All sorts of updates

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, who discovered X-Rays,
won the first Nobel prize in physics, and started the
chain of events that made my hip feel much, much better.

Yesterday I found out the clinical trial I was expecting to be in isn't going to happen after all.  The sponsoring organization is having some delays in opening it up, so it won't be enrolling until, most likely, May.  I'm not willing to wait and my oncologist isn't recommending it.  So, yesterday we moved on.

I guess the clinical trial just wasn't meant to be. I keep telling myself that if it was the right thing for me, it's what would have happened.  Goodness knows there have been enough things I found discouraging in life that later turned out to be for the best, so I guess there's no reason why this couldn't be one of them.

So instead of a consenting to the clinical trial, I got my second dose of Xgeva (as scheduled) and my first dose of Faslodex (Fulvestrant).  I need to come back in 2 weeks for my second dose, but after that it's one dose every month at the same time as the Xgeva.

In effect, it's the same as being on one of the arms of the clinical trial, the one with the drug (which would have been Faslodex anyway) and the two placebos, except that it's all the "benefits" of the placebos without needing to take placebos.  

Put that way, it sounds almost awesome, doesn't it?

Hopefully the Faslodex without the other drugs will work well, and work well for a long, long time.  It is one standard treatment for this and it can work well, even where Tamoxifen was a dismal failure (and honestly, my quick trip to mets on tamoxifen really does have to be considered a dismal failure).  I'm hoping Faslodex works beautifully for me.

Unfortunately, the Faslodex is an "intramuscular" injection, given in two shots deep into 2 big muscles.  It hurt at the time and hurt most of the evening.  I'm still sore today, but if it does the trick I'd gladly put up with that and then some.  

Fortunately the Xgeva is "subcutanious" injection, so that one goes under the skin in my upper arm.  I won't lie, it does sting, but when it's over at least it's over.

Both the Xgeva and the Faslodex have similar side effects, mostly headaches, muscle aches, and some GI stuff, but so far for me it hasn't been that bad.

Fortunately, in contrast to the moderate unpleasantness of the Faslodex and Xgeva, my radiation therapy is darn near miraculous.  

Before I started the radiation my hip was already feeling a bit better than I had been at my worst.  I don't know if that was due to being very careful to avoid using the joint more than was necessary or something unexpected with the Xgeva, but I'm glad of it.

Still, I think the radiation was a good decision.  I just can't get over how much better my hip feels each day.  From what I hear from my Radiation Oncologist, Radiation Nurse, Radiation Therapists (yes, lots of radiation people on my team), how long it takes to feel better varies considerably from person to person.  After my tamoxifen failure at the same time as the failure on my previous clinical trial, the failure to get in to this next clinical trial, the unpleasantness of all the injections, and what was generally a hard day, I'm pretty glad to have something going pretty nicely right now!

Every single day I'm noticing something better after radiation than I had the day before, which is incredibly cool.  On day 2, I was able to bend my leg to put on socks in a way that had been excruciating the day before.  On day 3, I noticed I could get into the car without having to brace myself with the good leg and fall into the seat.  Day 4, I could get out of the car like a normal person without having to twist around and flip my right leg out first and I'm a lot less aware of where my bones are and if I'm putting pressure on them.  This morning, I woke up and noticed for the first time in a long time that my hip hadn't hurt every time I rolled over to the side that bent the joint.  

And the best part is, so far I haven't had any of the side effects I was told could happen, and none I wasn't told about either.  Just plain none!

Well done, Wilhelm Röntgen and company, well done.

Tamoxifen is no longer my new best friend, but I think radiation therapy will fill that vacant spot quite nicely.

Yesterday was a long and moderately depressing day, but today is better and that's really what the goal is here.  A few tough days (if necessary) in exchange for more days in general and, with any luck, a lovely long string better days to come.