The anti-body, cetuximab, had an unpleasant side effect. My head and shoulders became covered in a painful rash which meant applying various ointments and creams for about two weeks.
The arm into which the oxaliplatin was applied was extremely painful for a week after receiving it and the 'locking' of my fingers and hands made it very difficult to do up buttons!
The second cycle started on 8th October 2007 and I had become so ill with the side effects by 22nd October that I was unable to walk from the hospital entrance to the Macmillan Unit.
The treatment was stopped.
On 29th October 2007 I started the third cycle but on a reduced dose.
On 11th December 2007 a CT scan revealed that the treatment was having the desired effect – in that the tumours had either stopped or reduced.
After the fourth cycle (on 27th December 2007!) I had a PICC (peripherally inserted central venous catheter) line inserted. This meant that I no longer suffered from the pain in my arm from the oxaliplatin.
During the next few weeks I lost weight rapidly. My taste was very poor and I suffered from other side effects. Nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, sore mouth etc.
At this time my hands and feet became numb as a result of having the oxaliplatin.
After having the treatment for the seventh cycle I virtually collapsed whilst shopping with my wife and on 25th February 2008 the treatment was stopped and the PICC line removed. Since starting the course in September 2007 I appeared to have lost about 10 Kg in weight. I was not given any treatment until I had a CT scan on 18 June 2008 when I was told that the cancer had become active again.
On 3 July 2008 a PICC line was inserted and I started treatment again on 7 July 2008. This treatment was just the oxaliplatin and capecitabine chemos. I had eight cycles of this and when I was scanned on 2 January 2009 it was shown not to be working.
Soon after this I was offered the chance to take part in another clinical trial known as PICCOLO.
Again this involved having an experimental anti-body called panitumumab together with a standard chemotherapy irinotecan.
I started this on 9 February 2009. The panitumumab had devastating results. My upper torso became covered in acne which spread into my head and hair. When I went for the second cycle the doctor suggested that I did not have the panitumumab on that occasion. I then experienced the worst case of constipation – it lasted for a week and when it finally came to an end I had a mild stroke (TIA). After two nights in hospital I decided that I was going to give up driving. The stroke had hit me suddenly – had I been driving I could have caused a bad accident. My feet had never recovered from the oxaliplatin – I could not feel them and driving was becoming more difficult. Jane, my wife, does not have a driving license so for more than a year we have become reliant on the (free) bus service , taxis and trains.
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