I got the final word just this afternoon.
My Chemotherapy starts around noon on Monday.
And I have been accepted into the trial study of the immunosuppressant inoculations. There was a fifty fifty chance I would actually receive the injections, and the other fifty percent, that I would just be in the other half, being monitored periodically the rest of my life.
Well, I made it into the first group, and those inoculations also begin on Monday. I volunteered because I want to help them try to find a way to prevent recurrence of pancreatic cancer. This is not meant as a preventive treatment.
I can't imagine anyone wanting to go through it just in case it might prevent them from getting it. The trial consists of 6 injections each time, 2 each in one leg and both arms, or both legs and one arm, rotating each time. Injections are every week for 3 weeks and a week off as a cycle, and 6 cycles over 23 weeks.
That works out to 6 x3 x 6, or 108 injections, on top of the chemotherapy and anything else, such as additional blood tests..
If they are not too painful that isn't too bad, as I have donated platelets at the American Red Cross for many years, and that took 2 sticks each time, and 20-24 times a year. Not to mention blood tests, flu shorts, etc,and several times a day sticking my finger to check my blood sugar.
The monitoring I mentioned will include CT scans every couple of months, then every six months, and finally, one a year for the rest of my life, so thechances of any thing new down there not being caught, should be pretty slim.
Holly, putting a :) forward.
Comments
poor pin-cushion Holly!
huggles, hon.
Dorothycolleen
Testing Holly
If they don't suck out all of your blood and or kill you with all the testing at least you will know exactly where you stand on heath conditions for a long long time, sounds like a terrific health plan to me!
Most of the testing will done by
The firm running the trial, at least in the long term.
During the chemo, and for a while afterward, my chemo doctors will get copies of all the CT scans and blood testing, which is more extensive than the oncologist wants, and includes everything she wants, on a cost sharing basis, as I understand it.
But all of the extended testing will be paid for by the firm testing the immunization.
I was told that is probably why my insurance company was so willing to pay to counter any side effects,such as pain meds, because it should be lot less than the savings on the testing they would have to pay for. So it is a win/win for them.
I have generally had a very high tolerance for pain and/or, an ability to make a steady pain diminish by mind control. I hope so,because the immunization is expected to be rather painful for the first few hours after the injections.
It's a technique I worked out by thinking about what was described by the character, Cletus Grahame in Gordon Dickson's "The Tactics of mistake". When I mentioned it to Gordon the one time I met him, he said it was just a plot device, but hey, "... if it works, go for it." or words to that effect.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
Pain tolerance and mind control...
I'm beginning to wonder if these things are experiential. I learned at an early age how to... distract my mind from functions I didn't want it working on. This was a protective mechanism for me, and largely used for building up my fortress. It had the consequence, though, of giving me an extremely high pain tolerance simply because I could cast that part of my mind back behind a barrier and completely ignore it as though it wasn't there.
I don't even think about such reactions to pain, if the pain is powerful enough, and consistent enough, the wall gets built, and the pain gets cast inside so I can just keep going. Reflexively.
Of course, I now know that long term use of this suppression technique, such as I was using to hide my true self from the world and even myself, is extremely detrimental to my mental well-being... The mechanism for doing it is still trained in me, though, and I'm just going to have to use other cues to pay attention to about my health rather than pain. For the most part I do fairly well at that, the only exception so far was when I broke my thumb and someone else noticed it and hauled me off complaining to the ER.
I was, of course, using the thumb as though nothing was wrong, the pain long cast behind a barrier by that point. I think the doctors were probably wondering wth was wrong with this kid, claiming only a "dull ache" where there should be fire.
It doesn't sound as though, with the way you've described it, your technique is quite the same, nor as reflexive, as mine, Holly, but still, I suggest you be careful performing any kind of self-mind-control. It's a dangerous road to walk. Especially when it can lead to experiences such as mine.
I'd hate to see anyone else ever hurt themselves the way I did.
Abigail Drew.
Abigail Drew.
Ho hum?
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Nice try, Auntie 'Drea.
but I can give a CAT scan AND draw blood. ;)
- - -
Vampire Catgirl. I love huggles, and drinking blood out of a saucer on the floor! ^_^
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! :D
Just Get well,
Dammit!
Portia
Portia
I'm happy for you but sad that what you have to go through
I basically understand medical procedures, although mine is confined to my right leg I will eventually have full use of my leg in the near future. since you will be doing test I may have to take a few days and drive to Indiana so we can chit chat with out being long distance. After April I will be free to travel as I am leaving my volunteer positions and not doing any more public speaking.
Very glad to hear your on the up and up, I'll keep you in my prayers.
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.