Two Weeks Off!

The clinical trial protocol of flavopiridol (Alvocidib) is a long one, with the full course lasting nine months. (I started in late July and if all goes well, I'll have my last infusion the end of March, 2010.) It consists of six cycles of four weekly infusions, followed by a two week 'holiday'. It has been suggested that the infusions should just run continuously so that the drug can work continously to kill CLL cells, but the trial protocol is set up with the two-week break.

Being the patient, I can say that I will not protest too much that I get a two-week break. Part of the procedure using flavopiridol is that one cannot have too high of a potassium level. I've discussed this before, but the dying CLL cells dump the cell contents in the blood, and this can cause acute renal failure which has been fatal in at least one patient in the phase I component of the study. Starting off with a low normal level of potassium (3.9 or thereabouts) means that there is room to go up without doing anything drastic in terms of managing the potassium level.

So, I try to manage this by drinking lots of water spaced throughout the three days before going down to San Diego for the next infusion. (There is a danger of drinking too much all at one time. Search on 'water intoxication.') I also go on a low potassium diet, which I have devised. This is basically a 'white' diet consisting of white bread, white cake, white cookies, muffins, etc. Few vegetables and no meats are low in potassium. Also, no chocolate. The 'diet' is more comprehensive, of course. And, of course, don't do anything without checking with your doctor as I have.

This means that my diet is severely restricted for the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before the Wednesday infusion. (I fast on the day of the infusion because anything I eat will just come up later. And I will have an aversion to that food for a long time. As it is now, the thought of raspberry juice is revolting, since I used to buy a raspberry Snapple and wash down pills with that. Bleech! Sorry, Snapple.)

So...I can have a normal diet for Friday and Saturday. Only two days a week. Of course, things could be a lot worse.

Anyway...I had a wonderful two-week break the last two weeks of November. This included Thanksgiving. My wife is a great cook and we had a turkey breast (thank you mister or miss turkey for giving up your life for my meal) with the usual fixings. I had Thanksgiving and the day after off from work, so my wife and I spent one day up in the foothills of the Sierra poking around various antique shops.

We try to do two trips a year in Amador City and Sutter Creek. These two are delightful towns that are only 30 miles from Sacramento, but with a totally different feeling. It's a beautiful drive up highway 16 east of Sacramento, then south on highway 49. It's especially pretty in the fall with the changing leaves on the trees, the cold air, the wood smoke in the air, and the happy tourists clogging the streets.

We spent the day looking at and for various fun things to look at or to buy. Sutter Creek has a crafts fair most weekends from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Both towns have some unique shops that carry things you don't ordinarily find. My wife's favorite shop is in Amador City, and features antique lace. Now, as a guy, I don't know why anyone would want to wear 100-year-old fabric, but my wife puts together some attractive looks mixing old lace and modern clothes.

It may not be the best way to administer the flavopiridol, but having a two-week break from the tedium of flying to and from San Diego, and spending the day in the infusion room isn't all bad from my point of view!

I'm more than halfway through the regime. So far, it has been working pretty well.