Skip to main content

Doxorubicin for Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Sarcoma

Doxorubicin, The Red Devil in VDC Chemo for a rare soft tissue Sarcoma cancer.



When I saw the Doxorubicin, I thought of that woman, in the IR who was so distraught about her son. I started to get that sense of seeing myself coming and going in the caregivers and family of the other patients. 

This chemo can be toxic to the heart, there is a lifetime limit of doses. I was told 6 doses for Mathew. I suppose when you are hoping for a year or two of survival, long-term effects of treatments is a secondary concern.  I wasn’t afraid of it yet. It wasn’t until I saw how Mathew reacted to this chemotherapy and thought about the potential for cardiac toxicity.

It was a long day, Mathew slept as much as possible. I read, drank coffee, and went to get us something to eat from the cafeteria. 

When the treatment was through, I packed up the rolling bag and pushed Mathew in the wheelchair out to the valet to bring our car. On the way home Mathew complained about his chest hurting and could hardly put together two words. It was as if he had gone 10 rounds with a heavyweight boxer. Like he was punch drunk. Overtime whenever he had this chemo I was afraid his heart would give out on him. It wasn’t until months later when I asked Dr. Reed that he told me that if that any heart damage would be several years away.

I was the only person who went with Mathew for these treatments, the only person who saw the horrible side effects. 


Since watching Mathew go through these procedures and treatments with the knowledge his time was limited under the best case scenario, I can’t imagine complaining about any pain, sickness or discomfort.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

About this Blog, A Journey Through Sarcoma

Confections for Cats, A Journey through Sarcoma is a chronicle of my son's journey through Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Sarcoma. It is intended to educate and inspire by using Mathew’s thoughts and feelings, dreams and fears through a variety of mediums; art, music, and writing. Through factual experience, what we learned and what we wish we had known. Mathew’s desire was to give meaning to his journey and in the process help anyone else on a similar path. The last possible explanation in my mind for my son’s health problems was cancer. Even the words “the scan shows a large mass” didn’t lead me to conclude cancer and when the cancer diagnosis was confirmed, I still wasn’t prepared. My Mother is a breast cancer survivor and my sister Elizabeth passed away three years after her breast cancer diagnosis. I thought I knew what cancer treatment and living with cancer looked like, but none of us could imagine or be prepared for how all semblance of routine and normalcy had alre...
Post a Comment
Read more

When a Cancer Patient Has a Medical Emergency

3 Days in the DRC, Part 1 If you haven’t read my first post about the DRC at Moffitt and how it works, since Moffitt does not have an ER, you can read about it here.  https://confectionsforcats.blogspot.com/2018/04/neutropenic-fever-after-ie-chemo-and.html In summary, the DRC is where an existing Moffitt patient is directed to go if they have a medical emergency.  Usually, we would be there a few hours or overnight (since we arrived at midnight or shortly afterward) until they had a room for Mathew on the ward. This particular visit Mathew stayed in the DRC three days. As mentioned in my other post, the DRC has maybe two rooms with a bathroom; otherwise, one bathroom for about a dozen patients. In Mathew’s case, a patient with a lowered immune system.  This time Mathew was in the room furthest from the bathroom.  When inpatient, we had a routine for getting him to the bathroom. First, he needed the IV unplugged (often quickly) and most times, I ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hair Loss After Chemo for Sarcoma, My Son's Point of View

I can't imagine or pretend to know how it feels to lose your hair because you have cancer and the chemo causes your hair to fall out.  I only know what I saw with Mathew and years ago, my sister Elizabeth's experience as they lost their hair to chemotherapy. But it was something that affected Mathew more than just the initial hair loss, it had nuances. Here is a journal entry. It's short but I think it speaks volumes. MATHEW’S JOURNAL     5-23-14 Lately, I’ve been envious of people’s hair. Well, I guess not envious of other people’s hair but missing mine. I told my Mom about it and expressed to her that I was afraid I was falling prey to vanity. She expressed the idea that I may be missing having hair because it’s part of being healthy. I do miss having a life and at the same time, I’m afraid that I may never have a full life again or that I may lose what’s left of the one I have. -  I’ve been thinking about dying a lot lately. I don’t know wh...
Post a Comment
Read more