New meds
I started my new meds last week which are supposed to slowly begin the
bone marrow rebuilding process. It’s a relatively new, very targeted medication
called Eltrombopag sold under the trade name Promacta® by Novartis.
When my docs first came up with the treatment plan the folks behind the scenes immediately
got to work applying for financial support through the Novartis Foundation. (You
know those tv ads that say, “You may qualify for free or reduced cost
medications?” Come to find out, it’s a real thing.) Since we’re both retired with
an income solely dependent on Social Security at the moment, the folks at UCHealth were able to make an
application for us for full financial assistance, and we qualified!
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| Welcome packet from Novartis for Promacta® |
New schedule
It feels like I have NEVER had such a full calendar, even when I was
working. Unfortunately, everything revolves around blood tests and unknown
infusion needs. On the other hand, everything is relatively close to
home – all within a 40-minute drive, and no need at this point to go to Denver.
Most everything occurs at the UCHealth Cancer Center on Harmony in Fort Collins.
Once in a while we run into someone we know there. It’s an interesting
encounter as we look each other in the eye and recognize the unspoken truth behind
our presence in that space.
New experiences
I have now officially been kicked “upstairs.” Up until now, blood tests
were being conducted at a variety of labs depending on where we could get appointments
over the holidays. Now, all of my blood tests and infusions are taking place on
the second floor Infusion Center at the Harmony Cancer Center so I can see some
sort of routine becoming part of our future. I had my first longer session
yesterday… blood tests at 9:30, results by 10:00, then magnesium and platelet
infusions ordered, delivered and administered by noon. I finally got out of
there around 2:30 and found the experience to be both enlightening and
humbling. By midday, every seat was filled. Most of the patients there are getting
chemo or related infusions and most of them seemed to be long-termers, meaning
they knew the routine and come prepared. They arrive with bags of comfort items –
blankets, headphones, books, laptops, food, phones, chargers, etc. Some have
support folks, others are alone but know the routine and settle in pretty
quickly. There’s conversation between some patients; some lively and others muted. The nurses and staff are incredibly upbeat, with constant smiles and offers of help. There’s a Spanish-speaking patient who's visited by
Spanish-speaking translators and staff. There’s a very loud guy talking about
his personal miracles to another guy who’s just finishing his very last
treatment. There are two women playing a new card game. There’s a volunteer
handing out warm blankets and delivering lunches, and the nurses are all
thanking the lady next to me for bringing in Mitchell’s donut holes. It’s a microcosm of a world most of us will never be part of,
but the reality is that we probably all know at least one person we love or
care for who has, or is now part of this world of “the second floor.”
New beers
Joel and I are serious beer lovers, going all the way back to volunteering
at the third and fourth Great American Beer Festivals in Denver together in
1985 and 1986. I have a total of 953 badges on the social media app Untappd,
have checked in 710 times for 505 different beers, 434 of which are IPAs. So, when I was
told I’d need to stop drinking “indefinitely,” we decided to enter the world of
nonalcoholic beverages, starting of course with IPAs. So far in this new journey, we’ve tried 8 different
types, and have decided that a rating of “that’s not horrible” keeps the brew
in the running, for now. Here are our top non-alcoholic choices so far:
- Fremont IPA
- Clausthaler Dry Hopped IPA
- Lagunitas IPA
- Sam Adams Just the Haze IPA
- RationAle New England Hazy IPA
- Best "dessert" beer: Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Our top choices for non-alcoholic beers, so far.
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