Folfiri - aka Evil Chemo

Blake will begin his 4th chemotherapy regimen tomorrow; his 28th chemo. Ugh. He will have the chemo that's referred to as Evil Chemo! The treatment will begin with a steroid infusion, followed by anti-nausea drugs, then Avastin (although not a chemo, it cuts off blood supply to tumors), then the "mean drug" Irrinotecan. After the infusion, a bolus of 5-FU (appropriately named) is given. More 5FU is infused over 48 hours so Blake will then be hooked up to a fanny pack that he will carry around for the next 2 days. He'll head back to the cancer center and have the fanny pack removed on Friday afternoon. The next few days are usually very tiring. Luckily, it's the weekend so he'll be able to get lots of rest.

This chemo brings on some horrible side effects, some of which can be controlled during the infusion with some injections during the infusion. Last time he had this chemo, he seemed to tolerate the side effects rather well. One side effect that hit him pretty quick was hair loss. I'm pretty sure it was about 10 days after the 1st infusion that his hair began to fall out. To prevent the shock, Blake had his hair cut (buzzzzzed) short. Hopefully when it starts falling out, it won't clog the sink! lol (gotta laugh/smile, right?)

We have quite a few shy readers..... *wink* But, thanks to those of you who have made a comment! They are really fun & uplifting to read. Your continued prayers, thoughts and well wishes are very appreciated.

I'll try to post again tomorrow and let you know how everything went.

Love you all, Kathy