Management

For a long time, the job of cancer recovery was pretty basic, pretty ho-hum, pretty non-time consuming. I mean, I had the general cycle of weeks that took some small amount of work simply for existence—the day at the clinic, the night without sleep, the day of wired noodlyness, the day of exhaustion, and then four days of increasing (relative) normalcy until it all started again. Nevertheless, even after several months, I don't think I really understood what kind of effect those drugs were having on me physically. Psychologically, I don't think it was all that hard.

Recently, though, things have been hard. Starting in January I added eyedrops to my daily drug regimen. About a month and a half ago I added, briefly, pseudoephedrine (which is no longer really an over the counter drug because it's evidently one of the ingredients in meth—little rant here—so even though my left ear was clogged and messing with my equilibrium, I couldn't refill my box at the local Bartell's because the pharmacy was closed after 4 on a Sunday. And when I tried to buy the 96 pill pack, which would've lessened my issues considerably, I was told—two different days in a row—that it was out of stock, but should be in soon. And so I asked to buy two packages of 24 and they said they could only sell me one and a time. And I got mad, and before I could even get really mad, another pharmacist said to sell me two packages. And then I switched to Claritin a couple days later anyway. And now I could make some meth myself, with almost two full packs of pseudoephedrine. And my ear is still a bit full of fluid, even with drugs. Any drugs. Rant finished.).

This week I had an appointment this morning with the eye doc, tomorrow I have my moved-up MRI to see if all the nausea I've been feeling lately is related to brain activity, Wednesday I see the craniosacral person (okay, after I get to horseback ride for an hour), Thursday I have an infusion. Friday I collapse in utter exhaustion. And I have all these things to take, and they all come at different times of day and in different amounts! I think it's time for an updated meds/supplements list.

At the SCCA:

Weekly Premed:

1 Zofran

Weekly Infusions:

2 Navelbine

3 Herceptin

Monthly:

4 Lupron

Occasionally:

5 Pamidronate

At Home:

Daily:

6 Bactrim

7 Protonix

8 Folic Acid

9 Claritin

Twice Daily:

10 B-6

11 Calcium

Four X Per Week:

12 Neupogen

Eyes:

Four X Per Day

13 PredForte (stopped today, replaced by other drop because my eye pressure is too high because of the steroid in PredForte)

Two X Per Day:

14 Xybrom

15 Alphagan P

If Needed, Eyes or Body:

16, 17, 18 Various other drops for various other purposes (purpi?)

19 Compazine

20 Zofran (pill form)

These last two have been needed quite a bit of late, so I have to make sure I have them in my purse. Along with various eyedrops. Frankly, I'm bored with this post now. I'm bored just thinking about all this managerial tedium. I really, really wish I could have a bit of time off from it. But . . . not for the moment.