Questions

Yes, I'm awake again at 3:30 am. Not steroids this time - night sweats. Hooray for forced fake menopause!!!

I start the new chemo in the morning. Or -- it was supposed to be in the morning. They called yesterday and said the med has to come from Covington and it won't be there until 1:00. I asked "how long will it take? I mean actual time, from walking in to walking out". She said 2.5 hours. (which, IME, probably means closer to 4!) I told her I need to be home at 3:30 for the kids. So she said ok, come in at 11:00 and we'll do the Herceptin and premeds first so at 1:00 it won't take as long. OK, good deal, let's do that.

Now at 3:30 am I am thinking: I thought the abraxane doesn't require premeds? If I find out I'm getting steroids I am going to be PISSED! Then again, he did say I would need a test dose first just in case I was reacting to the actual drug and not the carrier. So maybe it's just this one time? I Googled it and found where some say they are tired the day after treatment if they don't take steroids. I am willing to try it without and see how it goes. Like I said before, not much could possibly be worse than how I felt ON the steroids.

The other question is: Will the med not be there till 1:00 every week? Because I don't really like that either. I guess I can tolerate it if we can start the herceptin first, but still, I like getting it over with in the morning. I really enjoyed going in at 8:30 last week and being out by noon. And why can't they get the med in on Monday afternoon and save it? Will it spoil or something? Confused here. I am getting my way once again and then getting confused because it isn't going as I had planned. Troublemaker! That joke is getting a bit old, by the way. Are there really so few other patients that want some say, or have questions about their treatments?

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Google confirms that once you mix up the abraxane with the carrier, it only lasts 8 hours. So I guess it's afternoon treatments from now on, but I will still ask if they can't get it any sooner than 1:00. Why Covington? Why not somewhere here in Slidell? Although it should only take 30 min after that so as long as they get it there when they say they will - a BIG IF in my opinion (we shall see), it would be OK.

I am also now wondering about this "human albumin". Can it cause disease? Thinking of the AIDS etc that was caused by blood transfusions before proper testing was in place. I am a little bit leery, although surely it's better than the castor oil and alcohol used with the Taxol. And hasn't it been years and years since disease was proven to have spread that way?

Ugh. I just SO HATE having myself voluntarily injected with toxic crap. Usually I have not even been reading the inserts or information, because I have to do this so it's probably just best not to know!

ABRAXANE

Active Ingredients

PACLITAXEL

Inctive Ingredients

Albumin, Human

6.3 Shelf life

Unopened vials: 3 years Stability of reconstituted suspension in the vial: After first reconstitution, the suspension should be filled into an infusion bag immediately. However, chemical and physical in use stability has been demonstrated for 8 hours at 2°C-8°C in the original carton, and protected from bright light. Alternative light-protection may be used in the clean room. Stability of the reconstituted suspension in the infusion bag: After reconstitution, the reconstituted suspension in the infusion bag should be used immediately. However chemical and physical in use stability has been demonstrated for 8 hours not above 25°C.

TAXOL

Active Ingredients

PACLITAXEL

Inctive Ingredients

polyoxyethylated castor oil,alcohol