So much has happened since my last post, so I will try to stick to the highlights. I have been on the Lynparza (Olaparib) for 3 1/2 months now. Once I got used to swallowing all the pills, It hasn't been very bad at all. It beats infusion every few weeks for sure. In fact my CA-125 numbers have fallen! I had been stuck in the 20s for many months now, but now it is a 16! I was so excited to hear that, but along with that number falling, some of my more important numbers are falling, which shouldn't be.
I had not really noticed many side effects until November. I would come home form work and take long naps and then go straight to bed after we put the boys to bed. Once December hit, I didn't think much of it because it was the holidays, I have twin toddlers, I had gained weight, I have a super stressful job and cancer. I just figured I was getting run down from my life. Christmas break is usually re-energizing for me and I wanted to take full advantage this year. Unfortunately, I could never really "catch up." I became absolutely exhausted as well as depressed. I was really hating Christmas which made me sad because it is usually my favorite time of year. I just could not seem to get anything accomplished and it was so frustrating because there was so much I wanted to do for my family, but I just couldn't. I would sit on the couch and just fall asleep. It was getting ridiculous.
I had figured this was my new normal I was going to have to get used to it, somehow. We went to look at a house that had three stories. I was so exhausted, I couldn't even make it up to the third floor. Needless to say, I figured this house would be out of the question if I can't even walk up the stairs without getting winded. It was about this same time that I was starting to hear my heart beat in my ears as well. We had gone to a friend's for New Year's Eve and I basically sat in one spot because I was so embarrassed that I got winded every time I seemed to move. New Year's Day we went and picked up the boys from their grandparents and when we got home, I fell asleep while taking off my son's coat. I finally admitted that it might be something really wrong.
January 2, I heard back from my oncology nurse and she told me I needed a blood transfusion and I should go to the the ER. Ugh. That was the last thing I wanted to do, because billing always got screwed up when I went through the ER. She also said I could go get a blood draw and if my hemoglobin was below 7, I should get a transfusion. So I intended to just go get a blood draw from the out patient services building, which was about ten minutes away and then go from there. I got to the end of my road and was so tired, I didn't think I could drive that far, so off to the ER I went.
I drove the mile to the hospital and walked myself into the ER. When I got to the desk, I was so out of breath I could not even explain my situation. Once I was finally able to tell my story, the person at the desk started to tell me how I could get to the 4th floor and maybe they could help me with a transfusion, but since my oncologist was in Grand Rapids she wasn't even sure they could help. Honestly at that point I am not sure what she was saying because I was having a hard time focusing. Luckily, a wonderful nurse overheard our conversation and told me to sit down immediately because she was going to admit me. She grabbed a wheelchair and tool me back. The did a CBC panel and blood screen immediately because she knew I needed blood as soon as possible.
My hemoglobin came back at a 4.8. (Normal is 12-15.) One of the other ER nurses popped in and said she had never seen a number that low and couldn't believe I drove myself. I was so bad, they ended up admitting me over night. By the time I went home I was filled with three pints and my hemoglobin was up to an 8.3 and I felt a lot better and ready for my 5th graders the next day. Although I was very disappointed in myself for not accomplishing anything over the break.
I already had an appointment scheduled with my oncologist for the following Monday, so they decided they would add a few pints of blood at that visit as well. After having 5 new pints in me, I felt like a new woman! I didn't even have to take a nap the entire week! So now that I know what to look for I will never let the anemia get that bad again. I need to let this new drug do its thing, but pay closer attention to those side effects. There's a million things I haven't done.