Zometa

[Guest guest]

Bill here:

Just as an update to anyone considering or requiring the use of Zometa and how it is administered.

I am sure in this hectic world we patients are in, asking and getting answers from the people we are receiving treatment from is sometimes not what we expect.

Whether we forget to ask or feel that it seems unimportant or simply overlook at the time, the fact that we have had blood drawn, received shots, undergone surgery, been put under etc. etc. we remember and know by those happenings just what to expect with anything new. (at least we sometimes think we do)_.

We are usually prepared for any type of medical procedure and because we feel they surely must know what they are doing, we still conjure up our own fears. And those types of fears, I believe, are in reality just unwarranted manifistations.

Perhaps because of time constraints some simple procedures that the medical people do become so routine to them that they simply do not explain anything in total and even though I did read the literature and did get assurance from the doctor and his attending nurses concerning what this infusion was about and what it may or may not produce I was still very apprehensive.

I arrived at the clinic to receive my first Zometa infusion today which was administered at 2:00 PM., some 10 hours ago.

I am feeling no different than when I went in and though I am suffering ADT effects it is sometimes very difficult (at least to me) what a normal feeling is or just what food or medicine is effecting my body because of all the effects I am generally feeling.

It is hoped that this drug will, in time, enhance bone making or something to that effect, therefore; because I was a good candidate for this procedure having my prostate cancer metastasis to my spine and wanting things to continue to be treatable and not un-treatable, anything available I will try or at least hope to be able to undergo,short of a visit from Dr. Jack Kavorkian.

I followed the attending nurse to one of the clinics rooms and upon entering I was greated with a very comfortable looking overstuffed easy recliner chair.

I was asked to sit in it and the two very efficient women prepared a drip to my right arm with the needle inserted into a vein. My arm was laid on a pillow for comfort and the recliner had its foot raised and for all intents and purposes I could have been all set to watch a ball game or other TV fare. THATS IT. No sweat no pain just there for about 30 minutes until the contents of the bag emptied into my arm. I asked for some water and had two or three cups and conversed with the one nurse who did not leave the room.

After finishing the drip, the needle was removed and I reluctantly left the chair suffering no effect what-so-ever and was able to drive home.

The nurse said that in all of her time spent with this procedure (which was a number of years) she had only one patient that could not tolerate it and because of his poor health conditions had some complications of sorts. She did emphasize that the procedure is only given after drawing blood, having it analyzed for anything that could effect your kidney function and that this blood drawing is done at each consecutive admistration (approximately once a month). But that if any blood test shows some tracers, then no further Zometa would be administered.

I hope this little explanation as silly as I sound has been of some benefit to you.

Bill - Florida. 76 current psa 0.8 stage 4 gleason 8. no surgery contemplated due to metastasis to bone.