Sometimes the bosses think they are funny. Or at least I suppose they do. They like to give me and Lyle nicknames. Lately they have been calling me Stinker Bit. Honestly I don't know why - I think I smell delightful. But the odd thing is they haven't given me a bath and the boss man is always quick to plunk me down in the tub when he doesn't like the way I smell and he hasn't done that. No this seems to be about something else.
So anyway, this week the boss ma'am is off of work and as far as I can tell, her only plan (or at least worthwhile plan) is to pamper me and lavish me with attention and treats. So at 6:30 a.m. EDT, I thought naturally she would want to get an early start with her vacation plans and I started racing around on the bed. Imagine LB drag racing without the parachutes - short bursts of speed in a straight line. I thought this would be a delightful way to wake up. The bosses didn't exactly see eye to eye with me on that one and the boss man picked me up and brought me to the office so the boss ma'am could sleep in. Whatever! At least it gave me the chance to do a little early morning writing. I always find that my mind is clearest first thing in the day.
It was another good week here in Kentucky. My favorite neighbors dropped by with a little package for me and Lyle. I love it when they get steak for me!!! Mmm, steak! Then as if that wasn't enough (and it wasn't), the bosses took me to DQ for the first time in ages. They said it was because they were interested in trying out that new Monster Blizzard but really I think they were just looking for an excuse to buy me and Lyle each a dish of ice cream. I was so ready that I finished mine way before Lyle finished his so that there was plenty of time for me to politely request some of the boss ma'am's Blizzard. Mmmm, ice cream!
On the chemo front, it looks like next week I'll be starting another series of treatments. My response to the last Adriamycin was incomplete (still pretty good though) and Dr. Hathorn didn't think it was worth the cardiac side effects to continue. After she consulted with my oncologist, they determined that my new protocol will feature cytarabine and cisplatin. We have high hopes for these drugs for two reasons. First, they are both different classes of drugs than I've used before so the lymphoma won't have had a chance to get used to them. (Die cancer! Die!) And second, if they work well for me, I can continue on them indefinitely. As always, we are optimistic that this new combination will be the one to knock this cancer out for good. Die cancer! Die! For those of you interested, cisplatin is a platinum-containing antineoplastic drug Cl2H6N2Pt used especially in the treatment of testicular and ovarian tumors and advanced bladder cancer. Cytarabine is metabolized intracellularly into its active triphosphate form (cytosine arabinoside triphosphate). This metabolite then damages DNA by multiple mechanisms, including the inhibition of alpha-DNA polymerase, inhibition of DNA repair through an effect on beta-DNA polymerase, and incorporation into DNA. The latter mechanism is probably the most important. Cytotoxicity is highly specific for the S phase of the cell cycle1.
Well, it is about time for me to have another go at waking up the boss ma'am. I have a little rumble in my tummy that is telling me it is time for breakfast. Have a great weekend!
TTFN,
Little Bit
1. http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/HPI/DrugDatabase/DrugIndexPro/Cytarabine.htm