The business of cancer

     Cancer is big business.  We spent Tuesday from 7 AM to 8:30 PM at the state of the art Anschutz Cancer Pavillion at the U. of CO Med Ctr Complex, plus 1-11/2 hours of driving each way.  The day started for Dean with lab work, a physical exam, 2 ekgs, and having 15 hairs yanked from his scalp for study of the follicles (can he spare them?). Around 10 AM pre-meds were given and more labs drawn, then naptime until his infusions started at 11 AM.
     There are 38 infusion bays.  Bald, pallid, debilitated, but cheerful people abound, most toting wheeled small suitcases containing the items needed for a long boring day.  As newbies, we must not have packed enough.
     The decor is hospital green and beige.  It isn't bad, as hospitals go, very antiseptic and functional except for the artwork and baby grand in the mainfloor lobby.  In contrast, the view outside our window is sunshiny, blue-sky autumn.  We wish we were out there.
     Dean has consented to be part of a phase 1 clinical trial to determine dosing for a new cancer medication and we are glad of the opportunity. Over the past two years he has exhausted all of the available chemotherapies currently approved for his type of cancer, none of which were effective.  This drug is a targeted therapy, however, and should target cancer cells......assuming it works in humans and assuming it works on his type of cancer and assuming it works at all.  We shall see.
     Thanks to everyone for their prayers and requests to the listening universe.  They must have been answered.  This clinical trial just happened to open up at the right time.  I gather there are very few slots available, maybe two or three, at this facility.  His referring oncologist seemed truly excited for him for this opportunity.  Considering the alternative was to do nothing, being proactive and taking risks seemed the right and only choice. He's more altruistic than I. Helping advance medical knowledge is a valid motivation for him.

     Back to our timeline:
     At 1:15 PM he experienced an allergic reaction with itchy palms and a red rash on his hands starting to crawl up his wrists.  Infusion stopped,  the room filled with caregivers, meds were given, and  IV fluids bolused.  More labs were drawn.  We got to actually meet the youthful Doctor in charge of the study at this facility.

     At 2:30 pm the infusion was restarted, but this also restarted their timeclock for the post-infusion lab draws and ekgs.  We were to be done by 6 PM, but now maybe 8:30 PM if all goes well.  The infusion bays close for the day at 6 PM, which means we must transfer to the inpatient facility for the evening.  We still have feeble hope of picking up Charleigh at the dog-sitter by 10 PM.  This explains why everyone comes carrying wheeled luggage.  Next time we will bring jackets, more things to do, and definitely lots and lots of food.

     At 3 PM we realized Dean isn't going to be able to walk around and go to the cafeteria as we had been instructed, so I went down to bring back a late lunch and discovered the cafeteria closed for the day. The coffee shop only sells coffee. Vending machines only have chips and soda, no actual food.  We scavenged for crackers and peanut butter from the patient waiting room.  It has been a long time since 5 AM breakfast.  Sorry, but I get really cranky when I am starving.  Those stale saltines did hit the spot.

     3:30 PM, infusion ended.  His allergic reaction is stable.

     4:30 PM, lab work and 2 more ekgs.

     5 PM, We transferred over to the inpatient cancer building.  All rooms are full so we found a couple of chairs in the lobby for our 3 1/2 hour wait.  This building does have a cafeteria so we got to grab a late lunch/early supper.  It was cafeteria food, but real food, and it was truly wonderful.

     6:30 PM, lab draw.

     8:30 PM, lab draw.

    10 PM  Pick up our exhausted, played-out Charleigh and headed for home.  So ended Phase 1, Week 1, Day 1.

     Dean has to go back for more lab work this afternoon (24 hours post) and Friday afternoon (72 hours post).  This is what life will be like for a few months, but if it works, all is well, even with the occasional day of starvation.

     By the way, Dean feels wonderful today plus had a wonderful night's sleep....that is what two doses of IV steroids will do for a person. Plus he slept through most of yesterday due to the meds he was given.  Maybe next time, he will share them with me.

Dum, spiro, spero.  Latin.  While I breath, I hope.

"You can't test courage cautiously."  Anne Dillard