We danced. The culture of dance as an expression of celebration, rituals, a form of entertainment has existed in the mists of the ancient world. Dance survives, it sustains, it endures within us all today. And so, we danced. For the first time since Richard’s wedding two years ago, we danced. A simple thing. Two people, rhythm, touch. And yet, a long time coming. We danced at a wedding again while the stars reflected in the pond below the windows. Like we could continue on, as Barrie’s Peter Pan directed, straight on ’til morning.
One of the most persistent effects of all the beneficial poisons Rich has had over the last two years has been peripheral neuropathy. That pain that sometimes resembles the pins and needles of a foot fallen asleep, sometimes the stab of a knife, sometimes burning, sometimes numbness. The usual first line of defense is Neurontin which has worked well for him in the past. For all the nastiness that prednisone has presented, it was effective in masking the pain of PN. As Rich weaned off the steroids, the neuropathy came back with a vengeance. Added doses of Neurontin brought balance issues. For most of a year, we’ve been straddling the fine line between pain and balance. Sometimes with little success for either.
Our stem cell guru, as always, listened well and offered a referral to the center’s pain management group. In prep for the meeting, we sat with our red book with our meeting notes, meds history, calendar and the jottings of “between times”…. Those odd bits that take us by surprise between appointments and are worth noting for better or for worse. With that in hand, we put together a timeline of the ups and downs of neuropathy on our journey. We had an appointment and went prepared.
Again we’re thankful that the care we receive is coordinated through the health care system that is now called Northwell. Rich’s files are all accessible through their computer and very little of our story needs to be told. Our new cohorts have read up on us and we only need to fill in the blanks of our timeline: what worked, what didn’t, the best, the worst, where we are now.
It comes as no surprise since we’ve researched a bit on our own, Cymbalta is going to replace the Neurontin in our arsenal. This anti-depressant has had excellent results with chemo based neuropathy. Not the first time that an off-label use of a drug has been beneficial.
Our cohorts are not yet done. One of our observations is how willing they are to take their time to ensure we understand the plan completely. Their experience with patients in distress serves us all well. Despite us having been squeezed into a slot for this appointment, the team deftly manages two patients across the hall from one another without either of us feeling like we’ve been ignored. Before we leave, we’re told of further options should this one not work. We laugh to find it is an anesthetic used often for horses. This whole journey has had a bit of a Mad Hatter’s party about it.
Ketamine is used in lesser doses for humans but carries some risks. For our purposes, the doses would be even smaller still and administered via IV over a five day period every three months.
Both Ketamine and the Cymbalta have anti-depressive effects. Rich is currently still on Zoloft to counter the depression of his adrenals from prednisone. We’ve tried to wean off but it is still early days yet. It has taken at least a year post-steroid to be able to eliminate this drug in the past. We expect at least the same again, given the duration he’d been on it. But that brings up the question as to the conflict between meds.
Our team wants us to keep the Zoloft in our bag of tricks for now… until we’re sure the Cymbalta will do the trick, the powers that be don’t want to leave him without a needed medication. The doses are low enough and scattered during the day to avoid any problems. Neurontin is out and Cymbalta is in and Zoloft is continued.
And so we wait. We’re told two weeks should see a significant improvement. The first twenty four hours are a little rough. Outgoing meds have left the building and the new tenant has not yet settled in. The first night is long. The second is a little better. But then within days there are negligible results; but ones that make our hearts sing. The off-balance feeling that Neurontin brought with it is gone. The positional vertigo is still present but the added balance issues that were med-induced have faded away.
As the week goes on, more feeling comes to Rich’s feet. There is still a cotton-wool feeling between the toes that is not resolving. And when the barometric pressure indicates a storm coming through, the stabbing pain can still make him jump. But there is improvement. The frequency and the intensity has lessened. We’re now at a two week mark. Is it enough? We have another couple of weeks to go before we meet with the pain management cohorts again. We look forward to our discussion.
In the meantime, Rich’s pace has improved. And the best comment of all, the one that makes my eyes sting and my heart skip a beat is when he comes into the kitchen and says “I’m walking with confidence. I don’t need my cane.”
Confidence.
It is advised in Peter Pan that“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”
I’m sure if we can now dance, we can fly.
Use What Exists 