last I wrote, my new doctor had said that the pills I received in the mail were NOT chemo drugs, but much like Herceptin, only better.  I was allergic to Herceptin.  My first reaction to Herceptin was an all over body itch.  So they started giving me Benidryl before (as in moments before) my infusion.  Then, I had an incidence of "thick tongue," where it made it a bit difficult to speak clearly.  At the time, I assumed it was from the Benidryl making me sleepy, and thus causing me to slur my words.  Upon more thought, sleepy doesn't equal slurred words.  I chose not to take it anymore so my doctor prescribed a pill.

Well, I started the pills.  I took them maybe a week, 10 days?  I'd have to count them to see how many days I have left.  The dose was 5 pills in one sitting, taking them either an hour after or an hour before I ate.  I was taking them one hour after dinner, and waiting an hour after that to have any evening snacks.

Meanwhile, due to code violations that I believe are abusively restrictive (but that's another blog), I was trimming my crepe myrtle tree in the front of my house.  I had to saw a few larger limbs with a pole trimmer, and it dropped massive amounts of pollen onto me.  Two days after this, I broke out in a rash on my face and head.  I assumed it was the pollen.  It was little puss filled pimples all around my nose, some actually inside my nose, and it spread.  I made sure I washed my face very well, and started my Neti pot to clean out my sinuses.  It got worse.  A few days later (and this is during the time I was taking my new meds) I decided it had to be something else.  The only other option was the new pills.  I didn't take them that night, planning on calling the doctor in the morning.  He said to stop it, just in case, for a week.  That week is up tomorrow.  I'm almost totally clear now.

It makes me not want to start it back.  But I suppose I have to to make sure it was the pills.  It doesn't say when to take them, so I might start taking them in the morning instead of the evening.  I get up around 4:45 with my husband, but don't eat until around 8:00.  Maybe taking them on a totally empty stomach will make a difference.  We'll see.

I raised my dose of Laetrile to 200 mg.  At first I was taking 100 mg at night and then another in the morning.  But it seems to make me a bit sleepy so I switched to both at night.  I'm considering buying the 500mg dose next time.  I'll have to compare how many you get and what the benefits would be.  It's like it causes my body to go into repair mode.  Your body can only repair itself when you're sleeping, so I guess that's why it makes me sleepy.  I'm not eating as many of the apricot kernels.  I don't seem to crave them on 200 mg of laetrile.

After I quit the new pills (that are like Herceptin, called Tykerb), I started feeling better.  I kinda felt on the verge of a fever...you know, like your body is fighting off a cold and not quite succeeding? I have been craving raisins, though.  Don't know why.  Probably the lack of sugar.  I've switched from the Crystal Lite tea drinks (artificial sweeteners) to sun-brewed regular tea and no sweetener.  It actually tastes pretty good.  My son had me put lime juice in it and it was even better.

As far as how I'm doing cancer-wise, I don't know.  If I go on feeling, I feel about the same, better now that I'm off the Tykerb.  Tykerb had messed with my bowels a bit, first causing diarrhea, then constipation.  After almost a week off of it, I'm normal again.  I also don't feel bloated like I had gotten.  It would solve so much if I could discover that it wasn't gluten free.  Part of me wants the decision to quit it out of my hands.  I don't want to abandon modern medicine, but it's not doing anything for me but causing side effects that need to be treated. 

I see my doctor again on the 23rd, so I guess we'll see.