Poisoned, but OK

Poison: a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed. Yeah, that’s chemotherapy.

As a cancer survivor (I choose that label over patient or victim) I’d rather not talk about death but it’s necessary. I have cells in my body that are growing out of control. If I ignore them they will kill me. So, my choice is to kill them first. Following the advice of two medical professionals, we are chasing after these rogue cells with a variety of poisons.

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer, similar to Leukemia, but located in my lymphatic system (not bones), so injecting these medicines into my blood system gets right after them directly. No creams, no pills, no surgery.

What is this toxic cocktail?

1. A vesicant; causes extensive tissue damage. It stops cancer cells ability to multiply and they die. It’s classified as an antitumor antibiotic and is made from natural products produced by a soil fungus Streptomyces! Unfortunately it is indiscriminate and other body cells get beat up too. Cells in the mouth, stomach, bowel and hair follicles result in infamous side effects.

2. A multiclonal antibody. Causes rapid destruction of cancer cells. This targeted antibody attaches to the cancer cells and marks them for destruction by the immune system.

3. An alkylating agent damages a cell’s ability to copy itself. When cells are unable to divide, they die.

4. A plant alkaloid. Now you’re talking my language. This class of chemotherapy drugs can come from Vinca (Periwinkle) and the Pacific Yew (Taxus) and the May Apple or the Asian Happy Tree (Camptotheca) They also stops cells from dividing.

Sure, each one of these components has it’s own side effects but they should only last as long as the treatment. In my case about three months. Looking forward to April.