All Hail the Chinese Hamster

I have some good news to report. My first dose of Vectibix has produced some excellent results! I am not out of the woods and frankly I have been whip-sawed so many times this past month by things I thought would work and then didn’t, that I am not yet able to say I know that I will get clear. But I am cautiously optimistic that – with another dose scheduled for the 17th and adherence to my other precautions – I may get there in a few weeks.


Here’s how “progress” is measured: My jaundice is the result of tumors pressing on the bile ducts in my liver. The severity of the obstruction is measured by the level of bilirubin in the blood. A normal bilirubin level is between 0 and 1 mg/dl. If it gets elevated, say to a 2 or a 3, a person will likely jaundice and issues arise, most importantly around getting sepses. When I first jaundiced in early September, my billies were at 8 – a level the doctors were very concerned about. My weekly readings since then were 13, 24 and 32. At 32, the doc switched me to the Vectibix and told me to prepare my family for a possible negative outcome.

This Tuesday, I went in for a consultation and blood work. I felt better and had a lot more energy over the weekend and so, I felt like I’d get a good result. To my great joy, my billies have dropped to 12!! Vectibix not only broke my horrific trend line up Jaundice Mountain but has made a major dent in getting me back to a safe landing. Robbie and I are very encouraged by this initial reaction and I hold out hope that it’s not just a one-time thing. So, I am not counting this as a home run yet, but the ball’s trajectory sure looks good!

As an aside, I did a little research into what Vectibix is. It is a monoclonal antibody, which means that it is engineered to only attack cancer cells. Most chemotherapy drugs attack fast growing cells generally, and since the fast growing/replacing cells of the body include hair, skin, digestive tract and the like, they have side effects like hair loss, rashes, mouth sores, nausea, constipation, etc. By comparison, Vectibix is easier on the side effects, other than the rash. Vectibix attacks the “epidermal growth factor receptors” (skin thingamajiggies?) of cancer so I guess that’s what produces the acne-like rash. But it’s not always easy for me to understand some of the medical jargon they put in the fine print – perhaps I can get my friend Ellen with her PhD in Pharmo-smartocology to explain it to me!

Notably, Vectibix is “produced” in – get this – Chinese Hamster ovaries! How they zeroed in on the Chinese Hamster, I will never know. But I suppose that in China – where I have heard that hamster ovaries are traditionally served with warm brie and a glass of chardonnay (I am told they have a succulent, slightly tangy flavor) – the dish must be known for it’s cancer fighting benefits. Of course, I am taking the Amgen-designed, weapons grade derivative which is a lot more concentrated but this blend of traditional and advanced bio-engineering seems to be working. So, all Hail the Chinese Hamster!! If they get me out of this mess, maybe I could get one as a pet – it might be good karma!