Week 3,4 and now 5: Thursday #BCSM Post: Notes on taking Lynparza aka Olaparib

 

My mom gave me this mug when we visited a couple of weeks ago. Being agnostic, it didn't hit me on a spiritual level, but I really enjoy the quote from proverbs. I might like the bible more if we chucked everything outside the beatitudes and proverbs. Oh and the part where Jesus tells rich people they suck! 

Exciting news I'm on my second bottle of this drug!  One bottle (ie one month) down 11 to go. Taking this drug as prevention against a possible recurrence has given me a deeper respect for those who are living with metastatic cancer who take this drug until it stops working. It's not easy and there have been about three days each week where I want to just stop taking it. However, I remind myself of that old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Plus there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer.

Side effectwise, I had too many days of fatigue and nausea and that lead to me not posting for a couple of weeks. This week I am hoping I have turned a corner, the fatigue has been greatly reduced.  The nausea is much less frequent. I tell you what, if I had to pay for this drug out of pocket, boy I don't think I could do it, it's not pleasant to take, it would be hard to justify if the cost was say $100 or more a month. 

Fingers and toes crossed that my tolerance of the drug continues! 

Week 2: Thursday #BCSM Post: Notes on taking Lynparza aka Olaparib

 

Yeah I'm still trying to navigate side effects. I'm starting to wonder if I have anticipatory nausea and if that is even a thing. 

Thursday (361 to go) I struggled with fatigue and then when I tried to take a nap, then I wasn't able to sleep. For dinner we got carryout and I ate too much and didn't feel very good afterward.  

Friday (360 to go) I went for a run and felt good for the run. I made sure to eat small meals/snacks and that helped me feel less queasy.  Overall I felt the best since starting the drug, but then after the second dose at night then I felt more nausea and had real trouble falling asleep. 

Saturday (359 to go) Long run today, 7 miles it was really tough, but it was also really hot so I don't know if it was the medication or the weather. I made sure to practice better-eating habits and drank lots of water. This helps.  I also found a little bottle of peppermint essential oil. I am going to try putting a little on my pillow to help at night. 

Sunday (358 to go)  Day of rest, so no running for me. Hot and humid as can be outside so I spent time in my little pool and took the dog for a walk.  Also went to Aldi to get groceries. I had to push myself to do the grocery shopping since I felt queasy, food didn't appeal to me in the store, which reduced impulse purchases, but that was offset by having the hubs with--he did some impulse shopping! The best time of day was late afternoon/evening. Had trouble falling asleep, which is the opposite of how this drug is supposed to work!

Monday (357 to go) My main focus today is on eating.  I began the day with greek yogurt.  Small meals often are going to be key in me being able to tame the constant queasiness. If I can manage that, then I'll be (knock on wood) golden. 

Tuesday (356 to go) Changing my eating to small meals and snacks is paying off in a big reduction in queasiness. I am finding random foods I usually like have lost appeal, a bummer, but I can handle that. In the late afternoon, I have fatigue. I do not have fatigue at the right time--which would be at bedtime! 

Wednesday (355 to go) The number #1 most common side effect of this drug is diarrhea. For me, this means the number one side effect I will have is the opposite of that, at least I have experience in how to manage that side effect.  

Overall, I feel much better than last week. Thank goodness.  Now to manage the latest side effect, I need to go buy some Benefiber. The Hubs asked if they will be able to do a test to show if the drug is working and I explained to him that there isn't. Monday I have bloodwork to make sure my red and white blood cells are doing well. I don't have much fatigue so I *think* they are in good shape. 

Thursday #BCSM Post: Notes on taking Lynparza

 On Thursdays for the next year (ideally), I will be posting about how things are going for me as I take a drug called Lynparza to reduce my risk of a cancer recurrence. This drug is called a PARP inhibitor here is  very short blog post that give you the gist of what they do.  

Recently a study was done on people like me who have a BRCA 1 or 2 mutation and who had early stage breast cancer that was aggressive and more likely to come back than other breast cancers.  This study found that if people took Lynparza for one year after completing other cancer treatments (surgery, chemo and radiation) they had a lower risk of cancer coming back or a new cancer.  

I read the research and I read articles about the research and in June the American Society of Clinical Oncologists determined that this drug was impactful enough to warrant recommending it for people like me. You see this drug has been around for a while in use for people who have BRCA 1/2 mutation in the Stage IV setting--so it is not new, new. I talked about it with the Hubs and we decided that if I could get it covered by insurance, I would go ahead and take it for the year.  

Then I had my regular appointment with my oncologist and we talked about it. She put in the order for the drug and much to my surprise my insurance is covering it. (surprise because it is new for early stage patients).

Sunday I started taking the drug.  Like I said, I will only be taking it for one year and it is the newest possible way to reduce my risk of recurrence. I thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted to do this. This drug is considered chemo, but it isn't nearly as brutal as IV Chemo.  

Frankly if this drug made my hair fall out, I don't know that I'd be taking it. I take 2 pills in the morning and 2 pills at night. Day one I felt queasy.  Like you would if you were experiencing low grade morning sickness or a little hangover.

Monday Day 2- (364 days to go)  I had trouble sleeping, not a typical side effect.  I felt like I was on the brink of stomach upset all day, but didn't have any stomach problems so that was good. I did my Monday run w/hills. Suprisingly my heart rate was really good during my run.

Tuesday Day 3 (363 days to go) Better sleep. I feel like I am at the start or the end of a cold.  A little queasy, a little tired, about 20% off my game.  Drank coffee and didn't eat too close to taking morning pill and almost wound up w/serious nausea.

Wednesday Day 4 (362 days to go) Slept more than usual. I can tell I have fatigue from the drug, I have to make the effort to stay active or I can feel it will creep up. I am glad this is only for one year and I hope it ensures I don't have to ever take a cancer drug again. 

*****

After next week I will have bloodwork.  I need to make sure to get lots of protein.