With my 800mg dose today, I’m five days into my first month of oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Votrient. Thursday afternoon, I was driving down the road near the John B. Amos Cancer Center and because I just didn’t feel right, I whipped in to see if I could get someone to check my blood pressure.
199/95…..uh oh!
Nurse Tammy delivered this reading to Dr. Pippas and he wanted to see me. Hypertension is a common side effect of Votrient. But with one kidney, I can’t really afford to allow my blood pressure to rise unchecked. Dr. Pippas called my nephrologist, Dr. Raj Alappan, and they decided to prescribe 5 mg of Norvasc to try to control my blood pressure.
I absolutely hate to have to add another daily drug, but I’ve got to try to remain in control of my body’s systems and not allow any of them to tilt out of control. The risk of having a chronic disease like kidney cancer is to keep things as balanced as possible and to try to maintain a healthy immune system. If one major system tips, then the whole thing can spiral out of control and I’d be in trouble.
The other interesting thing Dr. Pippas said to me on Thursday is that Votrient would likely cause some changes in my fingernails. That has begun to happen. The nail beds look a bit different than normal and there is a slightly red rainbow-shaped stripe on each of my nails just above the nail bed. Some of them also have a little indentation right above that red stripe.
I’ve experienced the most highly-predicted side effect of these drugs. Diarrhea (I never know how to spell this word. I always have to look it up.). Thursday and Friday, I had excruciating headaches, probably due to the elevated blood pressure. My headaches have subsided, but yesterday and today I’ve had some nausea to deal with.
All this sounds uncomfortable, and it is, but all-in-all I think if we can control my blood pressure, I should be able to get through this. I just feel pretty lousy all the time.
I’m going to be soon and I’m planning on tomorrow being a better day. I’m going to shoot photos at Columbus Regional Medical Foundation’s Gingerbread Jubilee tomorrow at the RiverMill Event Centre. If you’ve never been to that event, you wouldn’t believe the amount of pandemonium that can ensue when you’re in the presence of several hundred children who are hopped up on sugar.
The kids will be having an absolute blast. So will the photographer. It is the parents who will look like they’ve been whipped. Such a fun event!
Can they give you some Zofran for the nausea? Doesn’t make you drowsy like Phenergan can. Hang in there, brother! Love you!
You are, without a doubt, one of the strongest people I know.
Love you sweet friend. We are all with you. The network is there in spirit and in prayer.
V.
Sorry I missed you the other day. If you felt lousy, you faked out my co-workers…they said you looked great. I returned to the office just moments after you left.
Hey, who needs pristine fingernails anyway. I hope you will discuss your diet with our nutrition expert Beth Bussey. Perhaps she will identify some controllable eating habits that may contribute to your elevated BP. Maybe you can modify your eating habits while you are taking the TKI.
Love you man!
Good luck, Mike!
Mike, we know that you will hang in there “like a rusty fish hook” or as Tom Breazeale says “like a hair in a biscuit”. You are such a warrior and you have a huge suppport world.
We love you,
Di and Johnny
Each cycle of my sutent drug regimen produces a different set of side effects. So I never know what to expect. Most of them you can manage. I get high blood pressure spikes as well, I did last cycle, bit this cycle bp has been normal. Keep on trucking’ Mike
You’re a force of nature, Mike.
Hope today went well for you. I am praying for you to have minimal uncomfortable side effects and maximum effectiveness from your treatments.
Mike:
I, too, experienced high BP. I am currently on three blood pressure meds and have been since 2010. Don’t be afraid of that, it can be controlled.
As for the diarrhea, I was advised by the oncologist to use Imodium and prilosec. I take one of each every morning. It controls the problem.
Make sure that there is a watch on your thyroid. After two years I experienced a decrease in thyroid and am taking meds for it.
I also was put on 600 mg shortly after I started because of the SEs and it has performed well. After 2 1/2 years the mets are still smaller than before I started. The last CT scan (2 weeks ago) showed “no change” from the prior on four months ago.
Good luck and keep marching.
Just to let you know I care. Your Dad keeps my Daddy up to date on your condition…when they see each other at The Yogurt Shoppe. I may not comment on each post, but I read them all. You are in my prayers every single day. You may not feel strong, but you are a CHAMP, and have been an inspiration to me through your entire nightmare of a journey.
Hope the Gingerbread Jubilee gave you some smiles yesterday! Sorry to hear about the side effects…glad you are ever vigilant!
Mike, the correct spelling of that word is DIA-REAR-AH. I’m praying for you, cousin.
Hope the side effects are better and you had a happy Thanksgiving.