Methotrexate!

On Tuesday Kolby went in for her Chemo treatment. Her white blood cell count numbers were still really low even after getting the shot to boost her system. The numbers were high enough that she could go ahead and get her treatment this week. Leading up to this day, we have been really nervous and anxious to see what side effects she was going to experience from the new chemotherapy drug she would be starting on. It is pretty significant because this new drug “Methotrexate” is going to be one of the major drugs she will be taking all the way to the end of her treatment. Whatever the side effects she experiences now, will most likely be common every time she gets treatments for the next 7 ½ months.

One thing we noticed off the bat was that the dosage size is a lot smaller compared to the size of the dreaded Doxorubicin that she had been taking over the last 5 months. The nurse however dashed our initial perception by saying not to be fooled by the size. Each drug has its own dilution/concentration rate and this is a pretty potent chemotherapy drug. It has many of the same side effects as the Doxorubicin. Here is a picture of Kolby getting the Methotrexate.

Methotrexate is used to treat severe psoriasis (a skin disease in which red, scaly patches form on some areas of the body) that cannot be controlled by other treatments. Methotrexate is also used to treat severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA; a condition in which the body attacks its own joints, causing pain, swelling, and loss of function). Methotrexate is also used to treat certain types of cancer including cancers that begin in the tissues that form around a fertilized egg in the uterus, breast cancer, lung cancer, certain cancers of the head and neck, certain types of lymphoma, and leukemia (cancer that begins in the white blood cells). Methotrexate is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. Methotrexate treats cancer by slowing the growth of cancer cells.

Over the last couple of days Kolby has experienced a lot of the same side effects that she experienced with her previous chemotherapy treatments. With the exception of the mouth sores and constant nausea. She has really been tired and fatigued, feeling sick, with the associated bone aches like before. The total pill count is basically the same as it was before. Even though we hoped that she would experience fewer side effects, at least we know these are ones we can manage and work through. She has spent a lot of time sleeping and taking warm baths to ease the deep pain in her bones. This has really been a true test and challenge on Kolby’s ability to persevere through this ordeal. It’s a good day when you can get her to crack a smile. Kolby hasn't felt well enough to attend school this week. She is planning on going back on Monday. Her spirits are good and we are so thankful she is doing as well as she is.