Changing to Topotecan

During my last week in Boise there was a shift in Mom’s energy level and she intuitively knew something wasn’t quite right. (I think we all did).

Tuesday of this week, just 5 days after I returned home, Mom had her scans which validated her suspicions; the tests showed the chemotherapy, Avastin, was not working. The tumors on her liver and stomach have grown to about 2.5”-3” and so the doctor decided to immediately switch gears. The morning of the results, Mom was injected with Topotecan and she will continue to get weekly treatments of the stuff.

Topotecan seems to have a different set of side-effects, but like all of them, each person reacts differently. It is a low likelihood she will lose her hair again but increased fatigue and nausea is more prevalent than with Avastin. Mom, though, has a high tolerance and so our hope is these will not be things she has too much trouble with.

Of course, it was devastating to be given this latest set back, but typical to the way Mom operates, she allowed very little time for feeling sorry for herself and moved immediately into looking at all the positive in her life. She is amazing that way...and I am pretty sure she worried more about me through all of this, than herself.

We’ve spoken a few times and she told me she is not halting any of her plans. She and Dad will go to Chicago next week, McCall in July and the San Juan Islands in August. She simply has to “double up” on her treatments before each adventure, then she can take the time to enjoy being with family and friends in some of the places she loves most.