Chemo starts today

Hi Everyone .... Just wanted to welcome everyone. I hope this will be a great new way to keep in touch with you all and keep you informed of Teds daily progress. I have the options set so that you can respond and leave comments without having to register.

Ted started chemo today and erbitux. Erbitux is a targeted drug. Not chemo. The definition or class of drug is described like this Class: monoclonal antibody, binds to EGFR inhibiting cell growth and inducing cell death. This is suppose to work in conjuction with the Chemo or Camptosar (Cpt11). Definition for Cpt11 is Class: topoisomerase I inhibitor, causing breaks in the DNA so the cell cannot divide and dies. Eventually he will start Avastin but we have to wait till his mediport gets put in next week. Then about a month or so later. Avastin prevents you from healing and so they have to wait to start that. So these drugs that they give him start with a few other things like anti-nausea and then some benedryl and vitamins. Its a long process and today they must give them to him extra slow. So it's an all day affair.

As for his leg, his oncologist said that it could be fluid from his lymph glands that can't find it's way back out because of the enlarged lymph nodes. He is still taking the antibiotic in case it is the infection that the ER doc said but his oncologist said that with treatment it should get better soon. Possibly even with this first dose of chemo and drugs.

I hope that Ted will be doing much of this posting. He is a much better writer then me and has a flare with words. Have a wonderful day - Karen