We've talked a lot about the cacophony of cancer-killing chemicals coursing through my constitution. The world of Oncology euphemistically refers to the collection of said as a "cocktail" - alluding to a mixture of spirits blending together to yield an escapist result; in this case that being the escape from my malicious malignancy: Multiple Myeloma (MM). But seriously, what's really in there?!? I thought you'd never ask.
Once a month I get my magic MM mixture:
- Daratumumab : An anti-cancer, monoclonal antibody that binds to CD38, which is overexpressed in multiple myeloma cells
- Dexamethasone : Steroid useful in MM treatment that can stop white blood cells from traveling to areas where cancerous myeloma cells are causing damage
- Zoledronic Acid : Used as a preventive against bone disease or deterioration (a potential additional issue for patients with MM)
- Cetirizine HCL : Is given before certain cancer treatments (like mine) as a premedication to prevent an allergic reaction to the chemo
- Acetaminophen : Even a small dose of Tylenol is thrown in for good measure to enhance chemotherapy efficacy (every little bit helps)
And on a daily basis, I take a collection of other pills as preventative measures, or some just for basic good health (prescribed and OTC; but all sanctioned by my Onc team):
- Pomalidomide : Thalidomide-based chemotherapy pill, used to treat adults with Multiple Myeloma (technically a monthly cycle of 21 days on / 7 days off)
- Pantoprazole : Is used for the ongoing treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD; acid reflux), which can result from my various ongoing meds
- Acyclovir : Was prescribed after my stem cell transplant for maintenance therapy to prolong the remission (ie: near elimination of my harmful myeloma cells)
- 81mg "baby" aspirin : This helps combat potential DVT (deep vein thrombosis) a fancy name for a possible blood clot that could occur from the mountain of meds
- Multivitamin : My father was a pharmacist and I grew up with the habit of taking a daily vitamin. It may only give me expensive pees, but it also gives my peace of mind. Psychosomatic or real? - hard to tell
- Vitamin C : I also take a daily dose of 1000mg of vitamin C. Here too, it may be more metal than physiological, but it seems to work for me so I'm not bucking the anecdotal research
This all may sound like a lot, but in comparison to many others, this is a manageable mixture melded together: to keep the myeloma cell production at bay, to maintain the efficacy of my stem cell transplant (the cornerstone of my treatment), and to serve as prophylaxis against various side effects that can occur as the logical byproduct of all of the above. The meds that I take are way better than the cancer that they address - so it seems like a worthy trade off to me.
