Whining About Anemia

I'm sitting here again on my cosy couch (I love my iBook--have laptop will travel, even if it's only from bed to couch, and occasionally to the coffeeshop down the street), still feeling sad about Rebecca Griego's death and feeling sorry for myself because I have anemia from my chemo.

This isn't like me. Usually, when I get news like this, I spring into action and do what I need to. But this time, even though my doctor told me about the anemia in a phone call last Friday, I still haven't gotten to the vitamin store to get a tonic.

I have been eating a LOT of spinach, and eggs, but that's only the beginning. So today, I promise myself, I will get over there and get the tonic. Because I don't like how I feel--tired, and short of breath when I walk my dog, Constant.

My doctor said she'd rather I dealt with the anemia through diet, and she suggested shellfish. But I'm a vegetarian and I don't eat meat or seafood, so that's out.

A day or so ago, a relevant news article from Reuters caught my eye, and made me rethink something my doctor had said, almost in passing. She said she could give me a shot for the anemia, as she did last December, but she'd rather that I tried to improve things through diet.

So then this Reuters story comes along that says that some cancer patients who have gotten the shot that I got for anemia last time around, Aranesp, have DIED. OK, nice to know that.

Reuters reports on the results of a survey of oncologists that found they are "reacting to recent safety concerns" by cutting back on their use of Aranesp, which is made by Amgen Inc.

The story is irritatingly vague, saying only that a trial of the drug to treat a condition called "anemia of cancer" in patients NOT being treated with chemotherapy, THE DRUG INCREASED THEIR RISK OF DEATH.

And that's it. No when, where, why, or how. Bad job, Reuters. I want to know how these people died. What "risk of death"?

It's also important to note that the people in this trial did not have what I have, anemia caused by chemo, but still, doctors are being cautious in prescribing the drug for now. And that's good. But I need to know more.

Read the report:

Oncologists reduce use of Amgen's Aranesp: survey

@ Jeanne Sather 2007.

Comments

[debutaunt]

Well if you are severely anemic, that can cause death as well.

Mom was so anemic when she had her hysterectomy that they needed to give her 3 blood transfusions before they operated. They said she was lucky she didn't have a heart attack.

I know when my red counts or platelets are low, I crave steak and hard boiled eggs. But that doesn't quite go with the whole eating healthy vegetarian thing.

All drugs freak me out.

Good vegetarian cookbook is Diana Schwartzbein's vegetarian cookbook. All the recipe's I've tried have been really delicious.

[Mike Cohen]

I am a stage III renal cancer survivor. I take aranesp about once a month. From all I have read, the problem with aranesp is when it is used beyond a certain percentage. It can't be used to bring you up to "perfect normal" blood counts. I get my blood tested every 2 weeks, and the results of the blood counts determine if I take an aranesp injection at home. Hope that helps. :)