My Cancer Pilgrimage: Infusion Addiction

Monday, January 4, 2021

Infusion Addiction

Ever since my recent Opdivo Infusion, my body (relatively speaking) has felt pretty good and this got me to thinking.... could a body build up a need for Opdivo like an addiction. My Oncologist does not think so, and perhaps it is just all mental, but I swear that my body does feel better after an infusion and the same thing happens when I have an infusion of IVIG.... which is exactly what is supposed to happen with this one, but not necessarily the other one.

Still... something is going on... and, there are stories based upon fact that receiving Opdivo over time can cause ADVERSE effects/affects on some bodies and it seems that after #40, I am tolerating ok... which got me to thinking that maybe Opdivo is having a different kind of effect/affect on my body that heretofore has not really been studied.

My side effect symptoms could be coming from several sources, not just immunotherapy drugs and infusions but gastrointestinal problems, cardiac problems, not being active for a while, and/or minor infections like sinuses or respiratory.

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For the last 12 years, I have been under the supervision of an Oncologist who is treating me for B cell Lymphoma. I have had over 150 infusions and numerous CT/PET scans as well as MRIs, biopsies (including bone marrow) and well as monthly blood tests to monitor my WBC, RBC, and Platelets.

My treatments have included: Rituxan, Fludara, Cytoxin, Triandra, Opdivo, Yervoy, Imbruvica, Surgery, and Radiation...

Six years into my treatments, I discover Melanoma on my foot that I subsequently discovered could have been encouraged by my Lymphoma treatments of Fludara and Cytoxin. The growth was removed but 4 years later, it metastasized to my groin and a year after that to my neck.

My treatment for melanoma in the groin was Opdivo, Yervoy, and Radiation without surgery because it was too complicated of an area.

My Melanoma metastasized to my neck but when the lymph node was surgically removed, it was dead Melanoma so the treatment worked.

My Lymphoma (CLL) is being treated the same way an Oncologist would treat Leukemia (SLL); in fact, many Oncologists believe that it is the same disease just different stages.

My cancer treatments were further complicated from a serious heart attack 12 years ago. It was a silent attack with minor pain but my LAD was blocked 100%, and two other arteries on the left side were both blocked 90%. The only reason that I did not die in the attack is that my body created its own bypass with dozens of tiny vessels to transport the blood.

My arteries were cleaned out and 5 stints were inserted over a period of 12 months and 3 surgeries.

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Monday, January 4, 2021

Infusion Addiction

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