31 October 2005
Monday 9:45 PM (ET)
High-Level Journal Summary: The start of Temodar chemotherapy. The logistics of this day were meticulous. For 5 days, I am taking Temodar chemotherapy medication. To-the-minute, strict, disciplined scheduling is required all week long.
Current Countdown: After a countdown that started on 9/15/05, chemotherapy treatment for my brain cancer began today.
Actual Journal: This journal must be short. I am tired. I need to get to sleep very soon. For now, I'll limit my comments. Suffice it to say that the day seems to have gone fairly well.
I took 250 mg of Temodar chemotherapy at 6:30 AM. Since then, I have not felt nausea, and I have been able to operate well throughout the day. The only exceptions are that I feel a medical taste/sensation from my stomach all the way to my sinus cavity. Very odd, but not painful in any sense. I also know that I almost immediately experienced constipation, even though I started using Senokot days prior (just to prepare my body for this Temodar side effect). That is simply no fun. But, it happens to be true. It was a known side effect, and it is already playing out with me.
In the interest of brevity, here is the schedule that I must follow each day during chemo. I simply want to share this schedule to give some sense of what each day is like during my 5 days of taking this drug.
5/23 Temodar Chemotherapy Schedule
Here is what I am doing from 10/31/05 to 11/4/05:
1.) 6 AM. Wake.
2.) 6 AM. Take anti-seizure medications (600 mg Trileptal, 500 mg Keppra).
3.) 6 AM. Take anti-nausea drugs (1 mg Kytril).
4.) 6:30 AM. Take chemotherapy medication (250 mg Temodar).
- Pill form. Not IV-based.
- 250 mg is a single pill.
- Each pill costs (someone) $506. Wow! Expensive breakfast.
5.) 9 AM. Eat breakfast.
- I need to wait at least 1 hour before eating so that Temodar can get absorbed into my bloodstream and work most effectively on cancer cells.
- I decided to wait at least 2.25 hours since I know that the average half-life of Temodar is 1.8 hours (range, 1.6 hours to 2.25 hours).
- Temodar works best in a fasting state.
6.) 10 AM. Take 2 tablets of Senokot.
- For relieving constipation.
- Constipation is a known side-effect of Temodar chemotherapy.
- I report the good, bad, and ugly in this website. This one is more on the ugly side. But, it is true.
7.) Noon. Take anti-seizure medications (450 mg Trileptal, 250 mg Keppra).
8.) Noon. Eat lunch.
- Be precise about meal time so that the rest of the day plays out in a planned fashion.
9.) 12:30 PM - 3 PM. Nap, if needed.
- Try to limit naptime so that I have better rest in the evening.
10.) 3 PM. Eat small snack.
- Need a small snack so I am nourished for upcoming exercise.
11.) 3:30 to 5 PM. Exercise.
- Walk or ride bike for 1.5 hours.
- Exercise helps digestion and overall health.
12.) 6 PM. Take anti-nausea medication, if needed (1 mg Kytril).
- Not needed on 10/31/05.
13.) 6 PM. Eat dinner.
- Eat at this hour so I am done eating by 6:30 PM.
- Chew all food meticulously so my body has less digestion to do.
- Being done eating this early will give me 12 hours of fasting before taking my next Temodar chemotherapy pill.
- Eating early and having 12 hours of fasting will help the overall effectiveness of the Temodar chemo treatment on my brain cancer.
14.) 8 PM. Take anti-seizure medications (450 mg Trileptal, 250 mg Keppra).
15.) 10 PM. Take 2 tablets of Senokot.
- Once again, for relieving constipation.
16.) 10 PM. Go to bed.
- NO EXCEPTIONS!
- This will allow me a full 8 hours of sleep.
So, as you can see, this is an extremely disciplined day. Very few pockets for spontaneity. There are a few, but I must make careful choices about what I do during these brief intervals. Speaking of that, it is time to start getting ready for bed!
Final Thoughts
I'll just close by saying that I am very thankful that my body does not seem to be reacting violently to having this Temodar chemotherapy drug currently inside of me. If I can get to the end of the week still in "non-rejection mode," I will consider this to be a victorious week. (After that, I will pray for this damn constipation to go away! Ugh and yuck, all at once.)
