28 Days Already?

Well today is Monday and it’s not that I hate Mondays, I’ve learned to appreciate every day for what it is. Today’s Monday marks 28 days since my last treatment. 28 days? Wasn’t that name of a horror movie from about 10 years back? I sit here writing and that’s honestly the first I thought of that, lol. Having to get needles as much as it does suck, it’s nowhere near a Horror movie, at least not for me.

If you have followed me on Facebook or Instagram you’ve seen some of these pictures before, this is my chance just to inject, pun intended, a little more detail into what this type of treatment does to help me fight the cancer and the symptoms that come with neuroendricrine tumors. Now I get 60mg of a drug called Sandostation (Octreotide) and like I said every 28 days, now my work benefits cover the cost, for that I’m lucky, as you can see by the cost and that is for 30mg so, times that by 2 and you can see the stress it can put people under. I know for other people there are ways to find funding to offset the cost, but I’m fortunate to not have to go down that road, yet.

The needle, as you can see is quite large, insert joke here? Ahhh, I can’t help myself, “That’s what she said”, sorry Tracy. I just can’t help myself. Anyway, it is a 19 gauge needle, which is 1/16″ in diameter and is about 2 1/2″ long. The needle is taken in the butt cheek, so there’s a good poke then a bit of time to release the medicine as it is pretty thick stuff. That means there is always a chance that it can plug up in the needle and today that didn’t happen and it’s only happen once to me and that means a new needle and another poke, ouch. Because I get 60mg I receive two needles every time, so driving sometimes gets a little uncomfortable. I find driving with the seat warmer on helps.

The drug that I receive is Sandostatin (Octretide), others I know receive a similar type called Lanreotide. The Sandostatin is a type of blocker that can attach itself to receptors on the neuroendricine tomors and helps to prevent them from releasing the hormones that can damage the body and cause carcinoid syndrome. It can aid in slowing the growth of the tumors, kind of shutting them down to make them non-functioning, and that’s what your after. This is monitored through lab work and scans, which I will explain in an up-coming post….and warning that one won’t be as much fun to read, more factual.

Now my only side affects from this is a sore butt for a couple days, for that I’m lucky….I mean fortunate. Luck is word you will probably never see in this blog again. Nobody, I believe, that has been diagnosed with any type of cancer wants to hear that word. I do believe I’m kind of fortunate, I can still function normally and can lead an active live, for the most part. I have been in the hospital and witnessed patients who undergone Chemo treatment, and I can’t help to feel a sense of guilt because of the life I can lead and the life many of them can’t. I know one day my time may come when that treatment will come knocking at my door, but for now I’ll try to live as healthy as I can, take my treatment and listen to the specialists.