15 February 2015

I’ve been taking the ‘targeted-therapy’ drug Pazopanib for 8 days now.

It has to be taken on an empty stomach so I take it at around 7am, and by the time I get around to my shower and morning routines (all of which take quite a bit longer than they used to) it is time to have breakfast (at least an hour after the medication).

The list of possible side effects from taking this drug is long, and includes such things as nausea, headaches, nose bleeds, fatigue, high blood pressure, diarrhoea, painful joints, liver problems, changes to the colour of skin or hair (interesting?), increased risk of infections… and the list goes on. It even includes changes in the way your brain works – I figure that if I can’t get all the crosswords out I now have a good excuse.

But guess what! I am experiencing none of the obvious discomforts from this drug and am able to eat and function normally. This is a huge blessing as it is obviously very important to eat healthily during this sort of treatment, let alone feel relatively normal.

I’ll have blood tests and a further check with the oncologist this coming week, but all seems to be going well.

Meanwhile the days tend to drift into each other. I try to give myself a focused activity each day – which might be as simple as sorting through files on the computer, or helping with meal preparation and the other day I actually made some biscuits (it’s surprising what you can load up on your lap while sitting in the wheelchair. You get to see what’s in the back of the lower kitchen cupboards too.)

I happened to mention to one of the visiting support nurses that I feel the need to do some exercise, as I am losing a lot of muscle tone with my limited movement. Well that comment has sparked a flurry of action, and I will shortly be taken for a special exercise program at the local indoor pool (that’s if the elastic hasn’t perished on my bathers – if I can even find them!) I will be able to enter the pool safely in a wheelchair, going down a ramp, and the exercise should be ideal as it doesn’t involve any weight-bearing, and as the OT said, “you can’t fall in water” (a fall is currently my greatest risk because of the risk of fracture or dislocation to the hip). As well as the water exercise, I will be joining a new Cancer Rehab program which includes individually tailored exercises in a hospital gym, plus guest speakers etc.

So it seems like my days will be a bit busier, and I’d better be careful what I wish for in the future!