Thanks to the generosity of everyone who has so kindly donated via this Givealittle page, I have now had three doses of Cetuximab and we have enough funding to cover the next two months of treatment as well. It is hard to believe that this site went live just 3 weeks ago and that as of today, close to $25,000 has been raised by 238 donors. The generosity of family, friends, friends of friends and even strangers has meant that the first 2-3 months of treatment will be taken care of. We have been completely blown away by the response and words don't seem enough to express our gratitude. At this stage it is unclear how long I am going to be on the drug however knowing the first couple of months is covered is a huge weight off our minds…..Thank you!
Three weeks ago I had my first trip to Palmerston North for my first dose of Cetuximab. My Oncologist had told me that it probably wouldn't make me feel sick, although I was still quite apprehensive after reading up on the huge list of potential side effects. The good news (much to my relief) is that the drug went in, and I felt fine! And the next day was no different. After going through 21 rounds of chemo it was very odd to watch a bag of IV drugs go in, and not feel even the slightest bit queasy. As this is a weekly treatment, one dose quickly follows the last, however knowing that I am not going to feel sick or be out of action for several days following each dose is very comforting. The worst side effect I am experiencing is an acne-like rash on my face however that seems like a small price to pay for the benefit we are already seeing in my blood results.
Earlier this week we found out that my blood results are strongly indicating that the drug is not only working to stabilise the disease, but may also be shrinking my tumours! CEA is a marker in the blood that can indicate tumour growth and shrinkage in people with bowel cancer. Most people without bowel cancer have this in the range of 0-3 however if you do have bowel cancer its not the number that matters so much as whether your number is going up or down. My CEA hit the highest levels I have seen (265) on the day I started on Cetuximab, and this fell to 211 a week after my first dose and to 132 a week after the second dose. So it looks like the drug is not only holding things steady but is more than likely shrinking the tumours. My Oncologist said he has never seen these kinds of results (ie an indication of such dramatic tumour shrinkage) on this drug so its all a bit exciting (and long may it continue!).
Thanks again for your contribution and support. We are very lucky to be surrounded by so many caring and generous people.
