Testing Phase One Done

Yesterday I spent the day at UCSF. Wow! The upside of this trial is that I have my own personal "cancer concierge". Her name is Irene and she makes all my appointments, makes sure I know where I'm going and even calls to remind me of my appointments. I can't tell you how nice that is! She has already given me a tentative schedule through the end of June! It is so nice to have a bit of clue about what I can expect. The downside of the trial is that I have to travel 13.5 miles. Now that doesn't sound like much to you non-city folks, but this particular 13.5 miles takes a good 35 minutes (could be an hour in traffic). To top it off parking around there is pricey! I need to try taking public transit. It would take an hour, but I could just relax and think about the money I'm not spending on parking!

Back to my story about yesterday. I started off by signing all the paperwork necessary to get started on the trial. Then I took the UCSF shuttle across town to have a cardiac MRI. It took them a couple tries to find a vein, but they got it in there. Thankfully I'm not claustrophobic, so the MRI doesn't stress me out, in fact it was quite relaxing. I almost fell asleep! After the MRI I took the shuttle back across town, had blood drawn and had my port flushed (has to be done every 4-6 weeks). Last but not least I had an EKG. Assuming I pass all these tests (and everyone is pretty sure that I will), I will head back in to the city next Thursday for more tests.

Next Thursday will be a full day! I'm scheduled for a CT Scan at 8:45, Mammogram & Ultrasound at 9:30, blood draw at 11:20, meeting with the doctor to discuss intricacies of the trial protocol at 1:00, fine-needle aspiration (biopsy) at 1:45 and injection training at 3pm. After all that I'll be ready to start taking the drug (Lapatinib) on Saturday. The basic protocol is that for 5 days, I'll take the lapatinib twice a day, and take lots of drugs to stay ahead of the GI disturbances. Then, I'll be off Lapatinib for 9 days, and the cycle starts again.

I'm anxious to get started, but I'm sure as it gets closer I'll get more nervous.

Keith's mom is still in the hospital. Things are going along "ok" but measurable progress is still a little hard to come by. She's hanging in there as they try to dial in the drugs and wait for some response. The family has been pulling together, taking shifts to be there with her and keep a handle on all the meds and treatments.