Vectibix
Got outside one day this past week for a few minutes and the heat took its toll. Vectibix does not like sun or heat at all, which makes Summer kinda tough to deal with. So, if you are about to start Vectibix here are a couple heads up for you.
I notice that the side effects go thru a cycle. The rash that I talk about starts about 7 days after your infusion. So, you might think you're getting away from the rash, wait a good 7 days before making that statement.
Also ask to be started on an antibiotic before starting Vectibix. It will help a bit and keep in infection to a minimum.
If you are like me and have a whirlpool tub you will not be able to use that any longer. Hot water is the same as hot air. Not a good mix. Showers are a painful event also, and again should be as cool as you can stand to keep the rash at bay. Use a mild soap and shampoo.
After a shower I air dry as best I can then put on a clean T-shirt as a body bandage and rest for 30 minutes. The T-shirt will catch the blood from the rash areas that open up. And they will after a shower.
Lisa has learned from my mom that soaking these shirts in cold water before washing will take out the blood.
I also can't say enough good stuff about the Regenacare spray and lotion that I use after a shower and when the rash is really bad applying it a couple times a day. It's the only thing that I have come across that helps the pain and healing.
Vectibix is also a chemo drug that you will stay on until the tumors no longer are affected by the drug! So, this is not a 6 week or 6 treatment cycle type of a deal. So, the hard part here is getting your head around the side effects of Vectibix. You should with any luck know if this drug is working for you in the first 3 months (CT scan cycle) of starting treatment.
CT scan cycle is what the insurance companies will pay for - CT scan more than once every 3 months is going to be tough to get them to pay. You shouldn't probably have many more than that anyway for what this scan can do to you over time.
In the NEWS: Fructose Corn Syrup is not good. No kidding! I look at this way; if it is man made it's probably not going to be as good for you as nature intended it to be.
If you are going to us a sweetener then use Agave, Natural Stevia, or Organic Natural Cane Sugar. But this should be a treat and not an everyday addition. You ask what about Splenda? See statement above = not good in my book.
From Lisa's Office: She gained some information on a company named Rational Therapeutics that "identifies treatment options that will kill an individual's cancer cells while eliminating drugs that the cancer is resistant to." This takes into account the uniqueness of each individual's cancer. This method is called the EVA-PCD assay and is "for all cancer patients who are looking for answers about the drugs that will work the best for them" After a sample collection of living cancer cells, Rational Therapeutics performs the EVA-PCD assay on the tumor sample in the laboratory to measure drug sensitivity and resistance. This determines which drug, or combination of drugs, will likely be most effective for that particular patient. This would be different from todays way of the patient receiving chemo treatments that have been determined as the standard for a cancer type. The results are available within 7-10 days after they receive the sample in their laboratory, and has a very reasonable cost of around $3,500. This does not include the tumor biopsy.
More information can be obtained from www.rationaltherapeutics.com
Till next time – You Keep Fighting Cancer and Enjoy the Day!
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