Thursday, January 7, 2016

PROLIA & BONES - THE BIG DECISION

Wonderful visit with my primary doctor this PM.  It's seemed a little strange at times with PMD and Oncologist both weighing in on the Prolia issue.  Spent so much time agonizing on this issue.

It was especially hard to decide after I learned recently that some people with ONJ had been sent to my dentist for "repairs."  The truth is that I don't know if any of those in the dentist's chair were on Prolia - maybe on the pills.

Before the holidays, my Oncologist talked with me for a long time about Prolia.  He assured me once again that out of his big medical group, no patients have had the horrid side effects I hear about - especially no jaw problems.  He suggested gently that I don't think about it over the holidays.  Then if I can't make myself keep my appointment for the injection, I can cancel.

Today I learned that my primary doctor is still concerned about it, too.  She gently mentioned that breaking a hip would be more trauma than effects of one injection. She also ordered a blood calcium test which was a relief for me, since I don't know when the oncologist gave me a recent one--very important before starting Prolia, which slows the bone loss, resulting in less blood calcium.

 I asked her if people drive themselves to Prolia.*  She suggested that get someone to drive, and she mentioned my sort of secret fear - that if I'm seriously allergic to it (yes, I know that's rare) I don't want to find that out while I'm driving.

So tomorrow will go by, and I won't cancel.  And I hope I won't have to take a cab over to the oncologist's office for that under-the-skin injection.

This has been a long struggle for me, especially since I read** that the RANKL that we're trying to disable temporarily is somehow tied in to my immune system.

So, like so much of the rest of medicine, Prolia is a tradeoff

I wish  you health.

*http://www.news-medical.net/drugs/Prolia.aspx is where I got the hint about not driving until I know what the stuff does to me.

 **14Jump up^ EntrezGene 8600 TNFSF11

No comments: