The Dreaded Mark of Amifostine

Just like one of my favorite fictional protagonists, Hester Prenn, I now bear a brand beginning with the word A: the dreaded mark of Amifostine. For those who are fortunate enough to be unacquainted with the drug, it is a potent antioxidant given to those undergoing radiation or chemo in order to protect healthy tissues from the therapy. In Medicalese, this is a "radiation-protectant" or "chemo-protectant." Theoretically, this is supposed to reduce my risk of a secondary malignancy (getting another stupid cancer) and to preserve the function of my salivary glands. This means that if all goes according to plan, I should be able to hock a loogie after treatment just as well as before. Charming, I know. Let us keep our fingers crossed that this is the case. So what is this dreaded mark, may you ask?

The dreaded mark of Amifostine (aka a really crappy bruise)

For a medication that is supposed to be helping me, it sure doesn't feel like it. This is the story with most cancer drugs, unfortunately. So anyway, getting this shot is an entire production in itself. Firstly, the nurse comes in and takes your blood pressure. If you get the A-OK, the nurse then returns with an evil-looking 10 cc syringe (most syringes are only 1 cc!!) and a 4 inch needle, which she uses to extract the potion from a vial. Of course from the horror stories that I had heard from other cancer patients, I assumed that this needle would be jammed into my stomach via the 4 inch needle. So I decided to brace for the inevitable. When I saw the needle, I told Nurse L***, "I have had a spinal tap, a pelvic bone marrow biopsy done with a foot-long drill, and have been cut up more times than Frankenstein. You don't scare me." She laughed. "Honey, this is what I use to draw up the drug from the vial. This doesn't go into you." And with that she popped off the 4-inch monster and snapped on a little 18-guager, much to my admitted relief. Oh thank you Gosh! But not really. That little stinger really burns going in; it's like liquid fire!! (sigh)

A famous hand model poses with the scary needle.

Addendum: I gave a copy of my last post to my radiotherapist, and he did not seem to be overly amused. I was only joking when I called him Dr. Evil. I really think that he is quite nice! Perhaps it is not in my best interest to annoy people who have access to high-powered lasers and regularly point them at me. Always thinking ahead, I am.