Lu-177 Infusion Day
After a free day yesterday we arrived at Fremantle Hospital at 8.15 am and went straight through to the Day Surgery Unit.
There we met the other three participants in this chapter of the study and Eric was allocated his bed for the day. Jim our extremely dedicated and organised nurse started on a very precisely timed regime of anti-nausea drugs, injections and then infusions to help protect the kidneys (amino acids). One by one each of the participants were infused with the octerotide laced lutetium-177 . One by one we saw that a minute or so after the infusion began each felt a small wave of nausea…not debilitating as the regime called for a shot of anti-emetic so this was controlled extremely well.
We have to say that Dr Turner and his team have worked long and hard at getting the protocol down pat to the point where the participants are made as comfortable as is possible at every point in hte treatment. If they can combat a problem they will. Refining the protocols has been a significant benefit to being part of this study…everything they learn helps then next group of patients.
The nuclear physician looking after the group then gave the boys a run down on the toiletting procedures. As their urine was “hot” (radioactive) they had to follow procedures to ensure that it was not sent into the general sewers… in fact the urine is collected and kept until it is safe to dispose of…apparently a month or so. The set up involved lots of lead shielding and bottles!
After the infusion was finished Eric had a small carcinoid flush and continued to do so throughout the rest of the afternoon …as did the others. The rest of the day was spent waiting for the two bottles of amino acid solution to run through the drip. Periodically our Physician would take radioactivity readings…and each of the men were released to have their scans when the elvels ahd dropped to safe levels.
Blood was also drawn at hourly inervals.
Finally Eric was considered safe and was sent off for his scan. Meanwhile Leonie was briefed on the various anit-nausea medications, oral and injectable, to help Eric over the next few days as the effects of the treatment kick in.
We were then on our way to Ro and Laurie’s (our home away from home) at 4.30 pm with Eric feeling fine, just a little tired.